The Technology Commercialization Center Program

The Technology Commercialization Center Program (TCC) is based at A-B Tech's Center for Business and Technology Incubation, located near Asheville, North Carolina. The TCC program assists entrepreneurs by enabling a stage-based client development program that leads to the deployment of a fundable and sustainable business model. The TCC staff has assisted more than 70 companies and has helped create or sustain more than 120 jobs in businesses that range from geographic learning systems, innovative web retail platforms, and innovative solar PV systems, to crowd-sourcing graphic design systems and consumer products.

Coaching, training, and mentoring are provided with focus on client stage development and knowledge transfer to the management team.

A comprehensive entrepreneurial management development training program complements the stage-based coaching and mentoring services and provides a core foundation in business practices.

The Technology Commercialization Center (TCC) has developed a model to describe the process that we use to help our client companies achieve a fundable and sustainable business. The process is based on four distinct stages of growth; Pre-revenue, Early Revenue, Sustainable Business Model, and Growth & Graduation.

As companies make progress, specific milestones are accomplished which are measurable tasks that the company controls. As these milestones are completed, other entities begin to take notice and interact with the company thus forming relationships. These relationships are validations of the company’s business model that begin to reduce the risk in the eyes of the investor. As validations are realized, the company enters its growth phase in the market place and is positioned for a possible exit, thereby providing a return to the investors.

In order to provide a framework to guide the client along the stages of growth, the TCC has developed a series of training seminars that provide fundamental business knowledge. These seminars are coordinated with each stage of development and they provide a foundation for the client to build upon during the coaching/mentoring process.

Finally, access to capital is always a need and the TCC Client Development Process is designed with this in mind. The underlying objective of the whole model is to prepare the client company to attract funding.