University Gap Funding and Accelerator Community News

The vision of the HSG START Accelerator is to build a pan-Alpine bridge between technological excellence and entrepreneurial implementation. The programme specifically prepares European tech start-ups in the early growth phase for scaling and access to capital and markets. ‘Our mission is to accompany the next generation of European tech champions,’ said

Cincinnati entrepreneurs unveiled breakthrough technologies aimed at rewriting how patients are diagnosed, treated and protected. Hosted at the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub, the event highlighted an accelerator program that has quickly become a cornerstone of the region’s health and life sciences ecosystem. From concussion-prevention gear to more precise radiation-therapy

The Whitman School of Management has launched the Orange Business Angel Network (OBAN), a groundbreaking student-led experiential learning program that will provide hands-on startup investment experience for students while connecting University-affiliated entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship. The program will begin in spring 2026 with an inaugural class of approximately 15 exceptional

Worth a listen. The Trump administration has been clear on wanting deep cuts in federal funding for research at American universities, including cutting money for basic research by more than a third. In response, some universities are working harder to turn research into money-making startup companies. w/ Rick Huebsch, AVP, OTC, UMN https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/12/03/could-investing-in-startups-help-universities-make-money

Mirror Security, a research-driven cybersecurity company which spun out of University College Dublin (UCD) with the support of NovaUCD, today announced that it has raised $2.5 million (€2.15 million) in pre-seed funding to scale its breakthrough encryption platform for AI security. The funding round was led by (opens in a new

An innovative interdisciplinary collaboration between Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and the College of Agricultural Sciences will focus on fostering innovation in food and agriculture. The 2026 Land Grant Startup Launch Competition is the brainchild of Travis Lesser, the director of Smeal’s Center for the Business of Sustainability, and Mark Gagnon,

OcuHealth, an emerging eye therapeutics start-up, was named overall winner of University College Dublin’s (UCD) VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme for 2025. The joint UCD and South East Technological University (SETU) project received €700,000 through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund and is already being supported by technology transfer offices at SETU and

The University of Utah has unveiled a new strategic model designed to accelerate the translation of research into patient impact. Their integrated framework connects laboratory discoveries, clinical research, infrastructure, and commercialization capabilities — creating a bridge from academic innovation to real-world therapies. This development underscores a broader shift in how

KAUST’s says this “significant milestone” underscores the organization’s growing impact on the global deep-tech landscape. As a leading international graduate-level research university in Saudi Arabia, KAUST’s startup portfolio has celebrated its best year yet in growing not only Saudi Arabia’s high-tech and deep-tech sectors but also contributing to global innovation.

In the past five years, only four universities have spun off 20 or more startups annually. The University of Minnesota ranks among the top four during that time frame. The U’s Technology Commercialization Office (TechCom for short) focuses on the business prospects of ideas generated by researchers there. TechCom has

The University of Michigan achieved its strongest year on record for research commercialization in fiscal year 2025, reporting sharp increases in invention disclosures, licensing activity, startup creation, and capital fundraising. The results reflect the continued expansion of U-M’s innovation ecosystem, driven by researchers, faculty, and the university’s Innovation Partnerships office.

In his recent Forbes article, David Rosowsky explores how research universities are entering a “looking glass” moment: facing structural change in how they teach, how they research, and how they commercialize. Forbes What’s Changing Public funding for research and higher education is under strain, pushing universities to look for alternative