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FAQS

About Users

Becoming a Member and Registering

Business Mentor - Matches

Business Mentor - Mentor Profiles

IPA Company Profile– Confidential Data

Questions About Innovation Pipeline Accelerator

Discussion Forums

Resource Center - Events

Service Provider - Service Listing

Technical Issues

About Users

Can I register as more than one type of user?
An individual may register as more than one type of user; for instance a Service Provider may also register to become a Business Mentor. If you wish to register as more than one type of user, you must register each user separately and create a new registration and profile for each. Please note: Each registration is completely separate and the Username and Screen name for each must be unique.

Definition: IPA Company
An IPA Company is a company that has under $10 million in sales, has an innovative product or service and a scaleable business model. These company’s must be either operating in Connecticut or actively considering moving to Connecticut to participate in this program.

Definition: Business Mentor
A Business Mentor is an individual who has a solid track record and is a seasoned professional in a certain industry or discipline who is willing to share their business expertise with an Entrepreneur of the same background on a pro-bono basis. Business Mentors are matched with companies based on their skills matching the company’s needs, their locations making meetings easy and the mentors interest in the industry. Mentors are expected to spend at least 2 hours per month with a company CEO for at least 1 year.

Definition: Entrepreneur
An Entrepreneur is an innovator of business enterprise who recognizes opportunities to introduce a new product, a new process or an improved organization, and who raises the necessary money, assembles the factors for production and organizes an operation to exploit the opportunity.

Definition: Investor
An Investor can be any of the following: Angel investors, Venture Capital firms, Banks, Other lenders, Non-profits with funds for grants, Government agencies with grants, or Investment brokers. If you are an Angel investor or VC firm interested in participating in Innovation Pipeline Accelerator, you must be able to certify the type of accreditation that you possess.

Definition: Other User
Other User is a designation reserved for those individuals who do not fall within the categories of Entrepreneur, Investor, Service Provider, or Business Mentor. Groups included in this category would be members of the media, non-profit representatives, and community representatives.

Definition: Service Provider
A Service Provider can be any of the typical service providers that you might think of – for example an Accountant, Attorney, Consultant, Marketer, etc. – someone who offers their service for a charge. A Service Provider may also be a non-profit group, an educational institution, or other group that offers business services of some kind.

How do I change my password?
All registered users can change their password from within their Dashboard. Simply click on the My Info tab and select the Edit button. From this page, you are able to edit your password, as well as additional information provided during registration.

How do I return to my dashboard if I’m within the main site?
From all areas of the main site, including the Home Page, you can return to your Dashboard by clicking on the My Dashboard link within the navigation on the left side of the page.

What if I forgot my password?
If you have forgotten your password, simply click on the Forgot My Password link within the Login section of the Home Page. From there you will be asked to provide your Username or email address and a new password will be emailed to you.

What kind of funding resources are available through Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
The funding resources available through Innovation Pipeline Accelerator are dependent on the Investors who post Investment Profiles. Sources we expect to become available through Innovation Pipeline Accelerator are equity, grants and loans.

Why would I register as an Other User?
As a registered Other User, you will have access to a customizable Resource Center containing news, articles, events, and a service directory. You will also be able to participate in member-only discussion forums, add comments to news and member-submitted articles, and mark items to your favorites.

Becoming a Member and Registering

How do I add a logo to my registration?
To add your company logo, please attach it to your application or send it to Company@ctipa.org. Only .jpg and .gif files that are less than 50KB are accepted and they will scale as needed within Innovation Pipeline Accelerator.

How do I deactivate my account?
All registered users can deactivate their account ny contacting info@ctipa.org.

Is my information that I enter secure?
Yes. For more information about security and how information collected is used, please read our Privacy Policy.

Is there a cost to become a member of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
There is currently no cost to register with Innovation Pipeline Accelerator or create a Profile.

What information do I need to register?
Upon registration, you will be required to provided the following personal information: First and Last Name, Username and Password, Screen Name, Title, Email Address, Business Address, Phone Number; and the following company information: Company Name, Website, Description, Industry, and Logo if desired. You will also be asked to read and agree to the Term of Use and asked your preferences regarding receipt of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator and Connecticut Technology Council  emails.

Who will have access to the information I enter?
The Innovation Pipeline Accelerator administrators will have access to the information that you enter for the purpose of review and support. If a profile has been entered, it is subject to matching with other Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Registered Users.

Why should I register to become a member of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
For Entrepreneurs, Investors, Service Providers and Business Mentors, connections are key. Innovation Pipeline Accelerator offers the intersection where ideas meet capital, where deal flow flourishes, and where resources, services and support facilitate growth and opportunities. As a Registered User, you will have access to a customizable Resource Center complete with current news, articles, event listings, and a service directory. You can also participate in ongoing dialogue with other registered Users through the Discussion Forums. By registering and creating a profile as an Entrepreneur, Investor or Business Mentor your profile will participate in matching through the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator matching engine.  

Business Mentor - Matches

Can I contact the company/individual that I have been matched with?
You have the ability to contact the company or individual you are matched with by referring to the email describing your match. By initiating contact, you will connect with the Entrepreneur. In addition to receiving the Entrepreneur’s contact informationyou are authorizing the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator to release your contact information to the Entrepreneur. This information will include your name and the business experience you are offering, and your phone number and email address.

Can I go back and see matches that I have previously rejected?
Yes. Rejected matches will remain on our database. If you contact us at info@ctipa.org and request the prior matches you will receive an email with the history of your matches.

Can I save the profile of a potential match in case I am not ready to act upon it?
Yes. However, the Entrepreneur will be waiting for your contact and we will assign another mentor if the match is not completed in 30 days.

Do matches expire?
Yes if if you do not contact the Entrepreneur within 30 days we will assign anew mentor.

How are matches made within Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
Matches are generated by comparing Entrepreneurs’ Preferences with Business Mentor Profiles, resulting in a compatibility percentage match. We will assign only one mentor at a time to an entrepreneur.

How do I know if I have a new match?
As registered Business Mentor, you will be informed of matches to your Business Mentor Profile by way of email alerts.

I am not getting many matches, what is wrong?
Matches are dependent solely on the compatibility of your Business Mentor Profile, with that of Entrepreneur’s Business Mentor Preferences. A lack of matches may mean that there are no registered Entrepreneurs who are seeking a Business Mentor with your expertise. Mentors and entrepreneurs are matched on many factors but the primary factors are the mentor’s expertise matching the company’s needs, a geographically close location and the mentor’s interest in the industry of the Entrepreneur.

What information is the Entrepreneur given once I initiate a contact?
Upon initiating contact, you are authorizing Innovation Pipeline Accelerator to provide the Entrepreneur to whom you were matched with the information you provided in your Business Mentor Profile, including contact information.

What kind of information can I see about a company I am matched with?
When you are matched with an Entrepreneur or company, the IPA Companies public information will be included in the email notifying you of the match. Additional access to the company’s information is up to the Company.

When will I start to see matches?
As soon as your Business Mentor Profile is submitted, it will be entered into the matching system.

Business Mentor - Mentor Profiles

Can I browse through all of the Profiles that have been created by Registered Users?
No. Due to confidentiality reasons, Users are not able to browse through Registered Users’ Profiles.

Can I change my Profile after it has been submitted?
You are able to make changes to your Business Mentor Listing at any time by contacting info@ctipa.org or resumitting your initial application found on the website www.ctipa.org.

Can I delete my Profile?
You must have a Business Mentor Profile at all times in order to remain an active member of the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Community. Deleting a Business Mentor Profile permanently removes the information from the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Community. In order to remove your profile from Innovation Pipeline Accelerator you must deactivate your membership by contacting info@ctipa.org.

Do my Profiles expire?
Yes your profile will remain active until you desctivate it or until it has been inactive for 3 years.

How do I create more than one Profile?
You may only create one profile but you may list as many areas of expertise and as many industries of interest as you like.

How many Profiles can I create?
Business Mentors may create one Profile. You may list as many areas of expertise and as many industries of interest as you like.

How often can I change the content within my Profile?
There is no limit as to the number of times you can adjust the content within your Business Mentor Profile.

My Profile is declined, what happened and how do I fix it?
If your Profile is declined you will be sent an email to the address provided during registration with the reason. You will have the ability to go into the declined Profile and edit it for resubmission.

What happens if my Profile expires and I did not want it to?
If your Profile expires and that was not your intent simply resubmimt your Mentor application.

What happens when I change my Profile after it has been submitted?
When changes are made to your Business Mentor Profile after it has been originally submitted, Innovation Pipeline Accelerator revisits your Profile and re-processes the information from the Profile to determine if any new matches can be created or if previous matches are no longer applicable.

What information do I need to create my Profile?
Upon creating your Business Mentor Profile, you will be asked to provide your industry of expertise and your specific area of expertise within the industry.

What information in my Business Mentor Profile can an Entrepreneur see?
The Entrepreneur is unable to see any of the information in your Business Mentor Profile he will be provided with an email listing your contact information and area of expertise.

What is the benefit of creating a Profile?
As a registered Business Mentor, creating a Business Mentor Profile allows you the possibility of being matched to an Entrepreneur who could benefit from your free advice.

Who will have access to the information I enter?
Only Innovation Pipeline Accelerator administrative staff will have full access to the information you enter. Should you decide to initiate contact with an Entrepreneur whose Funding Profile has matched your Business Mentor Profile, the Entrepreneur will be provided with your contact information, as well as basic information about you and your background.

IPA Company Profile– Confidential Data

Can I browse through all of the IPA Company Profiles that have been created by Registered Users?
Yes you can browse throught the Public Data on all the copmanies registered in the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator. This will contain data that is also available on their websites. All other information is available by invitation only at the Company’s discretion.

Can I change my IPA Company Profile after it has been submitted?
You are able to make changes to your IPA Company Profile at any time through your Team site. Within your Team site select any information you would like to change at any time. This site is meant to contain data that you mean to share with various users. You will be able to invite people to have access to this site. This will enable you to communicate with your “team” of supporters without sending updates to each of them. For instance you might post your latest marketing information, financial results or contract awards. You can set up automatic alerts to your Team to notify them that there is new information at the site and they can come to this secure site to see it. This enables you to provide many supporters with up to date informatnion with a single secure data entry.

Can I delete my IPA Company Profile?
An Entrepreneur can modify their IPA Company Profile but cannot delete it. In order to remove your IPA Company Profile from Innovation Pipeline Accelerator you must deactivate your membership by contacting IPAcompany@Innovation PipelineAccelerator.com.

Do my IPA Company Profiles expire?
No they do not expire however once a company no longer meets the definition of an IPA company their profile may be deactivated. An IPA Company is a company that has under $10 million in sales, has an innovative product or service and a scaleable business model. These company’s must be either operating in Connecticut or actively considering moving to Connecticut to participate in this program.

How do I safeguard my idea so that no one takes it as their own?
Innovation Pipeline Accelerator does not provide non-disclosures nor do we ask Investors or Business Mentors to do so. The information that is provided through Innovation Pipeline Accelerator is secure in its transmission over the Internet and is only shared with those people you have invited to see your confidential data. If there is certain information that you believe to be extremely confidential in nature, you may conclude that it is best not to provide that level of detail in the IPA Company Profile, but rather allude to the nature of the product or service and share the details with any interested party outside of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator.

How many IPA Company Profiles can I create?
As a registered IPA Company, you are able to create one IPA Company Profile.

How often can I change the content within my IPA Company Profile?
There is no limit as to the number of times you can adjust the content within your IPA Company Profile.

My IPA Company Profile Application is declined, what happened and how do I fix it?
If your IPA Company Profile is declined you will be sent an email to the address provided during registration with the reason. You have the ability to reapply at any time.

What happens if my IPA Company Profile expires and I did not want it to?
If your IPA Company Profile expires and that was not your intent, IPACompany@ctipa.org.

What happens when I change my IPA Company Profile after it has been submitted?
When changes are made to your Funding IPA Company Profile after it has been originally submitted nothing will happen. You may set up alerts to activate matches as you indicate your needs.

What information do I need to create my IPA Company Profile?
Once your application is accepted for participation in the IPA you may complete your profile as you choose including as much or as little data as you choose. The more information you include the greater likelihood that you will be selected for inclusion in the FastTrack program, selected for assistance  and funding by IPA supporters and generally receive the benefits of the virtual incubator.

What information on my IPA Company Profile can an Investor or Business Mentor see?
The only publicly available information on your company will be your name, location industry product (s) description and contact information. This is the information that is typically available on a website. If you choose to invite others to see more detailed information you may do this. By maintaining more detailed information on this site you can expedite your reltionships with many supporters and service providers and create a community of cooperative supporters who will work more efficiently on your behalf.

What is the benefit of creating a IPA Company Profile?
The IPA is a virtual incubator that will connect you with the resources you need to grow an innovative company in Connecticut. It will also put you in touch with your peers and raise your visibility with customers. This program is publicly funded to help innovative companies grow. You will not be inundated with useless emails. You will be contaced only by the people you ask assistance from. We have prescreened a group of programs and service providers to assist you. This should save you time in getting the resources you need to grow. This program is not open to everyone.

Who will have access to the information I enter?
Innovation Pipeline Accelerator administrative staff will have full access to the information you enter within your IPA Company Profile. They will only use it for managing the integrity of the database. Your public data will be visible to the public this is clearly designated as public and consists of the information that would typically be on a website; a product description, a contact email and a company description. The IPA is built on Microsoft Share point software which is developed for corporate intranets. It provides a very flexible security system so you can specifically invite other people to see your confidential information. Only those people will have access and you can remove them from your list once they no longer need to see your information.

Questions About Innovation Pipeline Accelerator

What is Innovation Pipeline Accelerator's privacy policy?
Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Users are required to read our privacy policy prior to becoming a Registered User. It is accessible through the bottom navigation located on all pages of the site.

What is Innovation Pipeline Accelerator’s mission?
Innovation Pipeline Accelerator’s mission is to create the connections that build businesses. We do this by helping Entrepreneurs find the assistance and investment capital they need to launch promising new business ventures. The Innovation Pipeline Accelerator also provides greater visibility to the numerous assets located throughout our region, including universities, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, foundations, and professional service providers. Finally we provide a secure on-line team site for the community of people working on a company to collaborate on their assistance. Access to this site is completely controlled by the company. We hope this will enable the company to improve the communication with its supporters and obtain more efficient, targeted and consistent support.

Where can I get help with Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
There are several sources of help within the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator community: First, browse the Frequently Asked Questions area to see if your question has been answered. If not, contact the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Team at info@ctipa.org

Who do I contact if I have a problem?
You can use any of the Contact Us vehicles to contact a member of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator if you have a problem. We will do our best to respond as quickly as possible. The fastest is to use info@ctipa.org

Who runs Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
Innovation Pipeline Accelerator is sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

Discussion Forums

How can I benefit from Discussion Forums?
Discussion Forums are designed to facilitate discussion and the sharing of ideas among all registered Users of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator. Those who participate can ask questions, seek advice, or share experiences. Innovation Pipeline Accelerator creates connections that are essential for Entrepreneurs, Investors, Service Providers or Business Mentors. Innovation Pipeline Accelerator’s Discussion Forums help facilitate those connections.

I am receiving a message that I cannot post to the discussion forums and would like to, what should I do?
If you cannot post to the discussion forum it means that you have not registered to become a member of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator. To register, visit the home page and select the type of User that you would like to become. If there is no clear fit, select Other User. Once you have completed your registration, you will be able to post to the Discussion Forum.

What are Discussion Forums?
A Discussion Forum in an online "bulletin board" used to facilitate discussion between users of a website. Registered Users are able to create topics for discussion, leave messages and view responses from other Registered Users. Non-registered Users can browse the discussion forum topics and postings; however, are unable to actively participate.

Resource Center - Events

Can I search for events that are close to where I live/work?
Yes scroll down for evenst and their locations.

How do I add an event to Innovation Pipeline Accelerator?
Send an email to info@ctipa.org Once the event has been approved by a member of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator, it will be posted

How will I know when my event is active?
Once your event is approved and made active you will see it on the calendar.

Service Provider - Service Listing

Can I browse through all of the Listings that have been created by other Registered Service Providers?
Yes. All Service Listings are available for viewing through the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator.

Can I change my Listing after it has been submitted?
You are able to make changes to your Service Listing at any time by contacting info@ctipa.org

Can I delete my Service Listing?
Just contact info@ctipa.org and ask to have your listing removed.

Does my Listing expire?
Service Listings will remain active unless you remove it.

How many Listings can I create?
Service Providers can create Service Listings for each service they provide or one listing including several services.

How often can I change the content within my Listing?
There is no limit as to the number of times you can adjust the content within your Service Listing(s).

My Listing is declined, what happened and how do I fix it?
If your Profile is declined you will be sent an email to the address provided during registration with the reason. You will have the ability to go into the declined Profile and edit it for resubmission.

What happens when I change my Listing after it has been submitted?
Once you submit changes to your Service Listing(s) the information is updated within the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Service Directory. IPA companies who have asked to be alerted to your changes will be sent an alert.

What information do I need to create my Listing?
Upon creating your Service Listing, you will be asked to provide the following information: company name, company location, company description, services provided, contact information, service area served, and a listing summary headline. You will also be able to upload your company logo for display on the listing page.

What is the benefit of creating a Service Listing?
As a registered Service Provider, your Service Listing will act as an advertisement to registered and non-registered Users of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator. It will contain specific information about the services you and your company provide and be accessible through the Innovation Pipeline Accelerator.

Who will see my Service Listing?
All registered and non-registered users of Innovation Pipeline Accelerator will have access to the Resource Center Service Directory, which will contain your Listing. The information that will appear in your listing is your name, location (including city and state), the services you offer, and your contact information, including phone, email and website.

Why might I want to create more than one Listing?
Service Providers might wish to create more than one Listing if they or the organization they represent offer more than one service and/or product geared toward different groups. Creating more than one Listing allows you to tailor each Listing as you prefer.

Technical Issues

What Web Browsers does Innovation Pipeline Accelerator Support?
Innovation Pipeline Accelerator was designed and built to the specs of IE6/IE7 and Mozilla/Firefox 1.0 – the most widely used browsers. If you are using a Mac and Safari as your web browser, we encourage you to use the Firefox web browser as we work to fix the known bugs. Please let us know if you are having technical problems at info@ctipa.org



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