| UNC-CH
Assess your technology, the marketplace and potential funding
Wondering if you’ve got the next great invention? Is it really novel? Who would buy it as a product or a service? What funding opportunities exist that may help get your invention from lab to market?
The Market Landscape Research Service, available to current UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff, and students at no cost, helps you assess your technology, the marketplace, as well as potential investment funding.
The service offers custom analytical reports that provide a strategic view of the competitive landscape, current and projected market conditions, as well as opportunities for grants and funding to complete research and launch new products, services, and businesses.
Market landscape research reports
Reports provided by the Market Landscape Research Service typically include the following components:
Existing Products and Services
Potential Competitors and Partners
Market Sizing and Segmentation
Customer
Demographics
Unmet Needs
Key Drivers and
Potential Barriers
Investment and Funding Opportunities
Patent
Landscape
The types of information included depend on your specific request and availability of relevant information. Analysts have access to a vast array of resources in market research, competitive intelligence, and science/technology literature. Databases for grant and funding opportunities include federal, state, as well as private sources.
Since launching the service in late 2012, the Market Landscape Research team has successfully completed over 400 projects with more than 300 unique clients across UNC-Chapel Hill schools and departments. Notable startups the team has supported include Carbon, Phyta, MedServe, Sonovol, Impulsonic, NeuroNano, Falcon3 Therapeutics, and Sandbar Oyster Company. The team operates in close partnership with the Office of Technology Development and other supporting UNC programs.
Testimonials
Market research advising
Do you have an idea for a new product or service? Do you have a new technology that can have a positive societal impact? Are you passionate about a real-world issue or problem that you want to solve? Are you interested in learning more about the market research process?
The Market Landscape Research Service at UNC-Chapel Hill helps students assess their ideas in the context of current and projected market conditions that drive the development of new ideas, products, and services.
You will be able to answer key questions like:
● Who is your customer?
● What can you do for them?
● How does your customer acquire your product?
● How do you make money?
● How do you design and build your product?
● How do you scale your business?
Following proven innovation and entrepreneurship methodologies (including the business model canvas and the disciplined entrepreneur), we advise on critical steps in the market research process including:
● Research Selection
● Data Collection
● Interpretation & Analysis of Research Findings
● Reporting of Results
Patrick holds office hours on Tuesdays between 1 and 4 p.m., and Fridays between 9 a.m. and noon during fall and spring semesters. Summer hours are by appointment only. You can email Patrick to set up a meeting.
About us
Cynthia (Cindy) Reifsnider
● Director, Research Services and Lead Analyst for Patent and Sci/Tech Literature
● 20+ years of experience with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hewlett-Packard and Virginia Tech University
● Expertise in patent searching, sci/tech literature searching and business research
● MS in information science; BS in atmospheric science
Email: cindy.reifsnider@unc.edu
Patrick Kastian
● Research Analyst, Innovate Carolina
● 5+ years of experience with the German American Chamber of Commerce
● Expertise in industry research, competitive analysis, identification of funding opportunities, and business development
● BS in international business, BSBA in marketing
Email: patrick.kastian@unc.edu