Founders Compass is a core educational component of Blue Sky Launch, a program of the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization (ZI). Founders Compass provides life science founders with structured, on-demand learning and practical tools to navigate the fundamentals of venture creation and the beginning stages of commercialization.

Blue Sky Launch is a ZI program designed to guide founders through the foundational stages of building a startup company. The program aims to catalyze economic growth and accelerate innovation out of the Medical University of South Carolina by transforming groundbreaking intellectual property into successful commercial ventures.

Founders Compass serves as the educational and digital learning platform within Blue Sky Launch. It delivers virtual learning modules, curated resources, and practical guidance that prepares founders with essential business knowledge needed to advance their ventures and pursue additional commercialization opportunities.

Blue Sky Launch supports:

• MUSC-affiliated faculty, researchers, clinicians and scientists
• Early-stage life science founders and startup teams
• Innovators exploring the commercialization of university-developed IP
• Founders preparing for accelerator programs or external investment

The program is especially valuable for founders who may not yet have access to formal accelerator programs

Blue Sky Launch was developed to address a critical gap in South Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Currently, only a small fraction of MUSC startups gain access to accelerators, leaving many founders without foundational business training. Blue Sky Launch aims to bridge this gap by equipping founders with the knowledge and skills required to compete in a highly competitive innovation landscape.

No. This program is offered free of charge as part of ZI’s mission to support innovation and economic growth.

Through Founders Compass, participants can access content covering essential business and commercialization topics, including:

• Corporate structuring and company formation
• Intellectual property protection and licensing
• Pitch deck creation 
• Building and managing effective startup teams
• Regulatory pathways and reimbursement strategies
• Communicating science to technical and non-technical stakeholders

No. Blue Sky Launch is not an accelerator or incubator. It is a foundational and preparatory program designed to strengthen early-stage founders’ knowledge and increase the competitiveness of MUSC startups for state and national accelerator programs.

No. Founders Compass is designed for founders at multiple stages—from those just beginning to explore commercialization to those actively building a startup.

Blue Sky Launch is designed to be sustainable through strategic partnerships, matched funding and the commercialization success of program participants. This long-term approach ensures continued support for future cohorts of founders and aligns with the Zucker Institute’s mission to strengthen South Carolina’s life sciences ecosystem.

Yes. By providing foundational business education and commercialization readiness, completing the Founders Compass online program increases the competitiveness of MUSC startups when applying to state and national accelerator programs.

Once registered, you can immediately begin exploring Founders Compass through the online platform. We recommend starting with the introductory modules to orient yourself to the venture creation journey, but modules can be completed in any order.

For questions about Blue Sky Launch, please contact the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization Blue Sky Launch Manager at [email protected].