Lincoln's Startup Scene: Innovation Campus, UNL and Local Programs

Lincoln's startup support is concentrated in a few places: Nebraska Innovation Campus and its tenants, programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and city-backed efforts run through the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development. Knowing how these pieces connect helps a founder find the right door at the right stage.

This guide describes each part using the organizations' own websites. It focuses on what is in Lincoln. Programs, application windows and investment terms change often, so check each one directly before you plan around it.

Nebraska Innovation Campus

Nebraska Innovation Campus describes itself as "a campus designed to facilitate new and in-depth partnerships between the University of Nebraska and private sector businesses." Its address is on Transformation Drive in Lincoln.

The campus combines leasable space with shared facilities. Its site lists the Nebraska Innovation Studio makerspace, the Food Innovation Center, the Greenhouse Innovation Center, a conference center and a coffee roaster and bistro. Companies located there are promised access to the university's talent and resources, including library privileges and facility access.

For a startup, the practical appeal is proximity: researchers, students, shared equipment and other young companies are close by.

Nebraska Innovation Studio: a place to build prototypes

Nebraska Innovation Studio calls itself "one of the nation's top makerspaces." It houses "a full metal shop, wood shop, rapid prototyping room, art studio, ceramics and textiles equipment - and more!"

Membership is not limited to the university. The studio is "open to university faculty, students, staff and community members for a monthly membership fee," and members receive free training on all equipment. For example, imagine a founder designing a new kitchen tool. A membership could allow early prototypes to be built and tested before paying for professional tooling.

Incubators on campus

Two incubators on Innovation Campus serve specific industries.

The Combine is an agriculture technology incubator. It says it "supports agriculture technology founders with the individualized support they need to lead in agriculture innovation," helping startups validate products and reach capital and investors. Founders also get access to the Insights Network, a group of agricultural producers who can give feedback on products.

Biotech Connector describes itself as "Nebraska's catalyst for commercial life science innovation." It operates wet lab incubator space at the Food Innovation Center, with flexible lab space from small benches to more than 2,000 square feet and shared equipment. Its site emphasizes that "Your IP is Your IP," meaning companies keep the rights to their own research. It was created through a public-private partnership.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln programs

For students, UNL's Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business serves all majors. It offers an entrepreneurship minor and major option, courses across disciplines, and programs such as the Nebraska Family Business program and the Hogan Franchise Leadership Program. Students can compete in the New Venture Competition, 3-2-1 Quick Pitch and Open Pitch Nights, and the center lists a Husker Venture Fund among its student opportunities.

For research-based ideas, NUtech Ventures leads Nebraska I-Corps, a technology commercialization training program. It is offered in the spring and fall semesters as a free, virtual program built around customer discovery. It is linked to the National Science Foundation's I-Corps program. Teams attend four group sessions, meet with instructors during office hours and interview prospective customers, and can receive up to $1,000 for customer discovery expenses. The program is built for university innovators, but non-university community teams "may be accepted at the discretion of course instructors" with a referral.

StartupLNK and the LaunchLNK grant

StartupLNK is "powered by the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development" and describes itself as "Lincoln's home base for founders, builders, and the people who support them." It says it connects "Lincoln founders to the people, programs, and capital they need to build and grow."

Its best-known program is the LaunchLNK grant: a $20,000 cash grant plus more than $23,000 in in-kind services from partners, awarded to six startups each year. Applicants must be based in Lincoln or able to have a presence there during the grant year and should be able to explain the problem they solve and their goals for growth. Selection runs in three rounds that end with a panel pitch, and founders can join a mailing list to hear when the next application window opens.

StartupLNK also points founders to Kiva 0% loans, an investor network, pitch competitions, incubators, accelerators and training. It also publishes Startup Signal, a monthly newsletter about the Lincoln founder community.

Accelerators and other help

NMotion, "powered by gener8tor," is a Lincoln-based accelerator. Its site describes a 12-week program that invests $100,000 in each of six startups per cohort, twice a year, in exchange for 7.5% equity through a SAFE agreement. It says it is "industry-agnostic and business model-agnostic." Read the current terms closely before applying.

For confidential consulting on plans, projections and financing, see our guide Business Help in Lincoln: Chamber, LPED, SBDC, SCORE and Libraries.

Using the ecosystem by stage

1. Idea stage: read StartupLNK's resources and newsletter, and if you have a university connection, ask about Nebraska I-Corps.
2. Prototype stage: consider a membership at Nebraska Innovation Studio.
3. Early traction: watch for the LaunchLNK application window and pitch competitions.
4. Industry-specific needs: agtech founders can look at The Combine; life science founders at Biotech Connector.
5. Ready to scale: weigh accelerator offers such as NMotion, and get independent advice on equity terms.

Key takeaways

• Nebraska Innovation Campus links university resources with private companies and hosts the main startup facilities.
• Nebraska Innovation Studio is open to community members on a monthly membership.
• The Combine serves agtech founders; Biotech Connector provides wet lab space.
• NUtech Ventures and UNL's Center for Entrepreneurship support university-based founders.
• StartupLNK runs the LaunchLNK grant and connects founders to funding and events.

Sources

• Nebraska Innovation Campus, Home page
• Nebraska Innovation Campus, Nebraska Innovation Studio
• The Combine, Home page
• Biotech Connector, Home page
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business, Center for Entrepreneurship
• NUtech Ventures, Nebraska I-Corps
• StartupLNK, About StartupLNK
• StartupLNK, LaunchLNK Grant
• NMotion, Home page