NCInnovation announces funding for more university research to industry projects
RALEIGH — NCInnovation, the university research accelerator nonprofit, has announced the approval of $10 million in funding for 13 projects spanning 11 schools in the UNC System. “NCInnovation’s December 2025 slate represents some of the strongest university-to-industry opportunities emerging anywhere in the country,” said Michelle Bolas, the group’s acting president and CEO, in a press […]
GAP Insights: From Hospital Lab to Startup Incubator: UNMC Launches The Furnace
The University of Nebraska Medical Center, through UNeMed, has launched The Furnace, a new startup incubator aimed at accelerating early-stage companies rooted in university and hospital-based research. The incubator provides startups with space, mentorship, and structured commercialization support, strengthening the pathway from discovery to market. The Furnace reflects a broader shift in how academic medical […]
Cambridge NeuroWorks drives UK neurotech forward with launch of nationwide Blue Sky Proof-of-Concept Fund
The Blue Sky Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Fund will accelerate bold, neurotech breakthroughs nationwide, paving the way for a new generation of neurotechnologies to treat conditions such as depression, dementia, chronic pain, epilepsy, and nervous system injuries. The fund will support six-month hypothesis-testing projects with the potential to reshape a future where neurological conditions no longer limit […]
GAP Pipeline Brief: University of Colorado Boulder / Illumen Therapeutics
Award & Investment Overview The University of Colorado Boulder has awarded a pre-seed investment to Illumen Therapeutics, a biotech spinout focused on advancing novel cancer treatments, through its internal pre-seed funding mechanism operated by Venture Partners at CU Boulder. The pre-seed investment is designed to help bridge the funding gap between early research and downstream […]
GAP Impact: Washington University in St. Louis — $1.7B in Private Capital Attraction
Washington University in St. Louis affiliated startups attracted $1.7 billion in private sector investment in a single year, representing the largest annual total in the institution’s history. This milestone reflects strong investor confidence in university-developed technologies that have advanced from research into commercially viable ventures. Over the past decade, WashU startups have raised more than […]
GAP Pipeline Brief: Tulane University / Informuta
Award & Investment Overview Tulane Ventures, the early-stage investment arm of the Tulane Innovation Institute, has made a $125,000 strategic investment in Informuta, Inc., marking the first time a Tulane University spinout has received funding from the university’s venture fund. The investment supports Informuta’s transition from a research-driven prototype into a commercially viable diagnostic platform […]
Two UC-backed startups score $200K each from state
Two University of Cincinnati-backed startups, TapIn and Saturn Sports, have secured major state funding to advance the commercialization of their early-stage technologies, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. This marks another milestone for alumni of the 1819 Innovation Hub’s Venture Lab. The business accelerator, which sits at the heart of the Cincinnati Innovation District in the rapidly growing Center […]
GAP Insights: USC Unveils Unified Funding Pipeline for Research and Innovation
The University of Southern California’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) has launched a unified internal funding pipeline to better support faculty and researchers through the full arc of research and innovation — from foundational inquiry to real-world application. By consolidating previously separate initiatives like the Research Catalyst Program (RCP) and the Innovation Catalyst Program […]
New Jersey creates $20M fund to support AI startups
New Jersey is putting new money behind artificial intelligence startups and launching a $20 million investment fund designed to give early-stage companies access to capital, mentorship and business support to grow in the Garden State. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, in partnership with AI infrastructure company CoreWeave, announced the creation of the NJ AI […]
GAP Insights: Penn launches $10M StartUP Fund for university spinouts
The University of Pennsylvania has unveiled its newest initiative to support early-stage startups emerging from academic research: a $10 million StartUP Fund offering up to $250,000 in seed funding to ventures with at least one Penn faculty or researcher founder. Managed by the university’s Office of the Chief Innovation Officer and reviewed by a team […]