Our mission at Molecule is to expedite translational R&D by providing funding and support to research areas and stages currently underserved by traditional grants and venture capital funding. We seek to support scientific projects with commercial potential, especially those leading to tangible biomedical products like therapeutics and diagnostics. \
We are looking for committed researchers who are seeking efficient access to funding for their translational research projects. Through our Catalyst platform, we enable patrons of science to directly fund promising early-stage biotech research. In exchange for their support, funders receive intellectual property (IP) rights on terms set forth in a sponsored research agreement with the researcher.
The process is structured in phases from project preparation to successful funding. Here's what to expect when applying for funding using Molecule Catalyst.
Preparation
- Prepare project materials either alone or in collaboration with a community
- Submit Project to Catalyst
- Review materials & Prepare for fundraise
After Launch
- Project is live and open for funding for your desired amount of time
- Sponsored Research Agreement (or similar) is negotiated with university TTO and Sponsor
- Agreement is signed and funds are transferred according to the payment schedule
- Provide sponsor and community with updates on project status and milestone completion
Catalyst is a quick, lightweight tool to raise funds for your translational research. It can be used to find your community, get input on your project, and quickly start your work. There is no guarantee that the project will be funded, as it needs to reach the funding goal within the set time frame. If the project is not funded in time, all funds will be returned to funders. If the project is funded, then the project’s designated sponsor negotiates a sponsored research agreement with your university TTO and unlocks funds according to the milestone schedule.
Phase I - Project Preparation
Week 1 to 8
- Prepare project materials either alone or in collaboration with a community
- Inform TTO about listing project for funding on Catalyst
- Initiate discussion of potential IP agreements with TTO Phase I - Project Preparation
Phase II - Fundraise
Week 9 to 12
- Molecule reviews materials for completion and uploads project on Catalyst
- Fundraise duration is fixed to the time duration of your choice using an all-or-nothing mechanism
- Participate in community engagement via social media to answer project-related questions\
Phase III - Negotiation and Sponsorship
Week 1 to 24
- Continuous engagement between researcher, TTO, sponsor, and Molecule to discuss contract terms
- Contract is signed between university and sponsor
- 3-month window to negotiate contract starting from the date that funding was completed, otherwise funds are returned to funders and deal terminates
- Funders can claim their IP rights in the form of IP Tokens (IPTs) granting governance rights over the project
Phase IV - Execution
Until project completion
- Community designs governance frameworks and can exercise voting rights
- Researchers provide regular updates to the community
- Researchers complete deliverables according to milestone timelines
- Funds are transferred to the university according to deliverable and payment schedule
| Why Catalyst | Why not Catalyst | |
| Type of Research | Translational research | Fundamental research |
| IP | The project will result in IP that will be licensed by a Sponsor* on Catalyst | The project will not result in IP, or there isn’t a desire to license the IP to a sponsor |
| Project size** | <$50k is needed to complete project milestones, milestones take no longer than 6-12 months to complete | >$50k is needed to complete project milestones, milestones take > 12 months to complete |
| Project structure | Project with defined milestones, deadlines, and deliverables. Project can be >$50k in total size, as long as raising in $50k tranches provides meaningful progress and completion of milestones in 6-12 months. Total project size includes expenses and overhead costs. | Exploratory project, long time horizon to achieve a milestone. Project that is >50k in total size and needs >$50k per funding tranche |
| Researcher profile |
|
|
| Openness and community | Researcher accepts that all project proposal materials will be publicly visible on Catalyst, emphasizing openness and transparency. You will never be asked to share confidential information that would jeopardize the IP position in your proposal or to the community. | Researcher prefers the traditional academic structure and way of working without direct community engagement. |
*Based on current size of ecosystem; ideally this number grows as the community grows\
{% tabs %} {% tab title="Requirements" %}
- Initial project already in mind
- Time requirement will vary based on project size. Up to 20h maximum over 3 months for high ticket size projects (50k and above)
- Willingness to engage with broad community (including scientists and patient advocates) and receive and implement feedback on plans to improve the project {% endtab %}
{% tab title="Materials to prepare" %} Mandatory materials
- Project proposal
- Key images and data supplementary document
- Methods, budget, timeline, milestones document
- Personal information
- Relevant background materials\
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Optional materials" %}
- Short pitch deck
- Short video {% endtab %} {% endtabs %}
All materials should be sent to [email protected] as pdf, word or pptt format. The video can be sent as a mp3 file.
Once the materials have been submitted, they will be assessed for completeness. If a document or section is missing, Molecule will ask you to update the document and re-submit it. Molecule reserves the right not to publish any projects for funding that would be considered harmful or illegal.
The materials review and approval process will take 1-4 weeks. After successful review, the project will be listed on Catalyst. Molecule is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of the projects, nor does it endorse any of the projects listed.
For more info on please check Supplemental documentation: Application details.
Molecule may sponsor projects on Catalyst and will receive platform trading fees from projects on Catalyst. Information about projects on Catalyst is provided for transparency and does not constitute an endorsement or financial advice.
{% embed url="https://moleculeprotocol.typeform.com/to/C1767HMX" %}
\