Ignite History & Impact

Operating initially under the name Cornell Technology Acceleration and Maturation Fund (CTAM), and now re-launched as Ignite – Cornell Research: Lab to Market, Cornell University funds the further development of select innovations with definite next steps to validate commercialization strategy, whether that be via a startup company or corporate license.

The gap funding program was initiated and funded by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) in 2014 and has grown through university contributions and ongoing gifts from industry partners and alumni. A generous gift from Peggy J. Koenig ’78 helped launch Ignite in 2020, and Kairos Ventures donated to CTAM in 2017.

In the first five years of the CTAM program, completed projects have gone on to raise over $30M in venture capital, corporate-sponsored research, and research grants, a 34x return on investment.

Download the full report to read about select research lab or startup projects here.

Ignite impact

Ignite Success Stories

Exotanium team

Hakim Weatherspoon

Exostellar: Revolutionizing Cloud Resource Management with X-Container Technology

Exostellar, born from the innovative minds of Hakim Weatherspoon, Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University, along with Zhiming Shen and Professor van Renesse, is revolutionizing cloud computing resource management. Their platform uniquely utilizes a combination of application containers and virtual machines with portable architecture that allows real-time migration between servers depending on client demand. In 2019, the team utilized the awarded funding from the Ignite Startup Projects program to achieve commercial viability of their X-Container technology by developing the support of Open Container Interface (OCI) and Container Runtime Interface (CRI). The company was incubated at the Praxis Center from 2019 to 2022. Exostellar secured a $15 million Series A funding round led by Cambium Capital and Celesta Capital in 2023 to expand to new platforms and grow their resources.

LLume team

Robert F. Shepherd and Ilayda Samilgil

LLUME’s Light Lace™: Pioneering Wearable Fiber-optic Sensor Innovations

How can light transform the world of wearable fitness and performance monitoring? LLUME (formerly Organic Robotics Corporation), co-founded by Robert F. Shepherd, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, along with Ilayda Samilgil, CEO, answers this with its innovative Light Lace™ fiberoptic sensors. This patented technology utilizes light to provide real-time insights into various physiological and biomechanical data, offering users precision and adaptability. Kickstarted following an Ignite Innovation Acceleration funding to Prof. Shepherd’s lab for the development of an initial prototype (a glove), LLUME received funding from Ignite Startup program in 2021 to develop an improved board to support the light lace fiber with the purpose to analyze chest movement to deliver actionable insights on fatigue and performance levels. LLUME is incubated at The Praxis Center for Venture Development since 2020. The company secured multiple grants from the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Defense, and the National Football League (NFL).

David Erickson

David Erickson

Dimensional Energy: Turning Gases Emission into BioFuels

In the face of global environmental challenges, Dimensional Energy leveraged their proprietary artificial photosynthesis to convert CO2 directly into biofuel, a technology emerging from Professor Erickson's group at Cornell University. The company received funding from the Ignite Startup program in 2019 to improve their catalyst and scale bioproduction. From 2019 to 2023, the company has raised a total of $31 million, with a raise of in 2023 of $25 million in series A funding led by Envisioning Partners. In 2022, United Airlines has partnered with Dimensional Energy to invest in and use their novel technology for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), aligning with United's commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 without relying on traditional carbon offsets.

Paul Mceuen smart electronic ID tags

Paul McEuen

OWiC Technologies: Creating Digital Data for Physical Objects

OWiC Technologies, co-founded by Paul L. McEuen, the John A. Newman Emeritus Professor of Physical Science along with Alejandro J. Cortese and Alyosha Molnar, is developing a smart digital ID tag that utilizes a combination of an integrated circuit for intelligence, photovoltaics for power, and a tiny laser for communication to enable any object to share its unique story. This technology has the potential to improve supply chains in manufacturing by reducing human errors in assembly lines as well as to impact industries relying on serialization. The Ignite Startup program funding facilitated the development of a commercially viable prototype (kit including a tag, reader, and app) to engage customers. This funding has helped the company with raising private funding and a phase II of SBIR grant of nearly $1M.

Atieh Moridi

Atieh Moridi

Precision Deposition Technology for Cost-Effective, High-Value Metal Additive Manufacturing

Atieh Moridi’s technology innovates in additive manufacturing with a unique drop-on-demand method, using pulsed laser energy to form metal parts from sheet feedstock. This technique enables adjustable resolution during production, optimizing efficiency and reducing costs. An Assistant Professor at the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, her technology, unlike traditional powder bed fusion, offers finer feature creation and avoids the limitations of metallic powder use, such as high costs and inconsistent qualities. Recognized for its potential, the technology has received an Ignite Innovation Acceleration grant for a prototype design development, marking a significant step toward a full prototype.

Minglin Ma

Minglin Ma

AvantGuard: Pioneering Disinfectant Products to Ensure Long-Lasting Protection Against Harmful Bacteria and Viruses

AvantGuard (formerly Halomine) is a company that is focused on developing innovative disinfectant products that can increase the life and effectiveness of chlorine-based disinfectants. By doing so, their products can help maintain a disinfected environment for a longer period, ensuring users are safe from any harmful bacteria or viruses. The technology is emanating from Professor Minglin Ma group. The company was incubated at the Praxis Center from 2019 to 2022, and during this period, it received Ignite Startup funding, which helped the company reach a critical milestone by demonstrating that their proprietary polymer could be manufactured on a large scale. As a result of its innovative work, AvantGuard has been awarded multiple SBIR grants, as well as a $2 million grant from the New York State Biodefense Commercialization Fund, which was awarded via the Empire State Development agency. Additionally, AvantGuard has secured a strategic partnership with Diversey, a publicly traded sanitation-product company. Although the company has moved out of the Praxis facility, it remains headquartered in Ithaca.

Accelerate Cornell Innovation.
Ignite Commercialization and Venture