University Impact is using Donor Advised Funds (DAF) to Scale Impact Investing
University Impact (UI) is a nonprofit that invests in companies and nonprofits solving social and environmental problems. Investments are focused on funding the most promising social ventures. UI’s goal is to create the next generation of social impact leaders and provide capital to social ventures solving social and environmental problems. UI does this by providing […]
SLC Altitude Lab Portfolio Tops $205 Million in Funding as Salt Lake City’s Biotech Scene Gains Real Traction
Altitude Lab, the Salt Lake City biotech accelerator founded by Recursion, says its portfolio companies have now raised more than $205 million in early-stage funding since the program launched in 2020, a milestone that signals growing momentum for Utah’s life sciences ecosystem. The announcement comes at a time when biotech fundraising remains selective and many early-stage startups […]
GAP Insights: Industry-Embedded Research / Canada Expanding Commercialization Through Graduate Talent
A new federal initiative in Canada highlights an increasingly important dimension of translational research: commercialization capacity is not only about capital or IP, but also about how research talent is integrated into industry environments early in the innovation lifecycle. Talent Innovation Canada recently received $29.2 million in federal funding to embed PhD students and postdoctoral […]
Lansdowne Partners launches UK VC fund to scale innovation
Lansdowne Partners has launched a venture capital fund focused on backing high potential UK companies emerging from the country’s world class university research base and start up ecosystem. The fund announces a first close of $150 million and will hold a second and final close in December, with indicated interest in excess of the fund […]
Why Aren’t Advancement Offices All Over GAP Programs?
Universities are investing billions into research. They’re building innovation districts, expanding translational research initiatives, launching entrepreneurship centers, and talking more than ever about real-world impact. So here’s the question: Why are so many advancement offices still underfunding or under-prioritizing the very programs designed to move research into the real world? Because when you step back, […]
GAP Insights: Colorado School of Mines / Building a Reinvestment Model for Deep Tech Venture Formation
What’s Happening Colorado School of Mines has launched Mines Venture Fund II, a $10M seed-stage fund focused on startups founded by Mines faculty, students, and alumni. Key elements include: The fund aims to invest in approximately 40 companies over the next four years while providing: A defining feature of the model is that a portion […]
OIST Innovation Accelerator opens applications for 2027–2028 cohort focused on bioconvergence and sustainability
As global demand grows to translate scientific discovery into real-world applications, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has opened applications for the 2027–2028 cohort of its flagship Innovation Accelerator. The 10-month program supports entrepreneurial researchers developing deep technologies with strong potential for commercialization in the Japanese market. Up to four research-driven ventures will […]
Graduate Ventures expands to Amsterdam and Eindhoven
Graduate Ventures, the Dutch venture fund backed by some of the Netherlands’ most prominent entrepreneurs, announced a major national expansion yesterday at its annual Graduate Connect networking event, adding the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, and Eindhoven-based partners to its university ecosystem. Since its 2021 launch by Erasmus University Rotterdam and Delft […]
Why Aren’t Advancement Offices All Over GAP Programs?
Universities are investing billions into research. They’re building innovation districts, expanding translational research initiatives, launching entrepreneurship centers, and talking more than ever about real-world impact. So here’s the question: Why are so many advancement offices still underfunding or under-prioritizing the very programs designed to move research into the real world? Because when you step back, […]
Proof-of-Concept Is Becoming the Entry Point for External Engagement
Proof-of-concept programs were originally designed to support validation and early de-risking, but increasingly they are becoming one of the first structured points where external stakeholders can engage meaningfully with emerging opportunities. Historically, most interaction between research institutions and downstream partners occurred later in the process, often after a company had formed, intellectual property strategy had […]