Center For Technology Licensing

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 (America/New_York)
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 (America/New_York)
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.

Weill Cornell Medicine Symposium on Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2025
2025-11-17 13:50 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/weill-cornell-medicine-symposium-on-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-2025
Weill Cornell Medicine Dean’s Office and Enterprise Innovation invite you to join us virtually
for an afternoon filled with insightful discussions on biomedical innovation and
entrepreneurship and a celebration of our innovator-entrepreneurs. This symposium
features a fireside chat with Dean Robert A. Harrington and Barry Kappel, Ph.D. ’06, M.B.A.,
Founder, President, CEO & Director of Sapience Therapeutics.
RSVP here.

Lab to Impact: The Path to Commercializing Semiconductor Technology
2025-11-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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 (America/New_York) | 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.

Accelerating BioVenture Innovation Final Pitch Event
2025-12-09 17:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Weill Cornell Medicine Enterprise Innovation invite you to join on Tuesday, December 9, 5:30-8pm as the finalist teams from the 2025 Accelerating BioVenture Innovation course pitch their technologies to a panel of early-stage investors and industry judges.
The pitch event will take place at Uris Auditorium, 1300 York Ave, New York, NY, followed by a networking reception at Griffis Faculty Lounge with investors, ecosystem partners and industry representatives who served as mentors and lecturers throughout the program. Celebrate the winning teams and scientific innovation with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails!
RSVP here.
About Accelerating BioVenture Innovation:
Accelerating BioVenture Innovation (ABI) is a 15-week experiential course in innovation and entrepreneurship that builds teams around patented technologies from local academic institutions and federal laboratories. The program educates participants on all aspects of commercializing an academic invention. Teams create pitch decks after weeks of instruction and mentorship from industry experts, and then finalist teams are selected to pitch to a panel of investors and industry judges.

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

CTL at JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2026
2026-01-12 - 2026-01-15
Alice Li, Executive Director at CTL, and Lisa Placanica, Senior Managing Director at CTL at Weill Cornell Medicine, will represent Cornell at this year’s JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, taking place in San Francisco from January 12 – 15, and will meet with life science investors to connect them with Cornell technologies and startups.
More information about the conference here.

Lab to Impact: Telling Your Scientific Story for Commercialization Impact
2026-01-22 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Cross-Campus Innovation Exchange | Climate & Energy
2026-01-23 12:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Cornell Tech, New York City, 2 West Loop Road, New York, NY, 10044, United States
Campus Climate Tech and Columbia Climate Fund are bringing together a critical mass of faculty, postdocs, PhDs, and Masters & undergrad engineering student leaders focused on advancing climate tech across top research institutions in the Northeast.

​Meet your peers across departments and other universities

​Network with potential employers

​Explore opportunities for collaboration on research and startup ventures

​
​There will be:
​1) Opening address by our lead sponsor: NY Ventures
​2) Panels on commercializing university research
​3) Major industry players will pitch the innovation areas where they see the greatest opportunity for academia & startups to advance
​4) Opportunities to present your research
​5) A workshop to match with your future co-founder and a primer on techno-economic analyses
​6) Panel on climate tech resources and initiatives being driven across NYC
​7) Plenty of networking time at the venue and an after party at 6:30 pm at Granny Annie’s Bar & Kitchen located next door.
​

Lab to Impact: Social Science at the Frontiers of Innovation
2026-01-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Ignite Connect 2026: Accelerating Impact
2026-01-29 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for Cornell’s annual virtual forum spotlighting investment-ready university technologies and venture teams. Ignite Connect features a curated lineup of startups backed by gap-funding programs that have advanced beyond early validation and are actively seeking investment, strategic partnerships, or licensing opportunities.
Ideal for pre-seed/seed investors, corporate venture teams, and innovation scouts, the event includes a spotlight address, four thematic pitch tracks, and opportunities to schedule one-on-one meetings with founders and faculty innovators.
Register here.

Ignite Fellow for New Ventures Info Session 3
2026-01-30 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/ignite-fellow-for-new-ventures-info-session-3-2

Ignite Fellow for New Ventures Info Session 4
2026-02-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/ignite-fellow-for-new-ventures-info-session-4-2026

Lab to Impact: A Red Apple from the Lab to Your Shopping Cart: The SNAPDRAGON® Story
2026-02-25 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-a-red-apple-from-the-lab-to-your-shopping-cart
Join us for an engaging discussion with Dr. Susan Brown, Cornell University’s renowned apple breeder, who will share the remarkable journey of commercializing the SNAPDRAGON® apple. Discover how a single cross-pollination in a Cornell research orchard in 1998 evolved into a premium apple variety now available in grocery stores nationwide.

In today’s competitive fruit marketplace, developing a successful new apple variety requires more than just exceptional tasting variety. A discussion of how the commercialization of SNAPDRAGON® parallels the modern startup journey, including challenges in intellectual property protection, strategic partnerships, and brand development. Familiar topics in bringing SNAPDRAGON® to market include navigating the product development landscape, market fit, scaling, and international expansion – challenges familiar to any entrepreneur.

This hour-long virtual discussion offers unique insights into how university innovations can successfully transition to the marketplace and challenge traditional academic approaches to plant breeding.
Register here.

Ignite Innovation Acceleration Spring 2026 Information Session
2026-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
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 March 2 to April 24, 2026.
Who Should Apply?

Cornell faculty

Postdoctoral researchers

PhD innovators

Research teams developing technologies with commercial potential

Join our next info session on March 13 at noon. 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.

CTL@WCM Office Hours With Brian Kelly
2026-03-18 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
CTL@WCM Virtual Office Hours are open to all who wish to gain more information about the advancement of their personal projects with a one-on-one meeting with a Weill Cornell Business and Licensing Officer.
March 18th office hours will be hosted by Brian Kelly, the Director of Technology Licensing at the CTL NYC office.
Brian manages a portfolio of inventions focusing on oncology, metabolic diseases, and endocrine disorders. Brian has primary responsibility for Biochemistry, Genetic Medicine, Pharmacology, Institute for IBD, and Dermatology.
Reserve your 30-minute slot between 2-4 pm. Register here.

Lab to Impact: Building Bridges — Bringing Life Sciences Technologies to Market Through Business Development
2026-03-25 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-building-bridges-bringing-life-sciences-technologies-to-market-through-business-development
This Lab to Impact session will explore the strategic role of business development and partnering in advancing life sciences innovation from academia to industry. Through a moderated discussion, we will compare how venture capital, biotech companies, and pharmaceutical organizations evaluate academic technologies, define partnership objectives, and engage in collaboration. Hosted by Jamie Brisbois, Manager of Business Development and Licensing at CTL at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Register here.

Ignite Innovation Acceleration Spring 2026 Information Session 2
2026-03-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
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 March 2 to April 24, 2026.
Who Should Apply?

Cornell faculty

Postdoctoral researchers

PhD innovators

Research teams developing technologies with commercial potential

Join our next info session on March 27 at noon. 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.

Ignite Innovation Acceleration Spring 2026 Information Session 3
2026-04-10 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
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 March 2 to April 24, 2026.
Who Should Apply?

Cornell faculty

Postdoctoral researchers

PhD innovators

Research teams developing technologies with commercial potential

Join our next info session on April 10 at noon. 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.

2026 BioInnovate Conference
2026-04-23 12:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Join the 2026 BioInnovate Conference, a curated forum connecting life sciences investors and industry leaders with promising spinouts from Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, and Cornell Tech.
This event brings together academic inventors, early-stage investors, industry leaders, and startup executives to spark new connections, explore partnerships, and advance translational innovation. This year’s audience includes 40+ specialist biomedical investors and industry representatives.
Featured guests include:

Michael Foley, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder, Excelsior Sciences
Adam Volini, Executive Director & VP, Life Sciences & Strategic Partnerships, NYS Empire State Development
Henry Wei, MD ’02, Head of Development Innovation, Regeneron

Startup pitches from:

Astoria Biologica – first-in-class multiple sclerosis therapeutic
NeuroTwain – digital clinical decision support tool for neurological diseases

The program will also include the announcement of the Resnick Prize for Excellence in Entrepreneurship and additional awards.
Over the years, BioInnovate has catalyzed venture financings, industry partnerships, and leadership team formation for emerging companies across the Cornell innovation ecosystem.
If you are in NYC, join us at Uris Auditorium on the Weill Cornell campus starting at noon. In-person registration here.
If you are in Ithaca or anywhere else, join us online from 3-6 PM (ET). Virtual registration here.

Lab to Impact: The Rocky Road to Instant Ice Cream
2026-04-29 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-the-rocky-road-to-instant-ice-cream
Join us for a discussion on the journey from scientific breakthrough to commercial success in food technology.
Using the evolution of instant ice cream as a case study, this session explores what it takes to move from lab innovation to a product people trust, adopt, and buy.
Our speakers—spanning academia, entrepreneurship, and industry—will share firsthand perspectives on navigating regulatory requirements, scaling production, and building a viable business around novel food technologies.
We’ll cover:
• Bridging research and commercial viability
• Navigating food safety regulations
• Scaling production while maintaining quality
• Building consumer trust
• Securing investment and partnerships
Speakers: Syed Ruzvi, professor at Cornell CALS, and Aris Despo, seasoned tech entrepreneur. Hosted by Marie Donnelly, Business Development and Licensing Manager at CTL.
Register here.

Anatomy of a Deal: Founder, Equity Investor & Lender
2026-04-29 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Join Launch NY’s ECO Incubator for a practical, behind-the-scenes look at how early-stage clean energy deals come together—from initial conversations to closing. This session brings together a founder, an equity investor, and a lender to share how deals are sourced, structured, and financed in today’s market.
Featuring:

Gillian Francis, Managing & Founding Partner, Rapid Ventures
Stwart Peña Feliz, CEO & Co-Founder, MacroCycle Technologies
Maggie Wong, Senior VP, Silicon Valley Bank

Register now.

CTL@WCM Office Hours with Jamie Brisbois
2026-04-29 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
CTL@WCM Office Hours are open to all who wish to gain more information about the advancement of their patent filings and to discuss their technology venture project with a one-on-one meeting with a Weill Cornell Business Development and Licensing Officer.
The April 29th office hours will be hosted virtually by Jamie Brisbois, Business Development and Licensing Associate at CTL, NYC office, from 2 – 4 p.m.
Jamie assists the licensing team in identifying, marketing, and licensing life sciences technologies developed at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Before joining CTL in 2021, Jamie worked as a consultant with ClearView Healthcare Partners, a boutique healthcare consulting firm based in Boston. In addition, he served three years as a fellow with Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV), the technology transfer office of Columbia University.
Jamie received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University, where he helped develop a scalable signaling language for engineering multicellular communication in the laboratory of Dr. Virginia Cornish. Jamie holds a B.A. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and French from Lawrence University (Appleton, WI), where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Register here.

Lab to Impact: The Hard Reality of Building a Biotech Startup - A CEO's Perspective
2026-05-06 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-the-hard-reality-of-building-a-biotech-startup-a-ceos-perspective
What does it take to build a biotechnology company that advances early academic assets into a therapy used at the bedside, while overcoming the scientific, clinical, and financial hurdles along the way?
In this session, Laurence Blumberg, MD, MBA, a physician and serial biotech entrepreneur, shares a candid perspective drawn from decades of experience founding biotechnology companies and advancing scientific discoveries into clinical development. As founding CEO of Syntimmune, he guided the company through early clinical development before its acquisition by Alexion in 2018 for up to $1.2 billion. Earlier, he co-founded Syntonix Pharmaceuticals, where his early strategic vision helped shape a protein engineering platform later acquired by Biogen in 2007. That platform ultimately enabled the development of Eloctate and Alprolix, long-acting therapies for hemophilia A and B that have significantly improved care for patients with bleeding disorders.
This conversation examines the operational and strategic realities of building a therapeutics company. Topics will include:

Understanding the structure of the biotechnology ecosystem
Developing a rigorous Target Product Profile and market thesis
Deciding when to build internal capabilities versus leveraging external partners such as CROs and CDMOs
Securing the capital and strategic partnerships required to advance therapies through development

Researchers, physicians, and aspiring bioentrepreneurs are invited to join this candid conversation.
Hosted by Lynda Inseque, director of Technology & Venture Initiatives and Engagement at CTL.
Register here.

Bearers of Innovation 2026
2026-05-20 11:30 - 13:45 (America/New_York)
Bearers of Innovation: A One Cornell Celebration is an annual, invitation-only celebration recognizing Cornell researchers and inventors who took a meaningful step forward in the technology commercialization journey — whether by disclosing a technology for the first time or reaching a licensing milestone.
This year’s celebration honors inventors from FY2024 and FY2025 across Cornell’s Ithaca and New York City campuses, bringing together the broader Cornell innovation community to recognize the work that moves discoveries from the lab toward real-world impact.
Attendance is by invitation only. Invitations are extended directly to recognized inventors by CTL leadership and the Business Development and Licensing team.

Venturium Spring '26 - Academic Venture Showcase
2026-06-11 11:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Venturium’26 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 firms, venture studios, accelerators, incubators, and industry professionals to explore a curated selection of companies and innovative technologies.
Cornell startup MAV Unlimited has been selected to pitch at this event.
​Attend to meet academic spinouts representing a variety of esteemed academic institutions, including: California State University – Long Beach, Cornell University, Northeastern University, Rutgers University, University of Kentucky, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt, and Washington University – St. Louis.
​A full agenda for Venturium Spring’26, including company names and contact information, will be published the week of the event. Venturium will encompass pitches from companies commercializing across life, physical, and software sciences.
​Timing of event:

​11:30-11:45 | Welcome from the Academic Institutions Powering Venturium Spring’26

​11:45-1:05 | Presentations featuring Early-stage Ventures

​1:05-1:25 | Networking in Breakout Rooms

​1:25-1:30 | Closing Remarks

​Join us 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.

PORTENT 2026 Annual Meeting
2026-07-09 08:00 - 2026-07-10 17:00 (America/New_York)
PORTENT is Cornell’s NIH-supported Center for Point-of-Care Technologies for Nutrition, Infection, and Cancer. Its mission is to advance point-of-care medical technologies through innovation awards, clinical validation support, Lab-to-Market programming, and commercialization-oriented mentorship.
The showcase will feature current PORTENT performer teams and a select group of additional point-of-care technology companies from the New York City/Cornell ecosystem.

Register here.
