University Gap Funding and Accelerator Community News

Based in Kensington, Creator Fund works with scientists to turn academic research into deep tech startups, with notable examples including Glasgow spinout Chemify and Imperial College London spinout Recycleye. Its latest fund has already raised double the amount from its previous fund from 2022 and aims to hold its final close in early 2026. “We

Tulane Ventures, an early-stage investment fund launched by the Tulane University Innovation Institute, has invested $250,000 in Exactics, a biotech startup co-founded by Tulane senior Dylan Murray. The company is developing multiple at-home tests for infectious diseases, starting with a rapid test that will allow users to determine if a tick carries

Vanderbilt University announced nine recipients of the Innovation Catalyst Fund awards for the June 2025 cycle, continuing its mission of accelerating translational research and driving innovative solutions to real-world challenges by providing faculty with crucial pre-seed funding across diverse disciplines.   The newly selected projects span cutting-edge work in health care, engineering and

The £2.95m Proof of Concept Fund will support the commercialisation of ground-breaking research across ten Scottish universities including the project targeting blood and solid cancers at the University of Edinburgh. The £125,000 awarded to the project will fund further studies, ensuring it meets industry standards. The pilot Proof of Concept

A strong startup ecosystem can make the difference between a promising idea and a successful business. The 1819 Innovation Hub partners with other incubators, investors, mentors and corporate partners in Cincinnati’s ecosystem. A key collaborator, Alloy Growth Lab, is recognized for helping entrepreneurs transition from concept to company by providing hands-on

Nine innovative projects at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are the 2025 recipients of The Blazer Bridge Fund. The projects range from development of a novel antibody to target cancer to a web-based AI communication coaching app. The Blazer Bridge Fund, an initiative of the Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was launched

The Runway at Florida Atlantic will merge under FAU’s College of Business, a move designed to strengthen the synergy between entrepreneurship initiatives and the college’s core mission. The transition includes not just The Runway accelerator, but also programs like Florida Atlantic Wave, aimed to broaden the entrepreneurship brand housed within the College of

In the pursuit of supporting excellence in research, discovery and commercialization, the Office for Research and Innovation at The University of Texas at San Antonio is investing in 26 faculty members across seven academic colleges for the 2026 fiscal year. The seed grants totaling over $440,000 are designed to fuel innovation and

ANN ARBOR, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The University of Michigan’s Innovation Partnerships announced a new collaboration with WAVE Ventures through their WAVE Ventures Studio that is opening in Ann Arbor, MI. The new studio will collaborate with Innovation Partnerships to identify potential startup opportunities in the Deep Tech sector. The new studio will

A new £9 million proof of concept programme spans – amongst other fields – medicine, space science, the environment and artificial intelligence (AI) and will help to harness the potential of world-leading UK research to improve lives. The 48 projects receiving funding aim to support and accelerate the development of

The Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences will fund the new Southwest Center for Advancing Clinical and Translational Innovation, or SW CACTI. The National Institutes of Health CTSA consortium includes 61 of the leading academic research centers in the country. Its goal is

Fordham will set up a new fund for the study of artificial intelligence as it applies to finance, economics, and other fields, thanks to a gift from finance executive and investor Peter Zangari, Ph.D., a Fordham alumnus. The Zangari Family Faculty Research and Innovation Fund will support faculty AI research