Special Situations
I'm a university researcher — how do I commercialize my patented research?
The short answer
Start with your technology transfer office — in most cases the institution owns the patent and the TTO runs the process. The momentum is with you: university startup creation surged 15% in a year to 1,095 companies, and academic licensors are now the majority in high-tech licensing surveys.
The full picture
The typical path: disclose the invention (if you haven't), let the TTO assess and patent it, then choose between licensing to an existing company or joining a spin-out — most universities offer both, with revenue-sharing policies that give inventors a personal cut of license income.
Where researchers add the most value: being the technology's champion. TTOs have portfolios of hundreds; the inventions that get commercialized have an inventor who shows up to licensee meetings and keeps pushing. If you're weighing the spin-out route or want an outside read on your technology's commercial position, independent perspective pairs well with the TTO's process — we work alongside it, not around it.
Where does your patent stand?
The Beyond the Patent Commercialization Score answers that — a professional, factor-by-factor read on your patent's licensing, sale, build, and partner potential.
Related questions
General information for patent owners — not legal advice. Read the disclaimer.