NASA Venture Fund Targets Early-Stage Technologies NASA plans to create a venture capital fund to invest in early-stage technology companies. In a sources sought notice on FedBizOpps, the Goddard Space Flight Center’s contracting office invited proposals from investment firms interested in partnering on the project, known as Red Planet Capital. NASA said it has $11 million available for investment in fiscal 2006 and expects the fund could grow to $20 million a year. “Red Planet Capital (the “Fund”) will be an investment vehicle used to support innovative, dual-use technologies which will help NASA achieve its mission, but will also help better position these technologies for future commercial use,” the space agency said. ”Portfolio companies should not anticipate the government as the primary customer. However, NASA anticipates that this approach might help some of NASA’s mission directorates in their future “make-versus-buy” decision-making processes.” Red Planet Capital will be patterned after the CIA’s investment arm, In-Q-Tel, and OnPoint Technologies, an investment fund created by the Army. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin formerly served as president of In-Q-Tel. NASA said one of its goals is “To attract and motivate private sector innovators and investors who have not typically conducted business with NASA, including tapping more efficiently into the pool of small, leading-edge, organizations which are responsible for much of the innovative hi-tech thinking and research in the US.” The announcement said the new initiative is not designed to replace NASA’s existing technology partnership and technology transfer programs. The notice is solicitation number NNH0622806L.