GAP Pipeline Brief: UC Berkeley / Biodegradable Fiber Innovation Initiative
Award & Program Overview The Bezos Earth Fund has awarded $10 million to support a UC Berkeley–led research program developing biodegradable textile fibers derived from waste-based proteins. The initiative is led by Ting Xu, professor in Materials Science and Engineering and Chemistry, and includes collaboration across: • Six departments at UC Berkeley• Stanford University• California […]
GAP Pipeline Brief: University of Waterloo / QuantumCore Quantum Amplifier Technology
Award & Investment Overview QuantumCore has raised $10.7 million through a combination of: • $9 million in private placements (brokered and non-brokered)• $1.7 million in non-dilutive funding through the NSERC Alliance Grant The company has also completed a public listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange, providing access to broader capital markets early in its lifecycle. […]
New UH office launched to boost research capacity in Hawaiʻi
The University of Hawaiʻi has launched a new office that will serve as a central hub for grant support, research development and funding opportunities to help boost scientific discovery, increase research capacity and stimulate workforce development in the state. Backed by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the […]
Proof-of-Concept Programs Are Under-Resourced for the Job They Carry
Proof-of-concept programs (POC) sit at the center of most GAP strategies, but the amount of work they are expected to do has expanded significantly. They are not just funding early validation. They are expected to reduce technical risk, shape market applications, support early team formation, engage external stakeholders, and prepare opportunities for downstream investment or […]
GAP Insights: Pre-POC Programs / Expanding the Front End of Commercialization
A strong piece in Nature Biotechnology highlights a challenge that continues to surface across research institutions: the gap is not a lack of ideas, it is what happens before commercialization even begins. Technology transfer offices play a critical role, but they are structurally designed to engage once intellectual property is formed and opportunities are more […]
GAP Pipeline Brief: Texas Medical Center Venture Fund / $300M CrossBridge Bio Acquisition
Investment & Exit Overview CrossBridge Bio has been acquired by Eli Lilly and Company for $300 million, representing a significant exit for the Texas Medical Center Venture Fund. The company was founded in 2023 through the TMC Innovation Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics, with the venture fund serving as lead and initial investor. The startup was […]
Wright State students will compete for startup funds in annual Wright Venture entrepreneurial competition
Five Wright State University students will pitch original business ideas to a panel of experts — and compete for $5,000 in startup funding — during Wright Venture, the annual entrepreneurial competition hosted by the Raj Soin College of Business. The event takes place on Wednesday, April 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Rike Hall Lobby. […]
Penn Engineering Launches Futures Fund Partnership for Innovation, a Five-Year $200 Million Philanthropic Initiative
The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering) has launched the Futures Fund Partnership for Innovation, a $200 million philanthropic initiative designed to provide timely, flexible support for leading-edge research and educational advancements over the next five years. The Futures Fund will provide seed funding to explore bold ideas, with the […]
Most Innovation Doesn’t Fail at Ideation. It Fails at Transition
Across research institutions, there is no shortage of ideas. If anything, the volume and quality of discovery continues to increase, supported by stronger research funding, more interdisciplinary work, and a growing emphasis on translational outcomes. At the same time, expectations around research are shifting. Increasingly, funding is being tied, either explicitly or implicitly, to outcomes […]
Proof-of-Concept Is Where Innovation Actually Takes Shape
Across research institutions, there is no shortage of promising technologies. What’s consistently more difficult is turning those early signals into opportunities that a partner, investor, or team can actually engage with. That transition does not happen on its own. It happens in proof-of-concept. Proof-of-concept programs (POC) are often described as validation, but that only captures […]