An R.I. Investor Targeting University-Based, Research-Driven Ventures

“Thorne Sparkman, the managing director of Slater Technology Fund, was already in tune with the entrepreneurial talent in Rhode Island. Slater Technology, the state’s oldest and said to be the most active seed-stage investment fund, provides capital to early-stage technology startups that can demonstrate high-growth potential.

But this year, Sparkman founded RightHill Ventures, backed by a $300,000 grant from the US Economic Development Administration and founded under Slater Technology. RightHill will be dedicated to providing seed-stage capital and other startup support, but specifically targeting Brown University’s research-driven ventures and founders.

“Game-changing innovations are being developed at Brown and other universities, and entrepreneurs are the ones who can drive them out of the labs and into the world,” said Sparkman. “Nothing is more inspiring than the clarion call of an entrepreneur on a mission, and we want to amplify that call and turn it into action.”

Read the full Boston Globe story here.