The Goleta Entrepreneurial Magnet (GEM) is a collaboration between the City of Goleta and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). GEM was founded in May 2012 following a collaborative process between the City, UCSB, and the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce (now the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce).

GEM’s mission is to strengthen the local economy by supporting new and growing technology entrepreneurs. GEM seeks to be recognized as a world-class regional center of excellence for entrepreneurial technology development and growth for technology-focused startups.

Visit GEM’s website for more information: https://goletaentrepreneurs.com.

Fuel Your Startup with GEM Proof-of-Concept Grants!

Are you an entrepreneur ready to turn your big idea into reality? The GEM Startup Proof-of-Concept Grants provide up to $10,000 in flexible funding over six months to help emerging ventures in the Goleta/Santa Barbara area build prototypes, validate customer demand, and reach critical milestones for investment or market launch.

Pre-proposals will be evaluated on a quarterly basis and on the following criteria:

• Impact – will the funds make a real difference for the applicant?
• Proposal merit
• Team/company promise or track record of success
• Integration into GEM Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

For more information including how to apply, visit the GEM Startup Proof-of-Concept Grants page: https://goletaentrepreneurs.com/gem-startup-proof-of-concept-grants/