v1

2015

THE HVF-FOUNDRY PARTNERSHIP

>> WORK WITH REAL STARTUPS AT BERKELEY

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Section guide

table of

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

contents

01

An Introduction: What this is all about

What is the Foundry, what are MBAs doing with it, and why
should you work with us?

02

Startup and project profiles

A look at each of the Berkeley startups we are working with,
and projects you can take on

NOTE: FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY, SEE PAGE 7

Source: HVF

 CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

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1. AN INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS ALL THIS ABOUT?

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INTRODUCTION TO THE PARTNERSHIP

Every year, a dozen MBA students partner with Foundry companies

to help tackle a range of challenges facing the young startups
Introduction to our partnership with the Foundry

THE FOUNDRY

PARTNERSHIP WITH HVF

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

A UC Berkeley incubator focused on

supporting early-stage startups at
the intersection of hardware, software,
and services
Startup co-founders come from
Berkeley, Stanford, LBL and many
other top engineering and science
programs in the Bay Area
Since 2013, the Foundry has
accompanied 14 companies, and
helped founders raise over $7m

HVF works with the Foundry to

design impactful projects for
MBAs to help develop
Berkeley startups, learn to
operate as a business advisors
in technology companies
Haas Venture Fellows (HVF) is
a student group dedicated to
building links between
Berkeley students, startups
and local investors (angels and
venture capital)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT FOUNDRY.CITRIS-US.ORG

Source: The Foundry, HVF

CURRENT COMPANY PROFILES

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Current Foundry companies are tackling problems ranging from

carbon emission reduction to the monitoring of childhood asthma
FALL 2014 COHORT

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

8 COMPANIES
BIOINSPIRA
Developing a biologically engineered
gas sensor technology

PENDING CONFIRMATION
CALWAVE
Providing a solution to convert
ocean wave energy into electricity

KNOX MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS

Helping low-income parents manage
treatment of childhood asthma

MENTL.IO
Exploring new frontiers in human
mind and computer interaction

WATTTIME
Helping large industrials optimize
energy use and carbon emissions

SMARTBOD1)
Building smart vibrators to help women
discover more about their own bodies

GLAMORSKY
Developing a secure family-centric
communication ecosystem

CLARITY1)
Developing wearable devices
monitoring quality of ambient air

1) No projects currently planned

Source: The Foundry

PROJECT DESIGNS

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We work up-front to structure projects where MBAs can bring needed

expertise to feasible projects, valuable to startups
4 Elements of a Foundry Project

SAMPLE PROFILE

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

C
A

Well-scoped
description
of support
needed

Credits
awarded
towards 51unit FTMBA
requirement1)
D

Clearly
defined list
of project
deliverables

Clear timeline
for project
completion

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: HVF

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WHY APPLY, HOW TO APPLY

Our projects allows MBAs to tackle real challenges faced by young

startups, and learn to build their own careers in technology

why

apply
CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

HELP ANSWER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FACED BY REAL

COMPANIES AND ENTREPRENEURS
Projects cover everything from go-to-market strategy and investor pitch
preparation, to development of financial forecasts
BUILD YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK IN ONE OF THE
WORLDS TOP ENGINEERING ECOSYSTEMS
Our co-founders include PhDs and researchers from UC and
Stanford, and even a winner of Forbes 30-under-30 award
LEARN HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR BUSINESS
SKILLSET IN A STARTUP ENVIRONEMENT
Build your resume, and showcase your startup work in
the run up to potential summer internships in tech

Source: HVF

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WHY APPLY, HOW TO APPLY

Applications require only a CV and statement of interest; we consider

applications on rolling basis
Things you should know as you apply

IDEAL APPLICANT PROFILE

Who should consider applying?

AND TRACK RECORD

You are hardworking, passionate about startups and

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

excited to help founders overcome the challenges ahead

You take the broad view and enjoy understanding what
the real issues are for products, markets, investors
You enjoy convincing others and earning buy-in
Preference for experience in: VC/PE, investor pitching,
presentation coaching, consulting, client relations/sales

How to apply?

Select project from list of available projects (see

subsequent section)
Submit up-to-date resume and brief statement of interest

Sutardja Dai Hall Home of The Foundry

Source: HVF

Submit application materials online via Google

Forms http://tinyurl.com/foundrysignup
|

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2. STARTUP AND PROJECT PROFILES

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GLAMORSKY

GlamorSky is developing a video communication ecosystem around

an app/device pair, to help family members stay in touch
COMPANY PROFILE

GlamorSky
QUICK PROFILE

CORE TEAM

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

COMPANY NAME (FOUNDED)

GlamorSky (2013)
INDUSTRY

Sam Liu, Co-Founder/CEO

MS (GIS), UT Knoxville/Oak Ridge National Lab; BS (GIS), Wuhan
Sam is an expert in location based service. Prior to joining GlamorSky, Sam
spent helped to develop the backend data pipeline of Apples Maps product

Messaging, devices, apps

DESCRIPTION
GlamorSky is developing a videobased communication ecosystem,
to help members of a family keep
in touch with each other. The
companys product strategy
revolves around an app-or-device
model, to cater for all ages
WEBSITE
http://www.glamorsky.com/

Source: The Foundry, HVF

Jacky, Co-Founder/CTO
BA (Computer Science). University of California, Berkeley
Jacky is a full stack software engineer. Prior to GlamorSky, Jacky worked at
Apple in rapid prototyping, wireless technology, and platform architecture
Cheng, Co-Founder/Firmware Engineer
MS (EECE), CUNY Buffalo; BS (EE), Xian Jiaotong University
Cheng is the teams firmware engineer. Prior to joining GlamorSky, Cheng spent
several years developing the core routing products at Cisco.
Yuri, Co-Founder/Hardware Engineer
MS (EE), NTUST; BS (ME), National Changhua University of Education
Yuri is a hardware architect with eight years of experience. Prior to joining
GlamorSky, Yuri led the development of several core products at SuperMicro

12

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PROJECT DETAILS

Refine GlamorSkys story and value proposition

PROJECT DETAILS

Project 1: Product Story and Value Proposition

OPPORTUNITY

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

Help the GlamorSky team tell their story to investors with a compelling value proposition and
clear competitive advantage.
Help needed
1.
2.
3.
4.

Project staffed
successfully

Evaluate the product/market fit and the competitive landscape

Brainstorm potential story enhancements given the products feature set
Create the ideal story for presenting the companys value proposition
Prepare the team to present their product story to potential investors

HAAS
CREDITS1)

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

40

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

27

Deliverables
1.
2.
3.

A presentation showing the results from the product/market evaluation, competitive

landscape, and the ideal story
A set of slides ready to be included in their presentation to investors (in collaboration with
other projects)
Regular update e-mails and meetings with the team (as you see fit)

FLEXIBILITY ON DEADLINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: GlamorSky, The Foundry, HVF

13

PROJECT DETAILS

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Create a pricing model and distribution strategy for GlamorSky

PROJECT DETAILS

Project 2: Pricing Model and Distribution Strategy

OPPORTUNITY

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

Help the GlamorSky team choose a pricing model and prepare them to present their financial
projections and distribution strategy to potential investors.

HAAS
CREDITS1)

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

40

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

Help needed
1.
2.
3.
4.

Evaluate potential hardware/service pricing models and determine the feasibility of innovative
pricing ideas
Create financial projections using these models and help choose the best option
Research potential hardware distribution strategies and propose recommended actions
Prepare the team to present these decisions to potential investors

27

Deliverables
1.
2.
3.

A spreadsheet comparing the projections and feasibility of various pricing models

A set of slides ready to be included in their presentation to investors (in collaboration with
other projects)
Regular update e-mails and meetings with the team (as you see fit)

FLEXIBILITY ON DEADLINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: GlamorSky, The Foundry, HVF

14

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KNOX DIAGNOSTICS

Knox is developing an affordable breathing measuring device to help

manage the care of children with asthma in low-income families
COMPANY PROFILE
QUICK PROFILE

CORE TEAM

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

COMPANY NAME (FOUNDED)

Knox Medical Diagnostics (2013)
INDUSTRY
Medical devices, asthma care
DESCRIPTION
Knox is building an affordable
spirometer to measure breathing
quality and lung performance (and
inflammation), to improve the
quality of continuous care for lowincome families with children
suffering from asthma
WEBSITE
http://knox.co/

Source: The Foundry, HVF

Charvi Shetty, Co-Founder

MS (Biomedical Engineering), UCSF; BS (Bioengineering), Berkeley
A former software and algorithm engineer for Genentech, Charvis passion is
in examining clinical needs and identifying areas in which engineering design
can improve the quality of medical care
Inderjit Jutla, Co-Founder
BS (MSE), Berkeley; BS (EECS), Berkeley
Inderjit has extensive experience automating the processing of spectrometry
data. At Knox, Inderjit is responsible for hardware and mobile-app
integration, as well as for the spirometers signal processing algorithms
Huyson Lam, Software Lead
BS (EECS), Berkeley
A computer engineer with experience in delivering Commerce-as-a-Service
(CaaS) in the cloud and mobile commerce industry, Huyson serves as
Knoxs lead software engineer

15

PROJECT DETAILS

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Work with Knox to design a financial model which can be presented

to new investors; we estimate total workload at 40 hours (1 credit)
PROJECT DETAILS

Project 1: Design financial model and key metrics.

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

OPPORTUNITY

Help the Knox team prepare a financial spreadsheet model for a 5-year time period to
estimate the companys EBITDA; supplement the model subsequently by incorporating the
effect of Taxes and Depreciation (if required).

HAAS
CREDITS1)

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

40

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

Help needed
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Review existing literature prepared by the team (through participation in Lean Launchpad / Qb3)
High-level survey of recent FDA and ACA regulations affecting medical device companies and
assess the financial impact of these regulations on Knoxs business model.
Build revenue projections by estimating TAM, market share and other reasonable assumptions.
Build a cost model incorporating manufacturing, supply chain and other relevant verticals;
brainstorm with the team on how best to allocate overhead.
Identify <5 key high-level metrics which will drive the business model (For ex. Breakeven)

27

Deliverables
1.
2.
3.

An editable spreadsheet, with all critical assumptions clearly identified and linked to formulae
used in other parts of the spreadsheet. Provide comments wherever relevant to ensure easy
readability and handover to the Knox team.
High-level dashboard with <5 primary metrics the company should monitor as they bring the
product to market; (Optional) include additional secondary metrics
Regular update emails and brainstorming meetings with the team (as you deem fit)

FLEXIBILITY ON DEADLINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: BioInspira, The Foundry, HVF

16

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PROJECT DETAILS

Work with Knox to design a business plan which can be presented to

new investors; we estimate total workload at 40 hours (1 credit)
PROJECT DETAILS

Project 2: Author comprehensive business plan

OPPORTUNITY

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

Design a business plan capturing critical elements such as industry survey, competition
profile and go-to-market strategy, which will serve as a pitch document for new investors.

3.
4.

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

40

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

Project staffed
Understand Knoxs current business model
through oral interviews with the founding team.
successfully
Survey the medical devices landscape and design a Market Analysis which includes at least :

Help needed
1.
2.

HAAS
CREDITS1)

i) Competition profile, ii) Customer buying patterns, iii) Distribution and Channel strategy
Design Products Go-to-market strategy which includes at least: i) Marketing, ii) Pricing and iii)
Sales, strategies and identify milestones to track progress of implementation of strategy.
Brainstorm with team to identify future human resource requirements and create professional
Bios of the existing founding team.

27

Deliverables
1.
2.
3.

A Business plan document which is both comprehensive in content and reasonably well
presented aesthetically to serve as a pitch document the team can use for communicating
with future investors.
High-level milestones to help the team track the progress of implementing the business plan.
Regular update emails and brainstorming meetings with the team (as you deem fit)

FLEXIBILITY ON DEADLINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: BioInspira, The Foundry, HVF

17

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WATTTIME

WattTime is developing a technology to help large corporations

manage and optimize the carbon footprint of their power consumption
COMPANY PROFILE
QUICK PROFILE

CORE TEAM

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

COMPANY NAME (FOUNDED)

WattTime (2014)
INDUSTRY
Renewables, carbon management
DESCRIPTION
WattTime is developing algorithms
to help large corporates manage
and optimize their carbon
emissions, by providing data and
insight into location/time specific
carbon footprints of their electric
power consumption
WEBSITE
http://www.watttime.org/

Source: The Foundry, HVF

Gavin McCormick, Co-Founder/CEO

PhD Candidate (Environmental & Resource Economics), Berkeley
A former economic analyst, Gavin has extensive experience in the national
and regional GHG emissions trading policies. At Berkeley, Gavins work
focuses on location/time-specific carbon footprints of electricity generation
Anna Schneider, Co-Founder/CTO
PhD (Biophysics), Berkeley
A recipient of the Forbes 30 under 30 award, Anna is a data products
developer, social entrepreneur, and interdisciplinary PhD researcher with
experience in cleanweb, machine learning, and science communication
Nathan Davis, COO
BS (Cell Biology), University of Vermont
A biologist by training, Nathan started his career in the lab before making the
switch to investment and equity analysis in the biotechnology and life
sciences space. Nathan joined WattTime in late 2014

18

PROJECT DETAILS

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Create the onboarding process for WattTimes first customers

PROJECT DETAILS

Project 1: New Customer Onboarding

OPPORTUNITY

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

Get the WattTime team ready to present their product, pricing options, and next steps for
onboarding their first customers.

HAAS
CREDITS1)

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

40

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

Help needed
1.
2.
3.
4.

Review their current value proposition and the marketing materials

Evaluate potential pricing models and propose a solution the allows for various customer
types and custom integration scenarios
Define the process for accepting and retaining customers
Recommend best practices for business development in this sector

27

Deliverables
1.
2.
3.

A spreadsheet comparing pricing models and projected financial outcomes

A document outlining the process for onboarding and maintaining customers
Regular update e-mails and meetings with the team (as you see fit)

FLEXIBILITY ON DEADLINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: WattTime, The Foundry, HVF

19

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BIOINSPIRA

BioInspira is a biosensor company whose technology is capable of

detecting trace amounts of a wide variety of gases
COMPANY PROFILE
QUICK PROFILE

CORE TEAM

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

COMPANY NAME (FOUNDED)

BioInspira (2014)
INDUSTRY
Biotech, IoT
DESCRIPTION
BioInspira is developing a
bioengineered sensor matrix
capable of detecting trace
amounts of charged particles in
the air. Applications range from
biomarker detection in human
breath, to explosive detection
WEBSITE
http://www.bioinspira.com/

Source: The Foundry, HVF

Po-Jui Chiu, Co-Founder/CEO

MEng (Bioengineering), Berkeley; BS (Chemical Eng.), Natl. Taiwan Uni.
Currently a graduate researcher at the Berkeley Lab, Po-Jui has extensive
experience working with 3D culture techniques and in the development of
advanced bioengineered nanomaterials
Don-Hong Wang, Co-Founder
PhD (Genetics, Drug Discovery), UC Davis
A postdoctoral fellow at Stanford Medicine, Don-Hong has 10 years of
experience in molecular biochemistry, and targeted therapy utilizing novel
multiplex technology with biological and chemical libraries
Benson Fan, Co-Founder/CTO
MEng (Bioengineering), Berkeley; BASc (Nanotechnology), Waterloo
A published expert in biosensors, bio-photonics and microfluidics, as well as
drug delivery and drug encapsulation, Benson focuses on developing the
companys organic electronics, and micro-fabrication techniques

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PROJECT DETAILS

Work with BioInspira to identify and negotiate a pilot study for their
technology; we estimate total workload at 40 hours (1 credit)
PROJECT DETAILS

Project 1: Product Market Fit and pilot study negotiation

OPPORTUNITY

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

Help the BioInspira team determine the best commercial use-cases for their sensor
technology; identify potential industry partners and help initiate/negotiate a pilot study

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

40

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

Project staffed
Review existing work done on potential successfully
applications (by C2M team and MEng group)

Help needed
1.
2.
3.
4.

HAAS
CREDITS1)

Propose and agree a framework to evaluate best commercial use cases for technology
Help identify and initiate relationships with contacts in relevant industry companies
Help the team design a storyline or argument to convince a company to allow and support a
real-world pilot of BioInspiras sensor technology

27

Deliverables
1.
2.
3.

A spreadsheet summarizing existing thoughts on applications, along with a simple

prioritization framework to identify most promising use cases for BioInspiras sensor
A document summarizing research conducted into relevant industry companies, along with
potential contacts for the team
Regular update e-mails and meetings with the team (as you see fit)

FLEXIBILITY ON DEADLINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: BioInspira, The Foundry, HVF

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PROJECT DETAILS

Project profile pending

PROJECT DETAILS

Project 1
OPPORTUNITY

HAAS
CREDITS1)

TOTAL EST.
HOURS

35

APR

TARGET
COMPLETION
DATE

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

xxx

Help needed

Project staffed
successfully

5
Deliverables

FLEXIBILITY OF TIMELINE

LOW

HIGH

1) CS199 or EE199, applicable towards the 51-unit graduation requirement of the FTMBA program; 6 non-Haas course unit limit applies
Source: HVF

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20.0

CHRISTIAN KAAS, 2015

0.2

5.0

2.0
75

70W EBF

0.40