The following is a list of the articles that appear in the May 2023 issue of Technology Transfer Tactics monthly newsletter.
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Technology Transfer Tactics
Vol. 17, No. 5, May 2023
- Focus on start-up readiness prior to inking a license agreement and improve chances of success. A common challenge for tech transfer leaders is dealing with faculty start-ups that may have a great idea but not much more. They may lack a solid business plan, have little experience in venture-building, don’t have investor interest, and lack a credible CEO or leadership team. Yet they want to license “their” IP from the university — a move that the TTO suspects will lead nowhere, at least at such an early stage and without considerable development.
- Problematic tax law change could devastate start-ups as groups push for deferral. A recent change to tax law that could have a devastating impact on university start-ups could be deferred if Congress listens to the pleas of TTOs and the research community, but companies should still plan for the impact.
- Priority review vouchers: A potential windfall for TTOs when negotiated into license. More than 15 years ago, Congress created a way to incentivize development of drugs designed to treat neglected diseases that affect mainly developing countries. Those who did so would win a prize: a voucher that could be used to get priority review from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a different drug — for example, one that might have the potential to become a blockbuster.
- Texas State experiments with paying faculty for invention disclosures. What would happen if universities paid their faculty to disclose innovations? Texas State University (TXST) is finding out. Its pay for disclosures program is still in its infancy, but based on early returns it looks like the idea will pay off in spades for the small TTO.
- ASU launches equity crowdfunding pilot as part of start-up funding strategy. For the first time, ownership stakes in Arizona State University (ASU) start-ups will be available to all through equity crowdfunding. Currently, in its pilot phase, ASU’s equity crowdfunding is just one piece of the funding support network for early-stage companies at ASU, but its one that’s touching on many different parts of the pipeline.
- NIH grant funds U New Mexico effort to train other universities in tech transfer. Technology transfer is inherently local. What works for one tech transfer office doesn’t always work for another TTO, and even when it does work, sometimes significant adaptations must be made to fit the commercialization ecosystem at that TTO’s university.