Startups at Rice University
Take the first step.
Launching a startup can be an exciting and fulfilling endeavor. Rice’s Office of Technology Transfer would like to assist your startup with licensing and commercialization of Rice University technologies and IP. If you are a Rice researcher, student or faculty member interested in entrepreneurship and forming a startup around Rice technologies please continue reading to learn more.
Resources for Entrepreneurs and Startups
Rice Resources
Rice Alliance
Nestled within Rice Business and supported by a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, the Rice Alliance fosters innovation and commercialization of new technologies in Houston and beyond. With a commitment to fostering an open and supportive ecosystem, the Rice Alliance welcomes individuals from all backgrounds to join their mission of nurturing startups and advancing global progress. Whether you're a visionary with a groundbreaking idea, a startup in need of support for Series-B funding, an investor seeking promising ventures, or an advocate for the entrepreneurial community, the alliance offers a diverse range of programs tailored to entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. Some notable programs include:
IdeaLaunch is a free virtual startup bootcamp for diverse entrepreneurial minds, fostering problem-solving and idea transformation into potential businesses. The program assists teams in evaluating their ideas, research, or innovations for market fit.
NSF I-Corps aims to help identify, develop, and support valuable and impactful ideas. Activities include gathering, analyzing, and utilizing data, and sharing innovation best practices to promote innovation on a national scale. Programs also focus on commercially evaluating academic research and innovation, preparing teams for the National NSF I-Corps™ Program.
OwlSpark offers hands-on entrepreneurship experiences and a roadmap from innovation to commercialization for students, faculty, staff, and recent alumni. It creates a collaborative environment through partnerships with the University of Houston and community organizations, fostering a network of determined and passionate entrepreneurs. The 12-week accelerator program provides a platform for technology startups to connect, collaborate, and launch, contributing to the development of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Rice Business Plan Competition is a premier platform for collegiate entrepreneurs to gain real-world experience in pitching startups, refining business strategies, and mastering the essentials of launching successful companies. Organized by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and Rice Business, this globally recognized event has grown significantly since its inception in 2001, with 42 teams now competing for over $1 million in cash and prizes. The competition offers student founders mentorship, networking opportunities with investors, and a platform to advance their ventures. Beyond the substantial prizes, the heart of the competition lies in the invaluable mentoring from investors and experienced entrepreneurs, providing participants with personalized feedback and guidance. Throughout the event, startups engage with potential VCs, investors, and seasoned judges, fostering crucial connections and insights vital for the growth of their ventures.
The Rice Biotech Launch Pad serves as a crucial link between groundbreaking laboratory research and its practical application in clinical settings. With a mission to accelerate the translation of Rice University's discoveries into clinical practice, the Launch Pad aims to expedite the journey of innovative ideas from bench to bedside. By fostering collaboration among researchers, healthcare professionals, and industry leaders, the Launch Pad seeks to revolutionize the way cutting-edge research impacts healthcare worldwide.
LILIE
The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) aims to equip Rice students with entrepreneurial skills and mindsets applicable across various industries, from technology startups to non-profits. Offering experiential courses, co-curricular opportunities, state-of-the-art lab spaces, and resources for student learning, Lilie fosters a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem at Rice. The lab provides personalized mentorship, equity-free funding, collaborative co-working spaces, and programming that spans curricular and co-curricular domains. Through its regional hubs and diverse programming, Lilie endeavors to cultivate the next generation of leaders poised to make an impact in Houston and beyond.
The Ion
The Ion acts as a collaborative center where corporate innovators, academic partners, startups, and entrepreneurs unite to tackle global challenges and cultivate a transformative environment that improves Houston's overall quality of life. With a focus on bridging ideas with actionable plans, the Ion offers support through cutting-edge facilities such as a prototyping lab, investor studio, and accelerator hub, tailored to foster collaboration and growth across various industries and skill levels.
Office of Innovation
The Office of Innovation at Rice University is committed to fostering creativity and collaboration through academic excellence and collaboration. They aim to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among their community to address modern challenges and drive economic growth. By providing support and programming for faculty, students, alumni, and the wider community, they seek to transfer knowledge and technology for the betterment of society. They currently offer the One Small Step Grant to provide financial support and guidance to projects with commercial potential, aiming to bridge the gap between innovative ideas and successful implementation. Some notable programs include:
The One small step offers support to facilitate experiments that can lead to groundbreaking startups or the licensing of breakthrough technology. The grant aims to provide gap funding to faculty members working on promising projects with commercial potential, particularly those within 12-18 months of forming a spin-out or embarking on a licensing event. The program is flexible, with submissions accepted twice a year in March and September. It offers up to five awards annually, each providing financial support of up to $100,000. If you're prepared to embark on the journey of changing the world, this grant could be your first small step.
The Gulf Coast Consortium Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (GCC-REACH) is an NIH funded multi-institutional resource wherein nascent academic entrepreneurs work closely with successful life science experts and experienced biotech executives to develop strategic milestones to rapidly validate the commercial value of their discoveries. Entrepreneurs who balance full-time clinical, teaching, and laboratory duties will be paired with Entrepreneurs in Residence and expert teams who provide mentorship and assistance in completing, market analysis, business plans, and technology development strategies. The GCC-REACH assists entrepreneurs in strategic planning for management and operations and provides vetted resources and seed funds to achieve value-added commercialization inflection points.
External Incubators and Excelerators
Entrepreneur Community Building
Entrepreneurs are encouraged to contact a licensing associate. For more information about startups, licensing and commercialization or other general questions please contact our office at techtran@rice.edu.
Startups Launched and Supported
