Entrepreneurship in the hard tech space is not for the faint of heart. Milestones often take years to achieve. The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) is a steadfast partner in this journey, working with innovators to turn groundbreaking innovations into reality—no matter how long the commercialization runway. In May 2024, UTRF executed a license (read more)
UT Knoxville
UTRF’s Accelerate Fund Makes First Investment in UT Startup, Co-Investing with LaunchTN’s InvestTN Fund
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation’s Accelerate Fund made its first investment in Orion Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup developing next-generation RNA medicines using a novel drug delivery system. UTRF and Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) co-invested, both contributing $150,000 of pre seed investment. UTRF’s Accelerate Fund launched in 2023 and provides funding opportunities to help viable startups (read more)
UTRF Welcomes Three New Interns and One Returning Intern
To promote the commercialization of UT’s innovations and to help train the next generation of commercialization professionals, UTRF recently welcomed three new interns and one returning intern across its Knoxville and Memphis offices. In Knoxville, Andrea Gutierrez-Cortez and Lauren Williams, rising second-year law students at UT Knoxville, joined the team as Commercialization Analysts. Jacob Hale (read more)