What it is

The UVA Licensing & Ventures Group (LVG) works with University of Virginia faculty, researchers and investors to move discoveries made at UVA into the market. It handles invention disclosures and the licensing of UVA technologies, and it helps form and fund companies built on that research. LVG is based at 722 Preston Avenue, Suite 107, in Charlottesville.

What it offers founders

LVG's startup support centers on three offerings. The LVG Seed Fund is a $10 million fund that invests in new ventures emerging from UVA research, usually alongside other investors. A second fund, LVG Seed Fund II, launched in 2022 with the same parameters. The Enterprise Studio, run jointly with UVA Innovates, is a free service that helps faculty and graduate student researchers assess commercial potential and possible paths, whether a revenue-based business, a venture-backed company or a nonprofit social impact startup. The UVA LVG I-Corps program is an immersive program that trains university researchers to test whether their technologies have a market.

LVG also maintains a portfolio of companies formed from UVA research. Its ventures page says more than 50 active companies are advancing UVA discoveries, with examples including Adial Pharmaceuticals, Advaray and AgroSpheres.

Who it is for

LVG serves the UVA community. Seed Fund eligibility covers companies founded to commercialize UVA intellectual property, companies founded by current UVA faculty, staff, students and iLab companies, and in certain cases alumni-founded companies. The Enterprise Studio serves faculty, research staff and graduate student researchers across every school at UVA. Founders outside UVA can engage by licensing a UVA technology.

How to engage or apply

  • Seed Fund: apply through the online application linked on the fund page with a deck covering the problem, market and competition, your technology and how it compares, financial model and milestones, team, and how much funding you need and how you will use it. Decisions can take up to nine months.
  • Enterprise Studio: there is no formal application. Start with a conversation through LVG.
  • I-Corps: fill out the interest form on the program page or email icorps@virginia.edu.
  • General inquiries: lvg@virginia.edu or (434) 924-2175, or submit an engagement request form.

Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem

LVG is the formal route at UVA for turning that research into licensed technologies and startups. For a founder connected to UVA, LVG is the first stop for IP questions, early validation through I-Corps, and potential seed capital. For outside founders and investors, it is the point of contact for licensing UVA technologies.