| Funding
for basic research, such as development and proof of a concept, is
often available from federal programs and other sources, both
public and private. However, when basic research has been completed,
funding for deploying prototypes and field demonstrations is
often hard to obtain. If such funding is somehow obtained and
the value of a new technology is demonstrated, venture capital then
becomes available to move the technology into commercialization. The
difficulty of finding funds for the steps intermediate to
research and commercialization is shown schematically, below, as the
"valley of death." |
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Capital Availability
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1.
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Idea Development |
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2.
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Proof of Concept |
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3.
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Pilot |
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4.
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Prototype |
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5.
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Demonstration |
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6.
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Commercial Sales |
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| The Innovative Clean
Air Technologies (ICAT) funds are used to help businesses bridge
this funding deficit for steps 3, 4 or 5. A
successful ICAT project should help an innovator to
obtain funds
for commercial introduction of a new
technology. |
| ICAT funds technically solid projects that can
demonstrate the commercial utility in California of technical
innovations that will improve emission prevention or control. ICAT assists
technologies that can help reduce emissions while promoting
new industries and jobs in California, improve industrial productivity
and reduce control costs. |
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Here
is what a previous ICAT contractor had to say:
"... when we proposed to ICAT to develop a
technology that we had, we had proven the concept on
a very small scale in the laboratories ... but we
didn´t have the funding necessary to take
the next step to build a prototype device.
ICAT offered that possibility to us and they were willing to
share those costs."
Mr.
Charlie Carlisle
Manager of Research and Development
CHA Corporation
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If you have any
questions or comments about the content of the ICAT web pages,
please contact Steve Church by email at schurch@arb.ca.gov
or Steve Mara by email at smara@arb.ca.gov. |
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