Innovation UBC is bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners for a fall social at the University of British Columbia next month. The Innovation UBC Community Fall Social will take place on Thursday, October 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Technology Enterprise Facility III on the UBC campus. Designed as a casual drop-in […]
Innovation UBC
Innovation UBC Opens Applications for Spring 2027 Venture Founder Program
Innovation UBC is accepting applications for the spring 2027 cohort of Venture Founder, its flagship entrepreneurship program for UBC researchers, innovators and students ready to turn discoveries and ideas into new ventures. The 16-week program provides participants with practical training, mentorship and access to a community of founders, investors and industry leaders. No previous business […]
UBC, Rogers and Mitacs Rethink the Path From Research to Market
A partnership between the University of British Columbia, Rogers Communications and Mitacs is developing a new model for moving promising university research beyond the laboratory and into practical use. At the centre of the collaboration is Operation EInsTein, a commercialization framework developed and operated by UBC’s Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems. Short for […]
UBC Surpasses 300 Spin-Off Companies with Latest Cohort
The University of British Columbia has crossed a major commercialization milestone, officially launching its 302nd spin-off company following the addition of 15 new ventures in 2026. According to Innovation UBC, companies created around UBC research have collectively raised more than $11 billion in capital, generated an estimated $13 billion in revenue, and created over 2,800 […]
UBC Planet Hunter Takes Beaker Banter Listeners Across the Galaxy
A University of British Columbia astronomer who has identified thousands of possible worlds beyond our solar system is the featured guest on the latest episode of Innovation UBC’s Beaker Banter podcast. Dr. Michelle Kunimoto joins host Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos for A Planet Hunter’s Guide to the Galaxy, a wide-ranging conversation about exoplanets, the search for […]
Canadian Companies Receive Most Exclusive Rights to University Patents, Survey Finds
A new national survey is challenging the perception that intellectual property developed at Canadian universities is routinely transferred to foreign companies. Co-authored by Brett Sharp, Associate Director of Technology Transfer at Innovation UBC, the analysis found that Canadian companies receive the majority of exclusive commercialization rights to patented inventions managed by participating universities. The survey […]
UBC Researchers Are Turning B.C. Wood Waste into a Post-Plastic Opportunity
British Columbia has no shortage of wood—but much of what is harvested never reaches a mill. At the same time, industries worldwide are searching for practical alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Researchers at the University of British Columbia believe these two challenges could help solve each other. Dr. Feng Jiang, an associate professor in UBC’s Faculty […]
Lab2Market Opens Applications for Free Fall Commercialization Program
Graduate researchers across Canada who are curious about the commercial potential of their work can now apply for a free program designed to help them take their first steps from lab to market. Lab2Market Validate Foundations Pacific returns this fall with three days of online training led by Innovation UBC in partnership with SFU VentureLabs. […]
Innovation UBC Taps Sauder Talent to Help Eight Startups Grow
Innovation UBC has introduced its 2026 cohort of Venture Development Specialists, pairing five UBC Sauder graduate students with eight early-stage companies working to bring university research to market. The specialists are Lisa Popplewell, Drew Blackmun, Nkemdilim Okwuchi, Mitchell Liebrecht, and Darryl Mah. Over a series of two-month consulting projects, the students are supporting CereCura Nanotherapeutics, […]
UBC’s Express Licence Clears a Faster Path from Lab to Startup
Turning university research into a company is rarely as simple as finding a promising technology and assembling a founding team. Before a UBC researcher can commercialize an invention developed at the university, the new company needs the rights to use that intellectual property. Negotiating those rights can take months, cost thousands of dollars, and create […]