In the 10 years of its existence, Tech Launch Arizona (TLA) – the office of the University of Arizona that creates impact by commercializing inventions arising from research and innovation – has worked with hundreds of inventors and over 2,500 inventions.

TLA has a number of resources it brings to bear to move great innovations forward, such as market research, intellectual property protection, startup support and mentoring for inventors and startup teams. One of the most valuable is TLA’s Asset Development program.

$1.5 Million in Available Funds for Researchers and Students

TLA's Asset Development (AD) Program provides funding for projects designed to answer key questions about inventions and prepare them for a company to adopt them into their product pipeline.

Such questions may be: Is there a prototype so a company can see it in action? Is there a feasibility study that proves it can be done? Can the invention be produced and function at scale?

AD funding can be applied to answer these questions and many more, but the goal is always to further validate or advance the innovation to reduce risk and make it attractive for the marketplace.

AD project grant amounts vary and can be as small as just a few thousand dollars and range upward to $50,000 or more. Funding decisions are made expeditiously, and funds can be made available within weeks of acceptance of the application, which makes them a very useful tool for UArizona researchers.

Applying for AD Funds

To apply for AD funding, applicants start by having a conversation with a TLA expert licensing manager. Working with that team member – who also has expertise in the industry, licensing and intellectual property – applicants collaborate to formulate and submit an Asset Development proposal for evaluation.