Knowledge and technical knowhow about lazer/semiconductor/biotech fields is not cheap/easy. You are involved either as a researcher, teacher or student working

Knowledge and technical knowhow about lazer/semiconductor/biotech fields is not cheap/easy. You are involved either as a researcher, teacher or student working on a phd in those fields. If that is the case, corporate funding for your research (assuming it is going somewhere) is fairly easy to obtain. Also, if your standing in the field is good, and you can articulate your ideas/goals well, angel funding should also be obtainable without much trouble. In both cases, you are not borrowing money which you have to pay back someday. It is others who are taking a risk funding your ideas. If the risk is good, they get returns, otherwise its their money down the drain. And unless you commit some sort of fraud (embezzle the money as opposed to using it for real product research), you cannot be sued.