Lab-to-Launch

Lab-to-Launch

Funds Virginia startups licensing university innovations for commercialization planning and launch.

Lab-to-Launch is a commercialization grant programme administered by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) that awards up to $50,000 to startups licensing intellectual property from one of Virginia's six R1 research universities through the Virginia Fast-Track License process. VIPC is the operating nonprofit of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority and serves as the state's primary technology commercialization vehicle. The six eligible universities are the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and the College of William and Mary.

The Virginia Fast-Track License, which is a prerequisite for the grant, compresses the typical IP licensing timeline from 9–12 months to just 30–60 days and eliminates upfront and annual license fees, materially reducing the barrier to university technology commercialization. Applicants must use the online portal at vipc.fillout.com/lab-to-launch and submit an application worksheet and budget template. The programme runs on a rolling basis year-round with no published cycle deadlines. Eligible companies are for-profit startups based in Virginia, and universities themselves are not eligible applicants.

The Lab-to-Launch grant is best deployed to fund the initial commercialization work — prototype development, market validation, or early customer acquisition — immediately following Fast-Track License execution. Applicants should contact Doug Buerkle (doug.buerkle@virginiaipc.org) before applying to confirm eligibility and align the budget template with VIPC's expectations. Because the programme also connects recipients with VIPC's Entrepreneur-in-Residence network and investor connections, the $50,000 grant functions as an entry point into VIPC's broader commercialization support ecosystem.