It’s a tragedy among startup companies: Some spend about three months delving full force into their products, emptying their pockets and exhausting their resources. Then, they collapse.
But Florida Tech Toybox Inc., an “incubator for startups,” is trying to reverse that process by helping entrepreneurs create viable business plans and product prototypes for their ideas.
“We don’t think any idea is crazy,” said business manager Jose Hernandez.
The nonprofit launched a crowdfunding campaign Wednesday to subsidize its setup at the Gainesville Technological Entrepreneurship Center’s business incubator at 2153 SE Hawthorne Road. The $15,000 goal will cover electrical fees and transport of 3-D printers, electron microscopes and other equipment.
“We want to make creativity the norm,” said president and founder Mark Davidson, who came up with the idea while working as the associate director of the Microfabritech research facility at UF. “If we can’t do it, we’ll find the person that can.”
Clients can either pay a membership fee and use the facilities or contract the help of the staff and interns to prototype the idea.
Diane Daniels chose the second option. She contracted Toybox to develop a prototype based on her idea — one that she won’t share for copyright reasons.
With Davidson’s help, she said she envisions the product launching successfully within three years.
“Davidson has a mind that’s very creative,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 3/20/2014 under the headline "Startup crowdfunds to aid other startups"]
Mark Davidson, president of Florida Tech Toybox Inc., speaks with open-house attendees Wednesday. The event celebrated the company’s launch and asked for financial backers in its Indiegogo campaign.
