About

The Innovation Hub accelerates the movement of innovations from labs, classrooms and clinics to the marketplace by connecting entrepreneurs to resources. These connections provide critical benefits across the entrepreneurial ecosystem. With the Hub’s support, businesses connect with research. Researchers connect with industry and funding partners. Students connect with opportunities for growth.

The Hub is run by UB’s Business and Entrepreneur Partnership (BEP) office, which is a division of the Office of Research and Economic Development. The BEP team is working to create a seamless and nurturing entrepreneurial ecosystem in WNY through technology licensing, incubation facilities and programs, educational workshops, mentoring, seed grant funding and investment pitch opportunities.

In 2017, UB was awarded a $32 million NYS grant dedicated to accelerating the growth of startups from innovations at UB and its partners across technology sectors in WNY through a new Innovation Hub initiative.

This award marks the state’s second Buffalo Billion investment dedicated to building Buffalo’s entrepreneur ecosystem. Through it, Empire State Development is partnering with UB, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Jacobs Institute, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute and Kaleida Health to help commercialize technologies generated through their work.

The Hub is focused on moving ideas from the lab, clinic and classroom to the market through new startups. There are three primary components:

  • Entrepreneurial programming, outreach and expertise support
  • Funds: Proof of Concept/very early stage and Pre-seed/Equity Investment
  • Incubator at the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences on the downtown campus to house spinout businesses

The research and work being done through UB and its partners will help solve current and future problems leading to wide-ranging positive local, national and global impact. The Innovation Hub’s efforts will also bolster Buffalo’s reputation as one of the country’s most entrepreneurial cities.