Accelerating New Ventures at the University of New Mexico Lobo Rainforest Building
The Joseph L. Cecchi VentureLab does not currently have space available at the Lobo Rainforest Building.
For more information or to apply for office space, contact Cara Michaliszyn, Director of Economic Development.
Why do we call it the Lobo Rainforest Building? Because a human ecosystem is like a rainforest in which human creativity, business acumen, scientific discovery, investment capital, and other elements come together in a special recipe that nurtures budding ideas so they can grow into flourishing and sustainable enterprises.
The first floor of the Lobo Rainforest is home to UNM Rainforest Innovations, the Cecchi Venture Lab, and the Innovation Academy, UNM’s entrepreneurial program. Everything is co-located on the ground floor so you have more opportunities to meet and work with other inventors, mentors, business advisors, and experienced entrepreneurs from programs such as Innovate New Mexico and the Air Force Research Labs tech engagement office. Other incubators with more programs and events are within walking distance of your office, including Fat Pipe ABQ, ABQid, the Verge Fund, and CNM STEMulus Center’s IGNITE.
The Joseph L. Cecchi VentureLab (CVL)’s incubator provides shared office facilities, business services, mentoring, advice, and the location of the specialized facilities and laboratories required to support life sciences-, physical sciences-, and engineering-oriented ventures. The CVL continually communicates with existing incubators to find appropriate enterprises to work with these facilities. The incubator is an ideal complement to the existing functions and relationships of the CVL and UNM Rainforest Innovations.
Moving an idea from concept to market is an exciting prospect, but it can be a daunting task. Useful technologies are just a starting point. The process of forming a company can be mysterious. However, there are many sources of assistance and information available to the inventor. CVL, an affiliated program at UNM Rainforest Innovations, is such a resource: a connection point for university researchers, inventors, faculty, staff, students, entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, and small technology companies in various stages of development. The CVL assists with the commercialization of UNM technologies by facilitating the formation of startup companies. The CVL equips these new companies with a healthy foundation and necessary resources—improving their chance for success.
The CVL often collaborates with faculty inventors, entrepreneurs, and UNM business students to perform market research and advance business opportunities for UNM-developed technologies. UNM and CVL representatives research, position, and identify strategies for the commercialization of these technologies, considering marketing potential, competitive environment, and more. Student teams also develop detailed cost and revenue models determining profit potential and rates of return.
Learn more about our physical or virtual/coworking program.
For more information on Lobo Rainforest Building meeting space, please visit https://innovations.unm.edu/meeting-facilities/.