News
2024 Annual Impact Report: Innovation Partnerships Celebrates A Record-Breaking Year of Research Commercialization
9/16/2024Innovation Partnerships is pleased to present our annual report for Fiscal Year 2024, which contains highlights of our office’s performance as well as stories of impact from across the University of Michigan’s research enterprise.
MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub awards $2M to advance mobility-related research in collaboration with the EV Center
7/23/2025The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub hosted by Innovation Partnerships, in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Center, has announced the allocation of over $2 million to support 13 promising research projects. These initiatives span from early to mid-stage development and represent...
Liferna Biotech, Innovation Partnerships Celebrate Licensing Agreement with Startup Bell Celebration
6/5/2025While rare, fibrotic autoimmune diseases are devastating, with afflicted patients having extremely limited treatment options. These diseases profoundly impact the lives of not only those fighting it, but the lives of their caregivers as well. One such fibrotic disease is systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma, which is characterized...
Impact Newsletter – May 2025
5/29/2025I’m pleased to share the May edition of our Impact Newsletter, which highlights key milestones and momentum across the University of Michigan’s innovation landscape.
Accelerate Blue Fund Highlights $6.8M Total Investment in U-M Startups In 2024 Impact Report
5/28/2025The Accelerate Blue Fund team is proud to share the 2024 AB Fund Annual Report, detailing the fund’s performance and progress of its portfolio companies. As of December 31, 2024, the Accelerate Blue Fund (AB Fund) has $15.6 million under management and has invested more than $6.8 million in 25...
U-M Bioinformatics Startup, Fragmatics, Celebrates Licensing with Startup Bell Celebration
5/20/2025On May 20, the team from Fragmatics joined Innovation Partnerships at the North Campus Research Complex to honor their official launch as a University of Michigan (U-M) startup with a bell ringing celebration. In attendance was U-M’s Dr. Alexey I. Nesvizhskii, the Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professor of Bioinformatics, professor of...
New Michigan Regional Engagement Principal Appointed by Department of Defense
5/13/2025The Defense Innovation Unit’s Commercial Operations Team, a Department of Defense (DoD) organization focused on adopting commercial technology at speed and scale for national security is pleased to announce the appointment of Helena Krusec as the new Michigan Regional Engagement Principal. In her new role, Krusec will cultivate partnerships across...
Impact Newsletter – April 2025
4/30/2025With spring in full bloom here in Ann Arbor, I’m excited to share the April edition of our Impact Newsletter.
MTRAC awards $2.1M to biomedical research
4/18/2025Twelve innovative biomedical research projects including novel therapeutics, diagnostic tools and medical devices recently received more than $2.1 million from the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization Life Sciences Innovation Hub. These projects, led by researchers from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Northern Michigan University, seek to improve...
MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub Supports Groundbreaking Electric Vehicle Battery Research
4/7/2025Imagine a future where electric vehicles can travel more than 1,000 miles on a single charge. Making that vision a reality is what researchers Jeff Sakamoto, professor of materials at the University of California – Santa Barbara and visiting professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, and Neil...
APT Solar Solutions, U-M Startup Developing Novel Solar Capture Systems, Celebrates Licensing with Ringing of Startup Bell
4/7/2025APT Solar Solutions is redefining the boundaries of solar energy with their pioneering three-dimensional solar module technology. On April 3rd, their team marked their official launch as a University of Michigan (U-M) startup by ringing the Innovation Partnerships’ startup bell. Representing the company was founder and chief technology officer Mojtaba...
Impact Newsletter – March 2025
3/25/2025As our nation’s university research ecosystem navigates significant challenges, the mission of Innovation Partnerships remains as relevant as ever—demonstrating how university innovations can drive economic growth and address the world’s most pressing challenges. Sharing these stories of real-world impact is essential, and with that in mind, I’m pleased to bring you our March Impact Newsletter, highlighting remarkable contributions from across our innovation ecosystem.
FDA approves gastrointestinal device developed at U-M
3/19/2025The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a device developed at the University of Michigan that allows clinicians to diagnose and predict treatment outcomes for individuals with chronic constipation far earlier than other methods. Development of the innovative Rectal Expulsion Device, or RED, was spearheaded by Eric Shah, clinical...