Ventures

Startup Incubator

The Innovation Partnerships Startup Incubator provides emerging U-M startups with state-of-the-art lab and office space and access to a full suite of business services.

Investors

Interested in learning more about U-M’s startup portfolio? If you represent a venture fund, corporate venture fund, or you are an accredited investor contact us to learn more about our comprehensive list of emerging U-M startups and companies seeking investment capital.

Accelerate Blue Fund

The Accelerate Blue Fund (ABF) is an early stage venture fund that exclusively invests in University of Michigan (U-M) licensed IP startups, managed by the Innovation Partnerships Ventures team.

The goal of Accelerate Blue is to bridge the funding gap between initial launch and angel/VC funding for startups based on University of Michigan intellectual property. The Fund is an opportunity to further enhance U-M’s leadership position in research, technology innovation and commercialization by creating a critical new resource to support U-M startups. In addition to risk tolerant early stage capital, ABF provides extensive connections to other investors, business mentoring and IP support through the U-M Innovation Partnerships licensing team.

Michigan University Innovation Capital Fund

Ventures Team and Mentors-in-Residence

Created in 2008, Innovation Partnerships’ nationally recognized MIR program was a direct response to a demonstrated need for experienced business professionals to assist with the multiple startup projects in the U-M pipeline. Innovation Partnerships’ MIRs assist with commercialization planning no matter what area of research you are involved with. This can be from commercially accepted drug approval planning to raising venture capital, identifying and connecting startup founders with business talent including executives, the identification of early customers and partners, general business, commercial, and financing strategies, business structure and planning and other valuable services. The MIR team is composed of experienced business and investment professionals in a variety of industries and are eager to help you.

MTRAC Translational Research and Commercialization Programs

Translational research funding is key early-stage grant money to enable the transition from successful academic research to an innovation that is sufficiently developed, de-risked, and on the path to commercialization. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has provided funding for five MTRAC Translational Hubs across the state. Innovation Partnerships manages two hubs, MTRAC for Life Sciences and MTRAC for Advanced Transportation, and collaborates with hubs run by other institutions for Advanced Applied Materials, Advanced Computing and AgBio.

The Technology Transfer Talent Network

The Technology Transfer Talent Network (T3N) was created in 2012 to enhance the commercialization of university opportunities with talent programs and resources, made possible thanks to funding support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the economic development organization for the state of Michigan, with matches by each participating university. T3N supports a statewide University MIR program, provides funding for fellows work on high potential commercialization research projects and is a conduit to leverage resources between all of Michigan’s public universities.

Innovation Partnerships Startup Perks Program

Innovation partnerships offers full-service support to faculty innovators; whether it is IP protection, support with sponsored research projects, business mentorship and venture capital. In recent years the office has reached out to several service providers to negotiate discount programs for U-M licensed startups. These programs offer significant discounts on valuable services that early stage startups can benefit greatly from.

Accelerate Blue Foundry

The Accelerate Blue Foundry is a new program designed to bridge the gap between startup founders and some of the most promising innovations from University of Michigan research. By connecting top entrepreneurial talent with U-M technologies, the program will accelerate the path to startup launch, fostering new ventures that have the opportunity to solve the world’s great challenges.