University of Arizona Has Record Number of Inventions in 2024

By Paul Tumarkin, Tech Launch Arizona

Tech Launch Arizona, the University of Arizona office that commercializes inventions stemming from university research and innovation, saw a record number of inventions during the 2024 fiscal year. 

Between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, TLA received 307 new inventions, up from 298 in fiscal year 2023 and 303 in fiscal year 2022. The office also launched nine startups; executed 75 licenses and options for U of A inventions; filed 367 patents; and had 78 patents issued. 

“We’re most excited about the number of invention disclosures we received this year,” said Doug Hockstad, associate vice president of Tech Launch Arizona. “This represents a new record for the university, shows continued growth and means that our pipeline is strong.” 

One of the centerpieces of the TLA plan to increase commercialization activity is its Faculty Innovation Ambassadors program. In eight U of A colleges that have active research pipelines that regularly yield large numbers of inventions, TLA engaged a leading faculty member with experience in commercialization. These faculty members serve as sources of information about inventions, licensing and startups for their colleagues and students. TLA has planned a series of events in the fall to introduce the innovation ambassadors to their college communities. 

Fiscal year 2024 also saw continued success in the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps, or NSF I-Corps, which helps increase the impact of federally funded research by preparing academic inventors to move their innovations from the lab to the marketplace. Twenty-seven U of A teams went through the program, which is administered through the Desert and Pacific Region I-Corps Hub, and TLA leaders hope to surpass that number in 2025. 

“This year also saw our first-ever I-Corps cohort dedicated to social innovation,” Hockstad said. “We had 10 teams from three institutions in two states participate, and it was verification that impactful innovation can come from even the most unexpected work; it’s not just the traditional fields like physical and life sciences anymore.”

The term social innovation refers to research and projects directed at solving significant social challenges, such as poverty or issues related to health care, education and sustainability. 

To further increase opportunities for U of A startups, TLA also launched its Wildcat Philanthropic Seed Fund in the 2024 fiscal year. With $1.5 million already raised and another $500,000 in matching funds available, the early-stage seed fund will help U of A startups get through the so-called “valley of death” – the period of time in which startups face the greatest risk of failure due to lack of early-stage financial resources. Fundraising is ongoing, and while the ultimate goal is to grow the fund to $5 million, it will be able to begin making investments when it reaches $2 million. 

Students will be involved in the fund’s operations, giving them the opportunity to engage with startups and participate in funding decisions. Student startups will also be eligible for funding, in addition to faculty and staff startups. 

“The timing couldn’t be better,” said Hockstad. “As we expand our scope of services for students, the fund will be yet one more way we can provide students with first-hand experience of entrepreneurship and investment.”

Flood plains, frailty and fish diseases

In fiscal year 2024, TLA helped launch nine startups to commercialize U of A inventions, up from seven the previous year. 

• Ancerix is commercializing medical devices for orthopedic surgical procedures, invented by Dr. Daniel Latt, associate professor in the College of Medicine – Tucson and the College of Engineering, and a multidisciplinary team of inventors who are pursuing degrees or graduated from the U of A, including: Emilio Araiza, an aerospace and mechanical engineering major; biomedical engineering alumni Carlos Urea-De La Puerta and Erick De Leon; and systems engineering alumni Carolina Gomez Llanos and Eva Richter.
• Rivixl is developing low-cost green hydrogen production technology, invented by professor Dennis Lichtenberger, professor emeritus Richard Glass, professor Jeffrey Pyun and researcher Addison Coen, all of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; chemistry alumni William Brezinski, Kayla Clary and Metin Karayilan; Arthur Gibson, chemistry graduate student researcher and Ph.D. candidate; and Mary Salyards, instructional laboratories manager in the Department of Organic Chemistry.
• iSeniCare is producing a frailty assessment tool for non-ambulatory patients, invented by faculty in the College of Medicine – Tucson and the College of Engineering, including professor of surgery Bijan Najafi, professor of medicine Martha Jane Mohler, and Nima Toosizadeh, a former U of A assistant professor of medicine who is now an associate professor a Rutgers University.
• Vanport Technologies Inc. is commercializing a flood plain mapping technology to help communities predict and respond to flooding more effectively. The technology was invented by College of Engineering professor Jennifer Duan. 
• CulturaSTEM Learning is developing culturally responsive and relevant teaching tools for educators, created by College of Education assistant dean of research Sara Chavarria, deputy director of the Arizona Astrobiology Center Corey Knox, and Alba Proras Hoyos, project coordinator with the College of Education. 
• OD Infinite is developing mixed-reality safety eyewear for high-powered laser environments, invented by postdoctoral scholar Hyeonwoo Lee, research assistant Mohamed Sennary, and postdoctoral scholar Jalil Shah, all with the Wyant College of Optical Sciences and the College of Science.
• AQVac is commercializing an orally-delivered viral vector platform to address finfish and crustacean diseases, invented by Arun Dhar, an associate professor in  the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, and Thomas Allnutt, chief science officer at the biotechnology company NuLode. 
• Hypknowledge is developing applications for sleep assessment and tracking, invented by assistant professor Michael Grandner of the College of Medicine – Tucson.
• Agenevo Pharma Inc. is developing small molecules to inhibit the formation of proteins linked to various neurodegenerative diseases, a technology invented by professor Xinlong Wang of the College of Pharmacy. 

Widening the scope of commercialization, entrepreneurship

In addition to continuing to serve university faculty, researchers and staff, TLA is expanding its scope to include a Student Ventures group. This new team will focus on student entrepreneurship by integrating into TLA student-focused services, programs and staff that were formerly part of Arizona FORGE, a university program designed to cultivate entrepreneurship among students. 

“We are also rebooting our Commercialization Network and Venture Mentoring Services programs this fall,” said Hockstad, “so it’s going to be an exciting time for people to engage with our teams and explore the pathways that might be open to expand the impact of their work, no matter what their innovations are or where they come from in the U of A academic pantheon.”

More results from FY2024 and plans for FY2025 will be available in the TLA annual report, to be released in the fall. 

Pictured above – Arun Dhar, an associate professor in  the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, is one of the inventors of a technology solution for addressing diseases in fish and crustaceans, commercialized by the startup AQVac. Photo by Paul Tumarkin/Tech Launch Arizona