Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Technology Transfer, Economic Development & Business Partnerships

Bringing Research & Business Together through Innovation at UAlbany

The University at Albany drives innovation, tackles pressing issues and ignites entrepreneurial success. Our programs and services:

  • Support technology startups through mentorship, expertise and community
  • Protect intellectual property, license technology and commercialize innovations
  • Train the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs
  • Address our communities’ most pressing concerns
  • Build mutually beneficial partnerships between researchers and businesses

Together, the Office of Technology Transfer and Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, and Industry Partnerships work to support UAlbany researchers and external partners. 
 

Forge a Partnership
Get Startup Support

Forge a Partnership

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Industry Affiliate Program Initiative
Two students work inside UAlbany's xCITE lab, collaborating on a laptop. Maps of weather patterns in New York State appear on screens behind them.

Industry Affiliate Programs (IAPs) connect UAlbany’s world-class researchers with private sector partners to translate academic research into services, treatments and products that benefit society.

Who can benefit: UAlbany faculty; industry partners

Create or Join an IAP
Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer
A researcher sits at a desk and reviews confocal images of mutant mice with abnormal olfactory systems on a computer screen.

The Office of Technology Transfer provides services that enable campus community members to find commercial and public uses for their academic work.

Who can benefit: UAlbany faculty, staff and students; sponsors; industry stakeholders 

 

Commercialize Technology
Research Facilities, Experts & Services
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Search and license UAlbany technology. Connect with University experts, facilities and equipment. Participate in our programs and services for businesses.

Who can benefit: Private companies; non-profit organizations; researchers from other institutions

 

Explore Opportunities

Get Startup Support

startup-support
Innovation Center
Two people are a blur as they walk through the Innovation Center. Others sit at desks around the space. The "innovate" sign is visible in the background.

Access affordable space, industry connections and the tools your technology company needs to succeed from our startup incubator.

Who can benefit: Tech startups (affiliated or unaffiliated with UAlbany)

Explore Membership
Startup Exchange
A faculty member and six students sitting at a round table are photographed from above. The researcher gestures as he speaks with the students.

The Research & Innovators Startup Exchange (RISE) connects researchers and students to create startups that bring research-driven innovations to the commercial market.  

Who can benefit: UAlbany faculty, staff and students; researchers from other institutions

Apply to Participate
NSF I-Corps
Three smiling people sit around a table in front of laptops.

National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps offers training and guidance to entrepreneurs looking to progress existing scientific or engineering research into a viable business venture.

Who can benefit: UAlbany faculty, staff and students; researchers from other institutions

Join a Cohort

Startup Stories

SupreMEtric, LLC

UAlbany startup SupreMEtric has pioneered the use of Raman spectroscopy, coupled with advanced machine learning methods, for forensic purposes — specifically, testing body fluid samples (such as blood or saliva) quickly and accurately.

The company has participated in UAlbany’s Innovation Center, NSF I-Corps and other state and federal programs. It has received over $1.3 million in funding, including grants for research with high commercialization potential.

Learn more about SupreMEtric.

A researcher works in front of a microscope inside a scientific laboratory.

sxRNA Technologies Inc.

UAlbany spinoff company sxRNA Technologies Inc. (sxRNA Tech) builds ribonucleic acid (RNA) “switches,” also called structurally interacting RNAs (sxRNA). These are molecular tools for targeting and stopping harmful cells that cause disease.

The company has secured three patents, participated in UAlbany’s NSF I-Corps and other SUNY programs and received $500,000 in federal funding to study how aging brain cells shape the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Learn more about sxRNA Tech.

A researcher in a white lab coat and blue protective gloves uses an instrument inside a lab.

Commercialization Pathways for UAlbany Inventors

Commercialization
Two researchers work inside a UAlbany lab. One sits in front of a computer and points at the monitor, while the other looks on and holds a virtual reality headset.

The Office of Technology Transfer and Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, and Industry Partnerships work together to guide UAlbany faculty, staff and students from invention to market impact. Get started today!

Step 1: Engagement

Meet with the Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, and Industry Partnerships to discuss your invention, available resources and how to bring your technology to market.  (Please email Program Director Kelly Reardon at [email protected] to request a meeting.)

Step 2: Report Invention

Submit a completed Invention Disclosure Form to the Office of Technology Transfer via the SUNY RF Inventor Portal.

Next, our staff will invite you to meet with the Office of Technology Transfer and Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, and Industry Partnerships. This conversation will help you determine whether you should create a startup or license your work.

Create a Startup

Step 3: Educate 

Enter the RISE Program to learn about incorporation, financials, legal considerations, and business essentials. Conduct customer discovery through NSF I-Corps.

We’ll help you form a startup and connect you with UAlbany resources.

Step 4: Incubate

Join the Innovation Center and work with our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Build a team and continue customer discovery.

We’ll connect you with networking, mentorship and funding programs.

Step 5: Accelerate

Enter new technology development and business phases. Based on company assessment, apply to an accelerator program.

We’ll connect you with investors and grant funding to help accelerate your growth. 

License Your IP

Step 3: Assessment & Evaluation

Assess your invention, take steps to protect your Intellectual Property (IP), and learn about publication and licensing options.

We’ll file a provisional patent on your behalf, if applicable.

Step 4: Protection

Explore IP protection through patents, copyrights, trademarks, confidentiality and other commercial applications.

We’ll begin full patent protection and filing on your behalf, if applicable.

Step 5: Marketing & Licensing

Identify marketing and licensing targets and create a detailed licensing plan.

We’ll help you license with a startup if you form a company and with other companies to continue development.

Support Our Mission

Your financial contribution helps us advance the regional economy, support student startups and progress important technology.

Donate today