Empowering Innovation in NeuroRobotics
The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab is more than just a research lab. It's an incubator for new technologies. Every technology we develop starts with a clearly identified product-market fit and exit strategy. We often license our technology to our industry partners, allowing them to use their existing infrastructure to bring the technology into the market. However, sometimes a technology needs to be further refined before it can be integrated into a company's portfolio or stand alone as a product. In these cases, we work closely with the Technology Licensing Office to accelerate our prototypes into commercial products. This often involves establishing a new company and working towards an acquisition or IPO. Our incubator program supports these new companies by providing research space, equipment, and personnel to aid technology development. We also provide financial capital to support the founders, their team, and the costs associated with engineering and customer discovery. Our administrative team also provides training and writing support for small business grants, as well as connections to accelerator programs, angel investors, and VCs.
Ready to Join?
Prospective applicants should send a cover letter and CV/resume to Dr. George. The cover letter should outline motivation for joining, prior entrepreneurship experience, and the technology or target application of interest. Applicants that propose a new technology should clearly articulate how it is complementary to existing technologies within the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab. Alternatively, applicants without a clear technology in mind should describe how the lab's existing platform technologies could be used for a new target application.
A NeuroRobotics Academic Incubator
Our incubator program is unique in two ways:
- We specifically target neurorobotic technologies inline with our deep expertise and connections
- We leverage our academic position to amplify our resources and provide formal entrepreneurial and technical training
Most of our founders are formally enrolled in a degree granting program which provides a new credential and an interdisciplinary program of study tailored to their needs. For example, within the ECE PhD program, founders could expect to:
- receive a competitive yearly stipend
- learn foundational skills in neurotechnology
- obtain a certificate in engineering entrepreneurship
- refine product-market fit through the NSF I-Corps program
- build a business model and raise funds for their company through the Bench2Bedside competition
- pitch ideas through Venture Well and Utah's Entrepreneur and Investor Life Sciences Summit
- outsource prior art searches and patents to the technology licensing office
- accelerate technology development through the Ascender Grant program or DHI Accelerator program
- outsource software development to the Software Development & Systems Design Core.
- hire undergraduate interns through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
- live alongside aspiring entrepreneurs, raise funds, and launch their ventures with Lassonde Studios
- leverage end-to-end technology translation through the Med Tech Venture Studio
- submit small business grants to fund your company with writing support and workshops
- receive microgrants and nonrecourse loans with the Utah Technology Innovation Funding
- network within the extensive BioHive Community
- leverage legal, accounting, marketing, and insurance resources available through Startup 360
- incubate and grow your ideas within Altitude Labs
- connect with angel investors through Park City Angels
- raise pre-seed and seed funds through Altitude Lab Fund and/or the Utah Innovation Fund
- raise series A funds through University of Utah Ventures, Powered by EPIC
- highlight your technology to millions, like at the Super Bowl with Brad Pitt