News

MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub Supports Groundbreaking Electric Vehicle Battery Research

4/7/2025
Imagine a future where electric vehicles can travel more than 1,000 miles on a single charge. Making that vision a reality is what researchers Jeff Sakamoto, professor of materials at the University of California – Santa Barbara and visiting professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, and Neil...

Q&A With Maggie Swift – 2024 Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award Recipient

3/6/2025
For her positive attitude, willingness to help others and commitment to phenomenal customer service, Maggie Swift was named the 2024 recipient of the Innovation Partnerships’ Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award. The award is named for our late colleague, Jessica Soulliere, who was a trusted and valued member of Innovation Partnerships with an exceptional work ethic and commitment to service.

Q&A With Ashwathi Iyer – 2023 Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award Recipient

1/19/2024
For her commitment to her coworkers and inventors, her hard work and her enthusiasm, Ashwathi Iyer is the 2023 recipient of the Innovation Partnerships’ Jessica Soulliere Outstanding Service Award. The award is named for our late colleague, Jessica Soulliere, who was a trusted and valued member of Innovation Partnerships with...

Medical Device Startup Auricle Celebrates Licensing with Bell-Ringing Celebration

9/21/2023
Auricle, Inc. recently joined the Innovation Partnerships team to celebrate their licensing agreement with the University of Michigan by ringing the startup bell. The company’s co-founders, Susan Shore, Ph.D. (Auricle CSO, Professor Emerita—Otolaryngology, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering), David Martel, Ph.D. (Auricle VP of R&D), and Jon Pearson, CEO, were present...

Licensing of U-M Startup MONSTR Sense Celebrated with a “Monstrously” Exciting Bell Ringing Ceremony

8/23/2023
After many years of delay from the pandemic, on Wednesday, August 23, U-M startup MONSTR Sense was finally able to join Innovation Partnerships to celebrate their licensing agreement with the ringing of the startup bell. In addition to the Innovation Partnerships team, in attendance were Eric Martin, president and co-founder...

Michigan Translation Research and Commercialization Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation Hires New Commercialization Program Director

7/20/2023
Denise Graves comes with wealth of experience; poised to lead program.

MDI Therapeutics Celebrated Launch of Startup with Bell Ringing

6/22/2023
On Wednesday, June 13, 2023, MDI Therapeutics celebrated the launch of its status as a startup company with a bell ringing held at the Innovation Partnerships office. MDI Therapeutics was founded by Daniel Lawrence and other key members of the team—including MDI Therapeutics President & CEO Stephen Benoit, Corey Emal,...

Licensing of U-M Startup Pathways GI Celebrated with Bell Ringing Ceremony

6/7/2023
On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Innovation Partnerships hosted the team of University of Michigan (U-M) startup Pathways GI to celebrate their licensing agreement with the ringing of the startup bell. Co-founders Ryan Stidham and Kevin Wittrup were in attendance. On working with Innovation Partnerships, Kevin Wittrup stated: “Working with Innovation...

Licensing of h-Bar Instruments, a startup with roots at U-M and Harvard University, Celebrated with Bell Ringing Ceremony

5/26/2023
Innovation Partnerships celebrated the licensing of h-Bar Instruments on May 25, 2023, with the ringing of the startup bell. h-Bar’s CEO EmJ Rennich, as well as co-founders Robert Hovden and Ismail El Baggari were in attendance.  h-Bar Instruments is a tech company developing solutions for electron microscopy and atomic imaging...

Licensing of U-M Startup Arborsense Celebrated with Bell Ringing Ceremony

5/15/2023
After years of delay due to the pandemic, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Innovation Partnerships finally had the chance to celebrate the licensing of the biochemical startup Arborsense with the ringing of the startup bell. Arborsense was founded by Girish Kulkarni, Xudong Fan, Mark Ilgen and Zhaohui Zhong, and has...

U-M Startup Taza Aya Awarded $1M Grant from USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture

5/15/2023
Taza Aya, a new University of Michigan startup focused on non-thermal plasma devices for personal respiratory protection and preventing airborne spread of disease, has recently been awarded a $1 million grant from the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture. This grant comes in response to the USDA’s Meat and...

U-M Startup Decimal Code Celebrates Licensing with Bell Ringing Ceremony

5/3/2023
On May 2, 2023, Innovation Partnerships celebrated the licensing of University of Michigan (U-M) software startup Decimal Code with the ringing of the startup bell. Several of Decimal Code’s founders and key members were in attendance both in-person and virtually, including co-founder and chief executive officer Joey Panella, co-founder and...