License to Industry
In a licensing arrangement, UVM retains ownership of the intellectual property while granting a company the right to use, develop, and sell products based on your invention. In return, you and UVM receive royalties and fees over the life of the license.
This is the most common technology transfer outcome and works especially well when the technology requires large capital investment to develop — investment that industry is better positioned to provide than an academic lab.
How licensing works at UVM
- You submit an Invention Disclosure — UVM Innovations evaluates commercial potential
- UVM files for patent protection (provisional or full)
- UVM markets the technology to potential licensees via its technology marketplace
- A licensing agreement is negotiated — terms include royalty rate, exclusivity, and field of use
- The licensee develops and commercializes the product
- Royalties flow back to UVM and are shared with inventors per policy
Types of licenses
One company gets sole rights. Common in pharma and med-tech where development costs are massive and a single player needs assurance of return before investing.
Multiple companies can license the same technology. Better for broadly useful tools, software, or enabling technologies where broad adoption creates more societal value.
Exclusive rights in a defined sector or region (e.g., veterinary applications only, or North America only), leaving other fields or territories available for separate deals.
What to expect financially
- Upfront license fee (often modest for early-stage tech)
- Milestone payments tied to development achievements
- Royalties as a percentage of net sales (typically 1–5% in academic deals)
- UVM's IP policy defines the inventor's share of net royalty revenue
