October 18-20 | Tucson, AZ

The Research Institution GAP Fund and Accelerator Program Summit

UND innovators pitch commercialization-ready ideas at inaugural Lift-Off Showcase

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October 16-17, 2025 / Seattle, WA

The annual summit for research institution gap fund and accelerator programs, including proof of concept programs, startup accelerators, and university venture funds

The Story

Ten University of North Dakota research teams showcased technologies and innovations developed through their research and participation in the Innovation Moonshot Summer Accelerator during the inaugural Lift-Off event Aug. 20, highlighting the University’s commitment to transforming discoveries into real-world solutions.

Hosted by the UND Center for Innovation (CFI), Lift-Off marked the culmination of the Innovation Moonshot Summer Accelerator, a program designed to help faculty, researchers and innovators explore the commercial potential of their work. Throughout the summer, teams worked with coaches from CFI and the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers (ND SBDC) to conduct customer discovery, refine their value propositions, assess market opportunities and develop commercialization strategies.

Source: UND innovators pitch commercialization-ready ideas at inaugural Lift-Off Showcase – UND Today

Consortium For Gap Fund and Accelerator ProgramS

The Consortium provides a dedicated, institutional coordinating forum for collective insight, program refinement, and structured engagement with aligned commercial, investment, and philanthropic partners.

GAP are an interdependent institutional innovation and capital strategy that includes:

  • Translational research

  • Proof of concept programs

  • Startup accelerators

  • University venture funds

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