Technology Opportunities & Ventures
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NYU Innovators' Dinner
NYU hosted its inaugural Innovators’ Dinner on Thursday, November 21 to recognize and encourage the commercialization of groundbreaking ideas developed through NYU research.
Hosted by NYU’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research along with Technology Opportunities & Ventures (TOV), the evening brought together leading university innovators and entrepreneurs, and members of the NYU community who support research translation. Together, they recognized the successful commercialization activity of 2024 from NYU’s campuses in Washington Square, Brooklyn, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, which led to a record number of new innovation disclosures, licenses, and new startups based on NYU ideas.
The event was held at the Kimmel Center in the Rosenthal Pavilion, beginning with a cocktail hour featuring passed hors d’oeuvres and live jazz music performed by talented NYU musicians, followed by a celebratory dinner. Dr. Stacie Bloom, NYU’s chief research officer, vice chancellor, and vice provost for global research & innovation, gave the opening remarks, which were followed by a brief presentation from Marc Sedam, vice president of Technology Opportunities & Ventures. Sedam outlined NYU’s successful commercialization activity and notable achievements throughout the past fiscal year and led the ceremony honoring 2024 contributors, including first-time “disclosers” of innovations, innovators of licensed technology, and innovators on issued US patents. A highlight of the evening was the announcement and presentation of key university awards: the Innovator of the Year, the Startup to Watch, and the Deal of the Year.
This prestigious award celebrates exceptional NYU innovators making groundbreaking contributions in their fields and to society. Dr. Bhubaneswar Mishra was named the inaugural Innovator of the Year for his outstanding achievements in innovation and the commercialization of technology.
Mishra stands out as a prolific inventor and entrepreneur with a career spanning more than three decades. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and holds 37 US patents in fields ranging from robotics and cybersecurity to biotechnology, genome mapping, cancer biology, and more.
Mishra’s groundbreaking inventions have not only been widely licensed but have also made a profound impact on society. His innovations have led to over a dozen licensing agreements and the founding of 12 related startups. These ventures have brought cutting-edge products to market, such as Guardant360, which has revolutionized fields like microbial strain typing—enabling the differentiation of bacterial strains—and genomic cancer testing, offering advanced diagnostic solutions.
Throughout his nearly 40 years at NYU, Mishra has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to innovation and commercialization, successfully bridging the divide between academic research and real-world applications and showing that the commercialization of science can be an integral component of a career in university research.
© Hollenshead: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau
The NYU Deal of the Year award was created to recognize exceptional innovation combined with successful technology transfer and investment in technology adoption.
NYU presented this inaugural award to Prescient Design, based on the pioneering work of Dr. Kyunghyun Cho and Dr. Richard Bonneau and the resulting license agreement.
Cho and Bonneau founded their startup Prescient Design in early 2021. They developed a unique program known as the manifold sampler, which enables guided changes to a protein sequence, saving time when designing proteins and antibodies. Within a few months of launch, the startup was acquired by the large Biotech company Genentech. The Prescient Design team joined Genentech in August 2021 as a new department, giving them the autonomy to continue to build their team and develop their technology, while integrating their expertise in machine learning into Genentech’s existing research and drug development
This agreement is one of NYU’s most significant licenses in recent years, bringing tremendous value to the University and Genentech. More importantly, the rapid commercialization and use of the manifold sampler enables accelerated development of medicines to get important new treatments to patients faster.
© Hollenshead: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau
The NYU Startup to Watch award was created to recognize one high-potential NYU startup launched during the past fiscal year. NYU startup Heliotrope Photonics was selected as the inaugural NYU Startup to Watch award winner.
Heliotrope founders Dr. Minh Tran (Tandon, ’23) and Conrad Caviezel (Stern, ’24) are developing a light-shifting thin film for solar glass that increases solar panel efficiency by up to 15%. This innovation converts UV and blue light into near-infrared (NIR) light, reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing panel value.
Heliotrope is a great example of how NYU startup founders can leverage the commercialization and entrepreneurial resources available through the greater university community to build a strong company with a bright future. Tran and Caviezel worked closely with TOV to secure strong intellectual property rights on the innovation and license the intellectual property from NYU. In preparation for launch, the team utilized the Entrepreneurial Institute’s Leslie eLab and engaged in many of the entrepreneurship and commercialization programs and challenges offered across the institution. The founders also participated in the Venture for Climate Tech accelerator program, and they were a part of the NSF I-Corps National Teams program’s fall 2023 cohort. The founders are now seeking investors to fund prototype development and testing.
Heliotrope has a promising commercial future and is a prime example of how NYU-developed technology can address global challenges. By making solar panels more efficient and affordable, Heliotrope’s technology could significantly impact the industry and contribute to combating climate change.
© Hollenshead: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau
NYU has become a hub for research translation and commercialization thanks to a commitment to fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem. The NYU Innovators Dinner reflects that commitment and honors the University’s dedication to maximizing the impact of its research.
“NYU research has been on an unprecedented trajectory rising to 12th in the country and first in New York State,” says Bloom. “As we look ahead, our vision remains ambitious: to position NYU as a global leader in discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This means translating knowledge to impact, championing creativity, and building collaborations that bring groundbreaking ideas to life. The people and the awards we celebrated at the dinner are a testament to the power of curiosity, talent, and perseverance.”
“The Innovators Dinner was a unique opportunity for NYU to showcase and celebrate the University’s achievements while setting the stage for future goals and objectives,” says Sedam. “This recognition and celebration of our innovators underscores NYU’s commitment to fostering an environment that maximizes the impact of its cutting-edge research by supporting and encouraging research translation, moving innovations from the University to the world to improve lives and drive economic growth.”
NYU is already planning for next year’s dinner and looks forward to celebrating the innovations and commercialization accomplishments of FY 2025.
Are you an NYU innovator with a big idea? Check out TOV’s website to learn more about innovation disclosure and how TOV can help you reach your commercialization goals.
© Hollenshead: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau