Spinning Out Greentech Start-ups

Authors

  • Adam Swetloff EPFL Technology Transfer Office, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2023.827

PMID:

38131405

Keywords:

Greentech, Start-ups, Technology transfer

Abstract

The Paris Agreement has made combating climate change a priority and has incentivised innovationfor the greentech industry. Higher education institution[s] (HEI[s]) play an important role in fueling this innovation by developing disruptive technologies and support the creation of start-up companies that take the risk to bring these technologies to the market. The successful spinning out of such start-ups relies on the HEIs nurturing anecosystem with multiple actors as well as internal mechanisms to transfer such technologies to the start-up. HEIs have dedicated offices involved in technology transfer (TTO) that provide an interface between all the different actors (inventors, founders, start-up, investors, etc.). The TTO of an HEI also plays a central role in the technology transfer by providing the licence agreements granting start-ups the rights to use a technology developed by the HEI. This review summarises the role of a TTO and the practice of making the licensing process as transparent as possible for start-up founders and investors.

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Published

2023-12-20