Business Development Services
Berkeley Lab Tech Transfer Business Development staff offer a suite of resources to help move technologies to market. We’re available to provide input at any stage of the process, from discussing early ideas to considering business models for commercialization. Our collective experience spans the corporate, entrepreneurial, university, and Lab arenas, and we’re ready to help get your inventions and software out into the world where they can make a difference.
In addition to Innovation Grants, which fund further technological development of promising inventions, and Berkeley Lab LaunchPad, a collection of services focused on startups, we offer the following tools to help advance technologies along the path to licensing and commercialization:
- Commercialization Analysis
- Technology Showcases
- Tech Transfer Education
For more information or to request these services, contact TTIPM staff at 510-486-6467 or ttd@lbl.gov.
Commercialization Analysis looks at a technology’s pathway to being licensed and reaching the market. We consider
- the competitive landscape
- further tech development needed
- end user needs
- cost metrics
- markets and companies active in that space
- licensing models
- other relevant issues – regulation, manufacturing, etc.
We then identify pathways to market as well as obstacles that may need to be addressed. This analysis may identify a broader set of applications or markets to consider, inform next steps in demonstrating suitability for certain applications, gather end user or potential licensee feedback, identify candidate licensees, suggest prototyping, and involve business planning when a startup is an option.
Commercialization Analysis may be done by a member of our in-house business development team or a graduate-level student team, usually composed of both business and science or engineering students. We currently work with graduate students via the Haas Business School’s Cleantech to Market (C2M) program, the UC Berkeley Engineering School’s Product Development program, as well as other Haas classes and student clubs dedicated to bringing early stage technologies to market.
Technology Showcases give you the opportunity to speak directly to VCs, entrepreneurs and companies interested in your field of research. Recently, we’ve held events to showcase Berkeley Lab clean tech to Silicon Valley investors; battery technologies to the Clean Tech Group; and Carbon Cycle 2.0-related technologies to entrepreneurs, investors and companies.
Tech Transfer Education provides information and awareness about moving Lab technology and software to the market. Many aspects of technology transfer are covered, including
- patenting,
- software distribution,
- commercial analysis and
- starting a company.
These events feature a range of speakers including researchers who have successfully commercialized Berkeley Lab inventions and experts in the areas of start-ups, investing, patenting, and key business sectors.
To arrange a seminar for your group, department or division, contact TTIPM staff at 510-486-6467 or ttd@lbl.gov.
