Translating Research Into Ventures
The CRI’s Venture team supports Northeastern faculty founders at every stage of the spinout journey — from initial invention disclosure through company formation, build-out, and growth. Use this page to understand the pathway, explore available programs, and learn what it takes to join the Venture Community.
Explore Northeastern Technologies
Browse our portfolio of licensable technologies across life sciences, physical, software science — available for industry partnership or spinout development.
Meet Our Spinout Companies
Explore the growing community of Northeastern spinout companies bringing university innovations to market across deep tech sectors.
Founder Pathway — from lab to launch
Most spinouts follow a common set of milestones, but no two journeys look the same. CRI will meet you where you are.
Explore
For discoveries with commercial potential, the first steps are an invention disclosure and CRI’s Training Course. I-Corps can help validate market need early.
Form
This stage focuses on identifying a business lead, securing initial funding, and licensing IP. Non-dilutive funding support is available.
Build
The company is incorporated, securing space outside the lab, and executing against a commercial roadmap. This is where CRI’s Venture Support Programs are most active.
Scale
Key milestones at this stage include achieving commercial readiness and engaging professional capital. CRI connects companies to investors and ecosystem partners.
CRI’s Venture Community
CRI’s Venture Support Programs are designed for spinout companies that have reached a meaningful stage of commercial readiness. If you’re not quite there yet, the Resource Center has what you need to get started.
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Company formation
- Incorporated as a company
- Licensed or optioned IP from Northeastern
- Completed CRI’s Training Course
- Submitted preliminary company materials: commercial readiness, business plan, and go-to-market strategy
Team & leadership
- Dedicated business lead, or PI is prepared to serve in that role
- If PI is the business lead, at least one external entrepreneurial advisor is actively engaged
- Founders have leveraged internal and/or external mentorship networks
Technology & commercial readiness
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 3 and 5, ready to be brought to market with proper backing through a corporate partnership or professional capital
- Space outside of the Northeastern lab secured or nearly secured
Funding & milestones
- Commercialization–oriented funding secured or nearly secured — dilutive or non–dilutive
- Clear plan for company and commercialization milestones in the next 6–9 months
Venture Support Programs
CRI works directly alongside you — pairing you with advisors and providing partial subsidies for key costs to help you build the fundamentals of a company.
BUILD SPACE SUPPORT
Subsidized access to lab and operational space for spinouts transitioning from Northeastern labs.
CRI TRAINING COURSE
A self-paced training series exploring how CRI supports university research on its path to real-world innovation.
DESIGN CONSULTANCY
Subsidized access to designers for websites, pitch decks, and marketing materials.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONSULTANTS
Experienced business advisors paired with your team from concept to commercialization.
EVENT ATTENDANCE
Subsidized registration fees to attend events for connecting with investors and strategic partners.
GRANT WRITING SUPPORT
Hands-on support to identify and pursue non-dilutive funding opportunities.
PITCH PREPARATION
Practice sessions, mock pitch events, and subsidized access to pitch creation platforms.
SPINOUT CO-OP SUPPORT
Offset co-op hiring costs with partial reimbursement from CRI.
Resource Center
The CRI’s Venture Support Program monitors new companies launching from Northeastern University labs with university intellectual property. Early-stage startups require significant resources to build their businesses. The CRI encourages founders to leverage entrepreneurial resources available at Northeastern and beyond, while also supporting supplemental programs designed to bring concepts closer to commercialization readiness.
Available Tech
Calendar
Compliance
CRI Training
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
I-Corps
Resources
Spinout Company Directory
Join CRI’s venture community
To join our Venture Community, Faculty founders must demonstrate a desire to spinout by submitting an invention disclosure describing the technology driving new company creation and preliminary company materials outlining technology readiness level, commercial readiness level, and go to market strategy.
Reach out to the CRI Venture Team at [email protected] to start the
conversation.
Interested In Becoming An Entrepreneurship Consultant?
Entrepreneurship Consultants (EC) program provide business development guidance and councel to Northeastern spinout companies from concept to commercialization