Ignite Cornell Lab to Market
Internal — Cornell University only
Ignite Cornell Lab to Market supports research labs, entrepreneurial scientists and engineers, and Cornell-affiliated startups in developing proof of concept to advance technologies toward commercialization.
This grant was recently updated
The Innovation Acceleration application deadline has been extended from November 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET to November 9, 2026, at noon ET.
Funder: Cornell University
Due Dates: November 9, 2026, noon ET (Innovation Acceleration) | December 10, 2026 (Recorded presentation) | February 19, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET (Fellow for New Ventures) | Rolling (Startup Projects)
Funding Amounts: Innovation Acceleration: up to $50,000 for 12 months | Fellow for New Ventures: approximately $120,000/year | Startup Projects: up to $75,000 for 12 months
Summary: Gap funding helps Cornell innovations achieve proof of concept and advance toward licensing, venture formation, investment, or industry partnerships.
Key Information: Eligibility is program-specific; Startup Projects funding uses a non-negotiable SAFE note, and fellowship support becomes SAFE-note principal.
Description
Ignite Cornell Lab to Market is a gap-funding series managed by Cornell’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL), the university’s technology transfer office. It supports promising Cornell technologies with strong commercial potential that are too early for licensing or investment. Projects aim to validate innovations, reduce risk, and produce clear proof-of-concept results that justify further development by investors and corporate partners.
The series has three signature programs. Innovation Acceleration provides grants to research labs advancing inventions toward commercialization. Fellow for New Ventures pairs entrepreneurial scientists and engineers with faculty inventors to develop Cornell technologies and launch companies. Startup Projects funds early-stage Cornell-affiliated companies working toward proof of concept and an inflection point for institutional investment or corporate partnerships.
