Center For Technology Licensing

Ignite Innovation Acceleration Information Session
2025-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Ignite Innovation Acceleration provides grant funding to Cornell labs that are working to advance their innovations toward licensing, startup formation, or industry partnerships. The program is open to inventions disclosed to CTL from Ithaca, Geneva, or Cornell Tech.

Funding up to $50,000 is provided in the form of project-specific grants with no payback requirement.
Attend this information session to learn more about the opportunity. Register for the information session.

Venturium '25 - Academic Venture Showcase
2025-04-23 11:30 - 14:30
Venturium’25 is a virtual, half-day showcase for spinouts from several academic institutions across the USA. The selected companies are actively raising a pre-seed or seed round to drive development and commercialization.
​Why Attend? This one-of-a-kind event allows our audience of venture capital, venture studios, accelerators, incubators, and industry to explore a curation of companies and innovation technologies.
​Attend to meet academic spinouts from Cornell University, Kentucky Commercialization Ventures, Northeastern University, Rutgers University, University of Connecticut, University of Louisville, University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University St. Louis.
​A full agenda for Venturium’25 containing the company names and contact information will be published in the coming weeks. The event will be split into two sessions that run in sequence: Physical Sciences & Life Sciences.
​Timing of event:

​11:30-11:45 | Meet the Academic Instituions Powering Venturium’25
​11:45-12:35 | Physical Sciences Showcase
​12:35-12:45 | Break
​12:45-2:25 | Life Sciences Showcase
​2:25-2:30 | Closing Remarks

​Join us to have the opportunity to discover new ventures, form strategic partnerships, and contribute to the growth of these companies. This event is a valuable platform for networking, learning, and fostering meaningful collaborations.
Register for the event.

Lab to Impact: Intellectual Property Module - Navigating AI-Assisted Innovation: Best Practices for Academic Researchers
2025-05-22 12:00 - 13:00
Join the Center for Technology Licensing for a virtual session focused on the practical implications of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into academic research and innovation.
As AI becomes an integral part of research methodologies, it is essential for researchers to understand how to properly document and manage AI’s role in the invention process, ensuring intellectual property (IP) rights are protected.
This session will provide valuable guidance on how to navigate the evolving landscape of AI-assisted research, covering key topics such as:

Strategic approaches to incorporating AI tools in your research workflow
Best practices for documenting AI assistance during invention conception and development
Practical guidelines for maintaining transparent records of AI interactions (prompts and outputs)
Protecting IP potential while leveraging AI capabilities
Understanding the concept of hybrid inventorship in the AI era

Guest speaker:

David Sanker: Founder of Sanker IP
David will provide actionable insights and practical frameworks for researchers looking to optimize their use of AI while safeguarding their intellectual property interests.

Hosted by Martin Teschl, Director of Business Development and Licensing at CTL.
Whether you’re considering a new idea, commercialization, or actively developing a technology, this event offers valuable perspectives on turning promising research into market-ready solutions.

Lab to Impact: Healthcare Module - From Bench to Market: Navigating the Complex Landscape of Drug Commercialization
2025-06-04 12:00 - 13:00
Join the Center for Technology Licensing for a dynamic panel on the real-world path from innovation to therapeutic impact.
Industry leaders and biotech entrepreneurs, including Weill Cornell inventors and founders of licensed startup Convergent Therapeutics, will share an insightful discussion on navigating the path from the laboratory to the patient in the drug development space. Whether you’re considering commercialization or actively developing potential new drugs, this panel offers valuable perspectives on turning promising research into new therapies.
Our expert panelists will share practical insights from every stage of the process—from discovery and development, preclinical research, and clinical trials to FDA review and post-market safety monitoring. You’ll gain a better understanding of how regulatory strategy and market access shape the journey, and how successful teams overcome common barriers to bring therapeutics to market.
What to expect:

Key insights into regulatory and market access strategy
Lessons from successful therapeutic launches
Real-world examples of collaboration and adaptation
Expert perspectives across the full drug development lifecycle

Guest speakers:

Alexander Brown, COO of Convergent Therapeutics
Dr. Neil Bander, CSO, Co-Founder of Convergent Therapeutics
Dr. Philip Kantoff, CEO, Co-Founder of Convergent Therapeutics
Dr. Scott Tagawa, Professor of Medicine in Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine

Hosted by Brian Kelly, Director of Technology Licensing, CTL at Weill Cornell Medicine
Whether you’re considering a new idea, commercialization, or actively developing a technology, this event offers valuable perspectives on turning promising research into market-ready solutions.

Lab to Impact: Understanding the Technology Commercialization Process
2025-09-15 12:00 - 13:00
Join the leadership at CTL for the first series, where we focus on intellectual property and guide you through the essential steps of the technology commercialization process. You will gain insights into the end-to-end process, from initial invention disclosure to IP protection, licensing, and ultimately, commercialization. Learn how CTL’s support can help you maximize the impact of your research by successfully navigating the complexities of the commercialization journey.
Register here.

Ignite Innovation Acceleration Fall 2025 Information Session
2025-10-10 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-10-24 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-03 12:00 - 13:00
Ignite Innovation Acceleration is a gap funding program offering up to $50,000 to help Cornell research teams advance disclosed inventions toward commercialization. Funding supports work that moves technologies toward licensing, startup formation, or industry partnerships.
Applications are open from September 22 to November 7, 2025.
This session will provide an overview of:

Program goals and funding scope

Application process and timeline

Eligibility and selection criteria

How this program fits into the Ignite: Lab to Market funding series

Register here.

Lab to Impact: From Idea to Prototyping and Design in Medical Devices
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00
Prototyping is a critical step in translating medical device concepts into real-world solutions. Whether you’re working in a university lab, building a startup, or managing development inside a large company, understanding how to prototype effectively can reduce risk, save time, and guide better design decisions.
This one-hour virtual panel will explore the strategic role of prototyping across stages of development, from early testing to scalable production. Panelists will share experiences from both clinical and industry perspectives.
Speakers:

Audrey Beckman – Medical device executive with 35+ years of experience in product design leadership

Mohammed Fouda, MD – Clinician-innovator at Weill Cornell Medicine, developing a novel medical device

Moderator:Donna Rounds, PhD – Associate Director of Business Development and Licensing, CTL at Weill Cornell Medicine
Register for the October 29 panel discussion.

Lab to Impact: The Path to Commercializing Semiconductor Technology
2025-11-18 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-the-path-to-commercializing-semiconductor-technology
Join leading experts from industry and academia as they explore the critical pathway from semiconductor innovation to commercial success.
This panel will address key challenges and opportunities in bringing new semiconductor technologies to market, including scaling challenges, manufacturing partnerships, and funding strategies. Speakers will share insights on bridging the gap between academic research and industrial applications, securing strategic partnerships, and navigating the complex landscape of chip fabrication and testing.
Register here.

Ignite Fellow for New Ventures Info Session 1
2025-11-21 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/ignite-fellow-for-new-ventures-info-session-1-2025-26
Ignite Fellows for New Ventures is the flagship PhD & master’s‑level fellowship in Cornell’s Lab‑to‑Market gap‑fund series. Since its 2022 launch, the program has supported entrepreneurial scientists and engineers ready to turn research into high‑impact startups.
We’re now recruiting our 5th annual cohort, open to master’s graduates, doctoral candidates, and PhD holders. Fellows are matched with a Cornell faculty inventor and receive up to $120,000 in funding. They join as full‑time Cornell employees, working in the lab and engaging with our incubator network for business development.
This is your opportunity to build a business, lead as a founder, advance technology commercialization, and enrich Cornell’s venture ecosystem. Whether your ambition is to become CEO, CSO or CTO—or to apply your entrepreneurial mindset to bold new discoveries—Ignite is designed for you.
What we look for:

Big‑vision innovators who take calculated risks

Scientists or engineers ready to lead a venture

Partners who want to work alongside a Cornell faculty inventor

What you’ll get:

Funding up to $120 K to support you and your early‑stage work

Mentorship and training through Cornell’s startup ecosystem

Access to faculty lab resources, the incubator network, and startup infrastructure

Register here.

Ignite Fellow for New Ventures Info Session 2
2025-12-17 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/ignite-fellow-for-new-ventures-info-session-2-december-17

Lab to Impact: Telling Your Scientific Story for Commercialization Impact
2026-01-22 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-telling-your-scientific-story-for-commercialization-impact
Discoveries do not become products or services on their own. Beyond validating the underlying science and its novelty, researchers must communicate their work in language that resonates with audiences outside their field, including industry partners, investors, and potential customers. Effective storytelling helps build understanding and trust, highlight the value of new discoveries, and enable others to see why an innovation matters.
In this session, Telling Your Scientific Story for Commercialization Impact, Julia Felice, Ph.D., will help scientific innovators strengthen their ability to communicate complex ideas in ways that drive engagement and action. Participants will explore how narrative supports the adoption of new technologies and how a clear, compelling story can accelerate partnerships, funding, and early market traction.
Participants will:

Learn how to adapt their scientific story for diverse audiences.
Engage with examples and development of a concise “hook” that conveys the value of their research to non-technical decision makers.
Leave with a Storytelling for Impact Checklist to guide future communication efforts.
Be invited to follow-up office hours with Julia Felice for individualized feedback on their own innovation story (limited spots).

The goal of this workshop is to help innovators understand how to cross the “communication chasm,” an important step on the path from Lab to Impact.
Register here.

Lab to Impact: Social Science at the Frontiers of Innovation
2026-01-27 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-social-science-at-the-frontiers-of-innovation
Join Professor Eve DeRosa and social entrepreneur Steve Shapiro for a conversation on translating behavioral science and human-centered research into impactful products, services, and ventures. Explore how social scientists are shaping business models and creating change in communities.
This event has been postponed. New date: January 27, 2026.
Register here.
