How We Work
We employ a unique model of technology translation within academia. Technologies conceived in our research laboratories are refined and de-risked technically and commercially by our Advanced Technology and Business Development teams. Our technologies are licensed to newly-founded startup companies or industry partners to bring about positive, near-term impact in the world.
- Idea Generation There is no greater creative cauldron than the skunkworks of academia. We turbocharge it to fuel our technology pipeline. 1/5
- Concept Refinement Ideas that pop up spontaneously in our labs are selected based on input from our staff with industrial experience and business development teams, as well as our strategic intellectual property group. Greater resources are provided to those technologies that survive through natural selection. 2/5
- Technology Validation Technologies that have market potential are initially de-risked. Teams leverage technical, business development, and intellectual property expertise at the Institute to start moving projects from the benchtop toward the market. 3/5
- Technology Optimization Technologies with the greatest potential value and ability to bring about transformative change are further de-risked technically and commercially by our multi-faceted collaborative teams, increasing their likelihood of succeed in the market. 4/5
- Commercialization Our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence or other members of our business development team engage investors and industrial partners, and working with Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, negotiate license agreements and launch new startups. 5/5
Technology Refinement
Our most valuable and disruptive technologies with real-world potential advance through our Technology Innovation Funnel, and are matured through our Validation Project and Institute Project programs.
Validation Projects
Validation Projects identify technologies with potential high-impact applications that have successfully progressed through significant concept refinement and meet predefined technical, product development and intellectual property criteria. In these projects, technologies are further de-risked technically while business development expertise is integrated into the effort so that the applicability and market potential of the technology can be further validated while adhering to a rigorous timeline with specific milestones.
Institute Projects
Institute Projects support technologies that are considerably de-risked and the development teams have received feedback from investors and industry partners, identifying how the technology should be further advanced technically and commercially to warrant funding and ensure near-term commercial success. Funds can be requested to recruit entrepreneurs-in-residence with domain-specific expertise to help lead the team as well as to carry out late stage validation efforts, including reducing costs of manufacturing, demonstrating clinician buy-in, conducting regulatory and market analyses, and carrying out Phase I clinical trials.
Industrial Partnerships
We create alliances with industry partners whose strong market expertise, technological depth, and commercial interests in a particular industry sector complement our unique capabilities and leverage our technological innovations. The insights and technology advances that result from these multi-faceted partnerships ensure that our development efforts are guided by and address real-world problems, needs, and applications, and successful collaborations lead to licensing agreements for product commercialization.
Collaborate With Us
We seek entrepreneurial investors and industrial partners who can help us bring our technologies to market. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in working with us to form a new startup, license a technology, or if you would like to join the Wyss Mentor Hive.