10:00 – 10:15

Introductions

Meet your trainers, fellow delegates and get a brief overview of the weeks training.

10:15 – 11:00

What is software?

Topics:

• What is software and key terminology

• Software development vs. deployment

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the key components of software and how they relate to commercialisation

• Gain insight into some of the ways in which software is developed

11:00 – 11:15 – Break

11:15 – 12:15

Assessing software

Topics:

• Software state and software commercialisation levels (SCLs)

• Questions to ask when assessing software projects

• What next?

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand some of the key issues that will influence the commercial potential of a software project

• Discover tools and frameworks to assess software projects

• Develop awareness of the various commercialisation routes depending on software readiness

12:15 – 13:00

Protecting software

Topics:

• Key IP rights relating to software and data

• Software copyright and patents

• IP diligence and ownership issues

Learning outcomes:

• Become familiar with how key IP rights relate to software

• Understand the complexities and regional variations of software patents, and learn when applying for such a patent can be worthwhile.

• Build awareness of some relevant copyright complexities and of the challenges produced by the existence of multiple copyright holders.

• Learn the key questions to ask when undertaking IP due diligence on software and digital projects.

10:00 – 10:45

Protecting software continued

10:45 – 11:45

Practical Exercise 1: Assessing a software project

Read the scenarios and consider the following:

• What Software Commercialisation Readiness Level is this project at?
• How would you carry out due diligence (software state and ownership)?
• What would be your IP strategy?
• What would you do next? What would be your
  approach to commercialisation?

Learning outcomes:

• Put into practice tips and advice on how to assess and protect software and digital projects
• Consider the IP and commercial implications of
  developing early stage software and digital projects

11:45 – 12:00 – Break

12:00 – 13:00:

Taking software to market: Licensing

Topics:

• Introduction to software licensing
• What is Open Source?
• Examples of Software Licensing

Learning outcomes:

• Develop an understanding of how the different components of software can be licensed
• Become familiar with the implications of open source in relation to licensing
• Build awareness of different types of software licenses and how they can be implemented in real-world examples

10:00 – 11:15

Practical Exercise 2: A licensing case study

Read the scenarios and consider the following:

• What would you license? What type of license would you have?
• How would you package the software? What terms would you have?
• How would you price it? What fees would you have?
• How would you monitor the Licensee’s use of the
  software?
• How would software upgrades fit into the license deal?

Learning outcomes:

• Consider the implications of different license types and terms in different scenarios
• Understand how license structure and pricing may vary across different applications, markets, and end-users/licensees.

11:15 – 11:45

Taking Software to Market: Start-up Business Models

Topics:

• What is a business model

• Business models for software / digital businesses

• Business modelling tools

Learning outcomes:

• Develop a shared understanding of business models

• Understand what makes business models distinct for software and digital businesses

• Become familiar with business modelling tools

11:45 – 13:00

Taking Software to Market: Start-up Market Research and Pricing

Topics:

• Tools and frameworks to identify and research your target market

• Techniques for estimating price and revenues

Learning outcomes:

• Learn how to identify and research your target market

• Understand the importance of testing assumptions around your business in your target market and shaping your value proposition around your target customer

• Discover some tools and techniques to estimate the price for software

10:00 – 11:30

Taking software to market: Start-up fundraising

Topics:

• Start-up fund raising

• Types of Investors

• Case study: Software Project

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the funding landscape for high growth tech start ups

• Types of investors and what they’re looking for

• How to raise funds via several routes

• Common pitfalls, challenges and solutions

11:30 – 11:45 – Break

11:45 – 13:00

Practical Exercise 3: Pitching a Software Project to Investors

Read the scenarios and consider how you would pitch the idea to the following investor types:

• Venture Capital (VC)

• Angel Investor

• Crowdfunding

Learning outcomes:

• Understand key decision making criteria of different types of investors

10:00 – 12:30

Practical Exercise 4: Sector Case Studies

Topics:

• Common themes across different software sectors

• Case Study 1: Digital Health

• Case Study 2: Autonomous Vehicles

Learning outcomes:

• Understand some of the common themes surrounding the commercialisation of digital services and products in new software sectors

• Discover the opportunities and challenges faced when commercialising software and digital ideas in these rapidly evolving sectors

12:30 – 13:00 / 17:30 – 18:00:

Course Summary

A recap of the learning outcomes from the last five days