Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc.
iBridgeSM Network
- Conference
- DEMO 07
- Market Segment
- Enabling technology
- Funding Details
- Seed round: Grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, $1.5 million. Seeking further development capital.
- Competitors
- No direct competitors. Secondary competitors include UTEK, BirchBob and individual university Websites.
- Product Description
- Finding the missing link just got easier. The iBridgeSM Network, a non-profit entity, provides the transparency and access to university- developed innovations that will lead to further advances and next-generation products. The iBridgeSM Network aggregates research materials, technologies and discoveries into an online, easy-to-search forum. Through the iBridge Website, researchers and commercial end-users can find what they need by using community tagging and open interfaces—and then obtain the materials via e-commerce.
- Market Opportunity
- According to the Association of University Technology Managers, over $40 billion is spent on academic research annually, though only $1 billion makes it off of university shelves in the form of new inventions and research. Even a modest improvement in accessibility and transparency will yield huge social and economic returns.
- DEMO Says
- No matter how great an invention or discovery, it has little value if it can’t find its way to market. Unfortunately, there are many hurdles on the road from university R&D to commercialization, not the least of which is basic awareness of new IP. The iBridgeSM Network is a much-needed open marketplace of ideas that will do much to accelerate entrepreneurship around new discoveries.
- Contact
- Laura Paglione
- lpaglione@kauffman.org
- Company Address
-
4801 Rockhill Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64110 - Primary Phone
- 816-932-1269
- Primary Fax
- 816-932-1430
- URL
- www.iBridgeNetwork.org
- Corporate Officers
- Lesa Mitchell, Founder and Laura Paglione, Executive Director and John Tyler, Chairman and Carl Gulbrandsen, Vice Chairman