The University Funds - Accelerating Innovation
The University Funds is a new venture fund specializing in the formation of ventures to pursue commercialization of innovations in convergent nano materials, bio-chemistry and micro-engineering technologies. The focus of our fund strategy is primarily to source such innovations developed in key research universities and national laboratories, and pursue exits via strategic corporate acquisition and later-stage venture fund investments.
Our business model employs a proprietary IP sourcing and due diligence process that precedes licensing of emerging technologies from universities and national labs. These labs conduct the bulk of research in the emerging nanoscience sector, yet typically are not equipped to bring the resulting innovations to market. Our investment strategy seeks to leverage the application of the recent advances in the nanosciences to the fields of bio-medical development, energy devices, communications and computing engineering by funding the gap between the basic research stage and commercial proof-of-concept development.
Within the next ten years, these nano-driven technologies will impact a substantial percentage of the products marketed and manufacturing processes utilized by key industries. It is our belief that leading corporations within key sectors will either establish partnerships to gain access to these emerging innovations, or risk losing their competitive advantage. Their strategic need will drive our deal-flow and collaboration opportunities.
Our Team’s Domain Expertise Drives Fund Returns
Our Funds’ managing directors, associates and advisors are technologists with an average of 25 years business development experience. This success in commercializing university technology innovations, fostering corporate partner collaborations, and managing transactions is complemented by their deep technical backgrounds in the nanosciences and allied disciplines. Our team includes early pioneers in the field of integrating nano materials and micro manufacturing innovations with existing manufacturing, testing and development processes.
We are motivated by this unique opportunity to be part a technical revolution where researchers from diverse disciplines can now manipulate materials on a nano scale. This emerging field of breakthrough technology will result in previously unimagined medical devices and treatments, sources of energy, improvements in energy utilization, and advances in communications and computing technologies.
Our first commercialization fund, The Emerging Technology Fund, will generate attractive investment returns for our investors, and plus while delivering positive returns for society through benefits ranging from reductions in healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes, to offering tangible solutions to our energy needs. |
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