Archived Awards Content
Awards issued prior to 2025 represent actions taken during previous administrations and do not necessarily reflect current investment priorities.
Regents of the University of California at Riverside
Attracting Capital for Entrepreneurism in Riverside County
Riverside, CA
Seed Fund Support
Federal Share: $300,000.00
Local Match: $300,083.00
Regents of the University of California at Riverside’s (UCR) Office of Technology Partnerships will launch the Attracting Capital for Entrepreneurism in Riverside County (ACER) program to lead a three-pronged approach for supporting entrepreneurship in Riverside and the greater Inland Empire. Resources will be invested in securing and deploying the second $5.5 million phase of investment of early-stage venture capital Highlander Fund; building and activating an angel investor network bringing together regional accredited investors and UCR alumni to focus on new company formation and job creation; and experimenting with innovative financing models for early stage entrepreneurs. ACER will initiate at least 20 investments via these funding mechanisms which will deploy at least $6 million during the three-year grant period. Further growth is expected two years post-grant to 55 investments cumulatively and over 140 investments within five years post-grant.