MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Vantage Ventures, the Morgantown-based, WVU supported operation, is cultivating and giving economic life to the next big idea or groundbreaking technology.
The outreach arm of the John Chambers School of Business and Economics, Vantage Ventures has opened the application period for a student-only cohort for the spring 2025.
Dr. Ryan Angus, Vantage Ventures executive director and assistant professor of Entrepreneurship, said the students in the program have an idea that’s been developed and is ready for the next step.
Those accepted receive training through the start-up accelerator, working space in Reynolds Hall, shared workspaces at the Ascend WV office on University Avenue, and the opportunity to earn up to $100,000 in additional seed funding.
“Make the transition from playing around with it, they have an idea to turning it into something serious we can position in front of local investors to help them raise the money they need to help them grow,” Angus said.
An example of what Vantage Ventures can do is Best Damn Tape and owner Logan Cuvo. The company markets a clear tape that stretches for use in the sport of hockey. As a student, Cuvo generated $50,000 in sales in 2023.
“He has already converted multiple NHL teams, many prestigious college teams, and a lot of high school and younger children are using this hockey tape,” Angus said. “So, he’s selling hockey tape and he’s making a lot of progress.”
The organization will be aligned with the WVU innovation Corporation in the future to help evaluate concepts and ideas to move forward. The staffs at both entities will work with students to advance ideas to be market ready.
“We will become one of the ways the WVU Innovation Corporation will screen and try to determine whether to enter into a license agreement with an entrepreneur who wants to license intellectual property from WVU,” Angus said.
The spring application period is open to students only, but in future the opportunity will be open statewide with some basic requirements. Thanks to funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Vantage now offers clients $10,000 in technical assistance funding upon entry, free co-working space and community-centric programming through WVU’s Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative.
“Going forward it’s important to point out this will be open to anyone in West Virginia,” Angus said. “So, we’ll be able to have people participate here in Morgantown or even remotely if you live in Boone County or wherever.”
Some of the ideas have been software to help universities improve retention rates, an Artificial Intelligence study aid for Spanish speaking countries, and a company that is experimenting with RNA technology to improve drug delivery.
“What that means is you have the potential to sell your product nationally or globally,” Angus said. “So, if you’re scalable and one of the owners lives in West Virginia- those are the two firm requirements.”