2023 Bama IP Commercialization Academy
Calling Student Entrepreneurs!
Interested in learning how to transform inventions and discoveries generated by UA inventors into a new product or startup AND win some cash?
Want to gain entrepreneurial experience working with UA inventors and the business community?
This program is for you!
About the Academy
The University of Alabama Office for Research & Economic Development is presenting the Bama IP Commercialization Academy with generous contributions from the UA Culverhouse College of Business, Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute, and Alabama Power Foundation.
We invite you to join a team of student entrepreneurs and the inventor of a UA Intellectual Property (IP) — patent or patent application — to identify a commercialization path of the IP.
Cash awards, training, and coaching/mentoring are available for students in this program and in the future business venture.
All students from any program at UA are invited to participate!
Ready to Get Started?
What You’ll Learn and Do
Through the three-phase academy, students will form teams and serve as Entrepreneurial Leads (ELs). To provide technical support to the teams, UA inventors of the technologies will serve as Technical Advisors. The ELs will develop ideas for incorporating the technologies into potentially viable commercialization ideas. Over the course of the program, ELs will not only learn IP, IP commercialization, business model, and customer discovery but also validate and test the potential of their ideas through experiential learning.
The proposed commercialization path (startups or licensing deals) will be pitched to judges and receive feedback and prizes. If the winning teams are interested in further developing their business ideas, more support will be provided to them, including an internship opportunity in the Office for Innovation & Commercialization.
A total of $24,000 in awards and internship opportunities in Spring 2024 will be provided to the teams!
Process and Timeline
Phase 1 – Evening Pitch & Team Formation (Phase 1 Agenda)
- Thursday, September 21st, 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. in AIME 110.
- You will select which patented technology you are passionate about working with. Teams will be formed around each IP to get the program kicked off.
- Team awards: $300/team
Phase 2 – IP Commercialization Training & Experiential Learning (Phase 2 Kickoff Agenda)
- 5 Fridays, 9/29/23 – 11/3/23 (no 10/27 due to mid-term break), 1-3 p.m., AIME110
- Student teams join the 5-week training (IP, business model & Customer Discovery)
- Team awards: Top 3 teams receive $3K, $2K, $1K; and $600 for each other qualified team
Phase 3 – Business Plan Competition (Phase 3 Agenda)
- Thursday, 11/16/23, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. at The EDGE (2627 10th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401)
- Determine business model: Licensing or Start-up
- Team awards: Top 3 teams receive $5K, $4K, and $3K
- Each winning team EL can receive up to $1K cash, the rest, if there are any, will be saved in an account for commercialization development
Post-Competition Commercialization Development
- Y2024
- For Licensing approach: Opportunity for paid internships in Spring 2024 (w/ interview and selection); Interns work with OIC officers and inventors
- For Start-up approach: AEI programs and support
List of IPs
Browse the following IP abstracts for a possible project. Make sure to click the Title and Market abstract for details.
| # | Inventor | Patent # or Patent Application # | Title | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaber Abu Qahouq | US 10,468,980 B2 | Systems, methods, and devices for simultaneous wireless and wired power transfer | Abstract 1 |
| 2 | Yuping Bao | US 9,867,889 B2 | Shape-controlled magnetic nanoparticles as T1 contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging | Abstract 2 |
| 3 | Yuping Bao, Lukasz Ciesla | US 2020/0096503 A1 | Cell membrane coated magnetic nanoparticles and assays for identification of transmembrane protein-binding compounds | Abstract 3 |
| 4 | Ruigang Wang | US 11,484,866 B2 | Composite materials and methods of making and use thereof | Abstract 4 |
| 5 | Kristi Crowe-White | US 11,304,896 B2 | Antioxidant infused gum for improving oral health | Abstract 5 |
| 6 | Dawen Li | US 11,094,884 B2 | Rapid metal oxide layer-specific photonic treatment using UV LED for fabrication of flexible perovskite structures | Abstract 6 |
| 7 | James Sheehan | UAIPD 23-0014 | Glycerol-based solvents for organosolv pulping of lignocellulosic biomass | Abstract 7 |
Team Awards
Phase 2 Winners
- 1st place – $3,000: Boost– Anthony Joesph Sherman, Maxwell Brady McNally, Hunter Stepanovich, Ava Gibbs, Brayden Fuentes
- 2nd place – $2,000: NanoGhost Hunters– Chris Efobi, Trey Wilson, Cam Bruneau, Riley Durbin
- 3rd place – $1,000: GreenLign Plastics– Garrett Busch, Logan McDermot, David McDermott
- Each of these teams (i.e. DentaChew, PowerPulse, ECNC, and LIGNOS MATERIALS) received a $600 team award!
Phase 3 Winners
- 1st place – $5,000 (two teams tie):
PowerPulse – Jonathon Bower, Caitlin Seaborn, Tomas Baltzdr
NanoGhost Hunters – Chris Efobi, Trey Wilson, Cam Bruneau, Riley Durbin - 3rd place – $3,000: Boost – Anthony Joesph Sherman, Maxwell Brady McNally, Hunter Stepanovich, Ava Gibbs, Brayden Fuentes
Questions?
Please contact us with any questions:
- Dr. Ying Qin: yqin@ua.edu
- Dr. Rob Morgan: rmorgan@culverhouse.ua.edu
- Dr. Theresa Welbourne: twelbourne@culverhouse.ua.edu