Bridge | Innovosource

What is BRIDGE?

BRIDGE is a collaborative program of the GAP Community of Action (COA), uniting research institution gap fund and accelerator leaders with industry and investment partners. Together, we nurture and invest in early-stage technologies and startups developed through these specialized GAP programs. The strength of BRIDGE comes from a relationship-first approach—built on mutual understanding, trust, and collaboration within a vibrant community of practitioners and partners  

Access the Innovosource Partnering System

For research institutions or startups that want to review active challenges and potentially submit opportunities

Active Projects

Philips Image-Guided Therapy

end date Nov 1

00Days
00Hours
00Minutes

Are you a Research Institution or Startup that wants to learn about the specific challenge areas?

BRIDGE Background

To better connect the GAP community, we brought forward 20 years of experience and deep program relationships to found the GAP Fund and Accelerator Program Community of Action (GAP COA).

GAP COA convenes program leaders from global institutions to share best practices, proven tactics, and to connect with commercialization and investment partners. These programs manage a variety of specialized grant and investment funds, backed by robust support activities, all aimed at advancing university innovation toward validation and commercial readiness.

We launched BRIDGE to facilitate commercialization, advisory, and mentorship interaction between GAP COA programs and assets and corporate and investment partners

ConnectING GAP PROGRAMS, Industry, investors

BRIDGE is your entry point to a trusted, relationship-driven network of research institution gap fund and accelerator programs. We actively facilitate introductions among GAP COA members, host virtual showcases, and organize online and in-person partnering events, like COVERGENCE.

These activities create spaces for meaningful conversations between GAP program leaders and corporate innovators, laying the foundation for lasting partnerships and mutual understanding.

CATALYZing GAP Asset Development and Relationship-Building

We provide a shared platform for GAP COA members to showcase technologies and startups from their GAP programs, enabling partners to explore, evaluate, and provide feedback.

Collaboration in BRIDGE means more than just commercialization and investment—it’s about mentoring, learning, and developing solutions together.

Corporate and investment partners are encouraged to submit challenge areas, participate in active and graduated proof-of-concept projects and startups, and engage in advisory and mentorship roles, always with a focus on relationship-building and alignment with business and technology needs.

COLLABORATing As a GAP COmmunity to Accelerate Innovation

BRIDGE measures success not just by deals closed, but by the growth and depth of relationships within our GAP community and the collective advancement of the early-stage innovation ecosystem.

By accelerating innovation through trusted relationships, BRIDGE helps to move promising assets forward and create unique collaborations and process efficiencies, benefiting our members, partners, and society

Join Bridge Today

Integrated Process

The process from idea to market is not a linear progression. In fact, it's more a chaotic series of go back to start, feedback and development loops, and timing of corporate need to university or startup solution or alternative.

BRIDGE connects corporate innovation teams, universities, and startups when the time is right. We have vetted agreements, an innovation management platform to collect, showcase, develop, and monitor opportunities, and know-how to help smooth the challenges of partnership

What is Bridge?

TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN CORPORATIONS gains insights and identify collaborative university-sourced proof of concept PROJECTS and startupS projects through innovosource’s BRIDGE program

It’s a challenge that most technology-driven companies have to meet – to continuously innovate current offerings while preparing to handle and act on what comes next. Smart companies realize that they often have to reach outside of their walls to gain additional perspectives and alternative approaches. As a result, they often choose to pair their internal research/product development with external collaborations such as those with research universities and startups. In the end, the ultimate goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships that can advance both academic and commercial interests.

Bridge Process Overview

SUBMIT

Challenges are presented by corporate innovation team and research institutions suggest opportunities in the innovosource partnering system

REVIEW

Company leverages system to review, rate, and provide valuable feedback to all submissions

ENGAGE

Hold engagement events with opportunities of interest to assess partnership and project opportunities

ACT

November +

Design/fund proof of concept

Commercialization agreement

Launch expanded research partnership

~6 Month Timeline

Want more information about the Bridge Program?

Why should companies work with universities?

Nearly 20,000 products in the market are based on university technology and innovation-driven companies want access to those technologies, startups, insights and collaborative investigators who are continually analyzing the many alternatives to the challenges of today and tomorrow. The challenge? How do they find them and learn more? How do companies find their partner and engage? How do they do it in a way that takes advantage of existing programs and processes and aligns well with corporate planning? How can these very different entities work together– financially, structurally and commercially? innovosource’s BRIDGE model takes advantage of its unique focus and experience with university proof-of-concept programs and startup accelerators.

“From our previous experience with research institution gap fund and accelerator programs (GAP) and corporate scouting with other large, multinationals, we knew that if we could just introduce groups to the de-risked and validated assets coming through these GAP and other university and hospital programs through a creative model, that there would be engagement,” Jacob Johnson, innovosource, founder says

Why should universities engage companies?

Universities and start-ups typically have limited bandwidth to reach out to and communicate with corporate partners. They need basic research, proof of concept, pre-seed and venture investment. They also need market feedback on their technologies and startups so that they can allocate internal resources, and tech development and startup support most effectively.

Positive Outcomes to Date

innovosource found that most of the high-interest opportunities and funded projects came from conversation, not search databases or even the initially-submitted opportunities. Throughout the process, it leans heavily on getting the right people in the ‘room’ and then letting conversation and co-development lead. The ultimate goal is to get to something that both parties are excited about and helps these entities validate the partnership – whether that’s through broader research, a licensing agreement, start-up funds or something else. innovosource has piloted different aspects of the BRIDGE program with four, multi-national, technology-driven companies resulting in the following activity:

For Partners-Corporate Innovation/Venture, Venture Studios, Private Accelerators, Pre-seed Venture, Family Offices

Access to de-risked technologies and startups
Strategic relationship building
Provide insight and direction to active projects
Streamline engagement process
Exclusive events and community resources

For universities, hospitals, and other research institutions and labs

Accelerate path to market
Expand industry and investor networks
Valuable feedback and market insights
Align GAP program(s) with partners
Member-member resource sharing and collaboration opportunities

Is Your Company Ready to Engage?

If you are from a research institution or startup and would like to find out more regarding the active challenge areas and potential submit opportunities, please email: