Overview of CU Technology Transfer

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Overview of CU Technology Transfer

• David N. Allen, Ph.D.
• Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer
• University of Colorado System
• david.allen_at_CU.edu
• 303 735 1688
• May, 2007

Knowledge
Innovation
Technology
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Our Reason for Being
The mission of the CU Technology Transfer Office
(TTO) is to aggressively pursue, protect,
package, and license to business the intellectual
property (IP) generated from the research
enterprise and to serve faculty, staff, and
students seeking to create such intellectual
property.
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The Technology Transfer Process
Research (creation of the idea) Invention
disclosure (submitted to TTO) IP assessment
(protection, technical and commercial
feasibility) IP protection (initially a
provisional patent application and then further
prosecution) Marketing and Proof of Concept
Option then License (to an Existing Company or
Start-Up Company) Product and Market
Development Commercial Sales (by
Licensee/Sublicensee) Revenue to CU (royalty,
milestone payments, equity liquidations) Revenue
distribution (inventors, their labs, Campus and
System)
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CU Technology Transfer Over the Past Six Years

• Fiscal Year 00-1 01-2 02-3 03-4 04-5 05-6
• Invention disclosures 79 121 124 147 177 198
• Patent apps filed 46 59 82 100 139 125
• Options and licenses 13 26 34 47 59
  57
• Exclusive opt/license s 9 16 13 19
  22 36
• Revenue in MM 2.2 2.1 3.1 5.8
  21.7 20.6
• Start-up companies 3 3 6 9 9 10
• does not include revenue derived from legal
  settlements which in FY2003-4 amounted to 28.1M,
  in FY2004-5 6.7M
• and in FY 2005-6 .7M
• Expect 22M in royalty revenue FY 2007

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What is Driving This Growth?

• A strong and expanding base of discovery-oriented
  research (640M in sponsored research activity)
• Institutional commitment and investment mentality
• Simple empowerment from the US Bayh-Dole Act
• Clear CU IP policies and best practice IP and
  university licensing procedures
• Adequately staffed operation professionals with
  scientific training, business/legal acumen and a
  service orientation
• Support from Front Range business community

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The Success Record of Companies Created Based on
CU IP

• In last 13 years, 62 companies formed based on CU
  IP 6 known to not be operating, discontinued
• Just in last 3 years 28 companies have been
  formed, 3 discontinued of these 3 technologies,
  one has been re-licensed, one has been optioned
  and one is being actively developed in a CU lab
• Of remaining 56 companies over the 13 year
  period
• 52 have operations in CO
• 12 have received CU TTO POC investments
• 5 have gone public
• 8 have been acquired by public companies
  (includes 2 from above)

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Summary and Near Future

• Overall for the past five years
• CU technology transfer has steadily improved,
  faculty and business participation has
  dramatically improved and the overall operation
  is approaching a mature, consistent flow of IP
  and transactions
• TTO is investing back into CU IP through various
  programs
• CU technology attracts appreciable investment
  capital and is a growing economic engine for
  Colorado