Feb. 8, 2016 
by Vienna McGrain 
​The acquisition of investment funds is one of the most difficult obstacles for early-stage companies to overcome. Armed with that knowledge, RIT is providing a financial “kick start” to companies through its Venture Fund.
James Watters, senior vice president for finance and administration, said the fund—created three years ago—was the result of examining RIT’s innovation and entrepreneurship offerings and realizing that providing much-needed funding would help start-ups get off the ground. Money for the fund comes from the university’s operating reserves. As with other venture capital arrangements, RIT receives equity in exchange.