News
Fiscal Year 2025 Impact Report: U-M Innovators Break Multiple Research Commercialization Records
9/16/2024At Innovation Partnerships, we believe in the transformative power of research. This year’s Impact Report celebrates how our innovation ecosystem translates research discoveries into real-world solutions that improve and save lives. Fiscal Year 2025 was a landmark year for research commercialization at the University of Michigan. Our office received 673...
Stryker Acquires University of Michigan Startup Amplitude Vascular Systems
6/25/2026Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS), a University of Michigan startup focused on addressing arterial calcification, was recently acquired for up to $835 million by Stryker, a global leader in the field of medical technology with its worldwide headquarters in Portage, Michigan. The acquisition is expected to accelerate the AVS Pulse IVL...
MTRAC Life Sciences Innovation Hub Awards $1.9M to Support Biomedical Research
6/15/2026Fifteen biomedical research projects aimed at positively impacting human health have received more than $1.9 million in early- and mid-stage funding through the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Life Sciences Innovation Hub. Developed by researchers at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University, these projects...
U-M Startup Ecovia Bio Closes Series B Financing to Expand Michigan Manufacturing of Biodegradable Alternative to Microplastics
4/16/2026Innovation Partnerships announced today that University of Michigan spinout Ecovia Bio, one of the Accelerate Blue Fund’s portfolio companies, has closed a successful Series B financing round to expand manufacturing of its biodegradable alternative to synthetic superabsorbent polymers, an ubiquitous source of microplastics. The financing marks an important milestone for...
University of Michigan Accelerate Blue Fund and Michigan University Innovation Capital Fund Invest in Olympian’s Venture to Unlock Tactile Intelligence
4/10/2026As the 2026 Winter Olympics came to a close, an Olympian reached a different kind of vital milestone: raising $4 million in seed funding for his nascent sportstech startup, GripFusion, Inc. The University of Michigan sportstech startup received $500K in investment from the Accelerate Blue Fund and the Michigan University...
Q&A With Anthony Licavoli – 2025 Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award Recipient
11/25/2025For his positive attitude, willingness to help others and commitment to phenomenal customer service, Anthony Licavoli was named the 2025 recipient of the Innovation Partnerships’ Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award. The award is named for our late colleague, Jessica Soulliere, who was a trusted and valued member of Innovation Partnerships...
Leukemia treatment based on U-M research receives FDA approval
11/20/2025Patients with acute myeloid leukemia – a rare cancer of the bone marrow and blood — have long faced limited treatment options. That is until now, thanks to a drug developed through innovative research by Jolanta Grembecka and Tomasz Cierpicki, professors of pathology at the University of Michigan providing a...
Biomedical projects supported by MTRAC Life Sciences push boundaries
8/20/2025Biomedical research has the power to transform lives and strengthen communities. Programs like the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, housed within Innovation Partnerships at the University of Michigan, foster the growth and flourishing of biomedical research, bringing it one step closer to commercialization. The...
U-M startup HistoSonics announces $2.25B acquisition
8/7/2025The University of Michigan has another unicorn. HistoSonics, a U-M startup founded in 2009, announced a $2.25 billion acquisition by a consortium of top-tier investors, joining a short list of companies stemming from the university that have reached billion-dollar status. The infusion of funds will allow HistoSonics to accelerate the...
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...
Q&A With Maggie Swift – 2024 Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award Recipient
3/6/2025For her positive attitude, willingness to help others and commitment to phenomenal customer service, Maggie Swift was named the 2024 recipient of the Innovation Partnerships’ Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award. The award is named for our late colleague, Jessica Soulliere, who was a trusted and valued member of Innovation Partnerships with an exceptional work ethic and commitment to service.
Q&A With Ashwathi Iyer – 2023 Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award Recipient
1/19/2024For her commitment to her coworkers and inventors, her hard work and her enthusiasm, Ashwathi Iyer is the 2023 recipient of the Innovation Partnerships’ Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award. The award is named for our late colleague, Jessica Soulliere, who was a trusted and valued member of Innovation Partnerships with...
Medical Device Startup Auricle Celebrates Licensing with Bell-Ringing Celebration
9/21/2023Auricle, Inc. recently joined the Innovation Partnerships team to celebrate their licensing agreement with the University of Michigan by ringing the startup bell. The company’s co-founders, Susan Shore, Ph.D. (Auricle CSO, Professor Emerita—Otolaryngology, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering), David Martel, Ph.D. (Auricle VP of R&D), and Jon Pearson, CEO, were present...