{"693486":{"#nid":"693486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Founders Night Connects Georgia Tech Researchers With Hard-Tech Innovation Community","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHard-tech founders, researchers, and innovation partners gathered Oct. 22 at the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E (IMS) for the second annual Founders Night. The event connected entrepreneurs with facilities, funding, product development expertise, and manufacturing resources that can help move technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cProgress rarely happens in isolation,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of IMS. \u201cYou need to interact with people with different experiences and capabilities, share ideas, make an introduction and challenge an assumption.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Vogel encouraged attendees to exchange ideas, make new connections, and identify opportunities to collaborate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/billyde-brown\u0022\u003EBillyde Brown\u003C\/a\u003E, external user outreach manager and senior research engineer at IMS, organized the event around three goals: celebrating founders, connecting them with innovation partners, and strengthening support for hard-tech startups in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFounders Night is about bringing all of these players together so we can network, collaborate, and make connections,\u201d said Brown.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo Georgia Tech founders illustrated how research can lead to commercial applications. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur, and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, discussed how his laboratory\u2019s microneedle research has supported companies developing technologies for drug delivery, eye care, and dermatology. Harry Watkins, co-founder and president of Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication, described how the Georgia Tech spinout is commercializing a faster nanoscale 3D-printing platform.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to support and enable founders by connecting them with local innovation ecosystem partners who can provide critical resources, facilities and other assistance,\u201d said Brown.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event highlighted local resources available through the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Research Alliance, and Kicker Labs, as well as manufacturing pathways offered by LioniX International and Silex Microsystems. Together, these organizations offer support ranging from funding and product development assistance to site selection and commercial manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe evening concluded with tours of IMS\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.research.gatech.edu\/mcf\/materials-characterization-facility\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.research.gatech.edu\/cleanroom\/micronano-fabrication-facility\u0022\u003EMicro\/Nano Fabrication Cleanroom\u003C\/a\u003E, followed by a networking\u003Ca\u003E reception.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFounders Night brought together Georgia Tech researchers, startup founders, and innovation partners to connect entrepreneurs with expertise, facilities, funding, and manufacturing resources.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Founders Night brought together Georgia Tech researchers, startup founders, and innovation partners to connect entrepreneurs with expertise, facilities, funding, and manufacturing resources."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-10-26 17:06:56","changed_gmt":"2026-10-26 17:09:34","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681558":{"id":"681558","type":"image","title":"IMG_8004-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1793034429","gmt_created":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","changed":"1793034429","gmt_changed":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","alt":"Billyde Brown addresses attendees beneath a slide outlining goals for 2026 Founders Night at Georgia Tech IMS, including celebrating, supporting, and enabling founders.","file":{"fid":"265979","name":"IMG_8004-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_8004-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_8004-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1524994,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_8004-copy.jpg?itok=9oxWtrPs"}},"681557":{"id":"681557","type":"image","title":"IMG_7994-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1793034429","gmt_created":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","changed":"1793034429","gmt_changed":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","alt":"Eric Vogel speaks at a lectern in front of a screen reading \u201cWelcome to Founders Night at Georgia Tech,\u201d with Institute for Matter and Systems branding.","file":{"fid":"265978","name":"IMG_7994-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7994-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7994-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1266491,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7994-copy.jpg?itok=XbfgdtM6"}},"681556":{"id":"681556","type":"image","title":"IMG_7731-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1793034429","gmt_created":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","changed":"1793034429","gmt_changed":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","alt":"Attendees gather and talk in the Marcus Nanotechnology building lobby with gold walls, glass-fronted rooms, and a digital display.","file":{"fid":"265977","name":"IMG_7731-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7731-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7731-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2693103,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7731-copy.jpg?itok=rU3cKQQV"}},"681555":{"id":"681555","type":"image","title":"IMG_7685-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1793034429","gmt_created":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","changed":"1793034429","gmt_changed":"2026-10-26 17:07:09","alt":"Mark Prausnitz speaks before a slide titled \u201cHow a small needle turned into a big deal,\u201d featuring syringes, a vial, and microneedle patches.","file":{"fid":"265976","name":"IMG_7685-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7685-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7685-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2916633,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/26\/IMG_7685-copy.jpg?itok=RI_zmI2y"}}},"media_ids":["681558","681557","681556","681555"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}