Through our full offering of services, resources, people, and programs, we surround inventors with everything they need to maximize the impact of university inventions through commercial pathways.
Get Familiar with the Process
Making commercialization work takes a whole team of people who manage a lot of moving parts. Here's an overview of how TLA works with inventors and ecosystem members to bring UArizona inventions to the marketplace.
Check out the commercialization Process
Licensing Managers
To ensure that university inventors have on-demand commercialization expertise available, TLA has a team of licensing managers, each embedded in a specific UArizona college. These professionals, each with a combination of scientific expertise, understanding of the IP protection process, and licensing experience, work with you to identify, evaluate, protect and move your UArizona inventions from the lab to the world.
Meet the Licensing Manager team
Market Research
Our Market Research Manager and a team of student workers evaluate every invention disclosure, exploring market potential, competing products, potential licensees, and related patents and publications.
Meet OUR Market Research Manager
Intellectual Property Protection & Management
Our Intellectual Property Team examines the patent landscape for each invention disclosure and works with inventors to protect university IP. We have engaged a pool of over 70 law firms around the nation, each with specific subject matter expertise, allowing us to bring in the right IP attorneys to work with you on your unique invention. Did you know that Tech Launch Arizona covers initial costs related to pursuing and managing IP, from attorney costs to patent pursuit and maintenance? Ask us about it.
Learn more about IP protection
Venture Development
This team comprises a variety of experts with expertise and experience in successfully starting, growing and exiting startups. Focused on developing healthy companies, our "VenDev" team ensures that every startup is properly equipped with the connections, tools, and knowledge to launch and grow successfully.
Learn more about startups and venture development
Mentors-in-Residence
We are extremely fortunate to have a team of Mentors-in-Residence (MIRs), each bringing a unique combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial acumen, leadership and proven success. These individuals work with startup teams to develop strategic plans, and connect with advisors, leaders and investors.
Asset Development Funds
Tech Launch Arizona's Asset Development funding helps advance inventions that aren't yet ready to attract licensees or investors. In executing an Asset Development plan, we validate an invention's market potential and requirements and ready it for commercialization.
Commercialization Network
The TLA Commercialization Network is a group of over 1,400 individuals who use their expertise to contribute to conversations around emerging University of Arizona inventions.
UArizona Ecosystem Resources
Leverage the University of Arizona's diverse innovation ecosystem by connecting to the Center for Innovation, Tech Launch Arizona, and Tech Parks Arizona. Learn how we're helping innovators more their discoveries forward.
NSF I-Corps
National Science Foundation Innovation Corps, or "I-Corps," is a short course that helps scientists and engineers to increase the impact of their inventive work. The program provides funding and guidance for teams to assess their technology's commercial viability. Successful I-Corps projects are well-positioned to receive future NSF grants designed for more mature technologies, including SBIR and STTR grants.