Technology transfer requires a lot of time, money, and human capital to execute effectively. Organizations often times lack staff, budget, or specific expertise to handle the complex and diverse tasks involved in technology transfer, such as market research, intellectual property protection, licensing, partnership development, and technology development.

Services

Technology Assessment

• Create a Technology Assessment Form (TAF) to evaluate disclosed technologies on product concept viability, commercialization potential, and invention competitiveness

Portfolio Prioritization

• Identify high value inventions

• Classify technologies by commercial potential

Process Review/Implementation

• Review existing processes and corresponding documentation

• Identify gaps and improvements to optimize processes

Startup Formation and Management

• Facilitate the spin-off of technology/IP into a startup company

• Support leadership with pitch deck formation, funding opportunities, determining unmet need, potential indications, and target patient populations

Case Studies

High-Yield Inventors

Client Background:

An integrated Health System comprised of ~78,000 FTEs (6,500 physicians), caring for 1.5M  patients annually, and an annual research budget of nearly $2 billion.

While this client had an incredibly sophisticated innovation process and team, several inventors required ongoing project management well outside the scope of normal services and subject matter expertise. The ability to move quickly and decisively is critical to ensuring technologies don’t languish in the TTO pipeline, and this client needed assistance.

Wave Strategy’s Approach:

Wave was embedded in the client’s TTO to become familiar with culture, process, and portfolio. Following initial familiarization, Wave team partnered with select inventors to review development progress, IP filings, and provide strategic commercial guidance. Along with the TTO, Wave established relationships with industry/funding partners and acted as central negotiator for ongoing agreements.

Outcomes:

Wave successfully managed dozens of projects throughout the enterprise and successfully negotiated hundreds of agreements resulting in over $50 M in licensing fees and over a billion dollars in follow-on funding. The ongoing relationship with the inventors not only resulted in the translation of existing IP, but also the development of new cutting-edge technology.

Process best practices

Client Background:

World-class multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical care with research and education. Employing over 67,500 people, including over 17,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers and over 4,520 physicians and scientists in 140 specialties. This client has an established Technology Transfer Office that has shown many successes since its inception. 

With an annual yield of 300 invention disclosures, this TTO struggled to balance inventor satisfaction/responsiveness with commercial outcomes. Lack of transparency, communication, and policies had led to an overwhelming distrust amongst inventors; the client needed a neutral, outside party to clear pipeline logjam and repair internal relationships.

Wave Strategy’s Approach:

Wave established relationship with TTO and engaged the office using the following methodology:

1. Knowledge Transfer 2. Need Definition 3. Opportunity Exploration 4. Execution

Wave reviewed existing pipeline and made commercial recommendations for 250 technologies and implemented new expedient process to review technologies and communicate with inventors.  The team also worked with the client to develop a product development fund, return of rights policy, and inventor engagement plan.

Outcomes:

Client successfully reduced existing case load from 250 to 110 active cases. The new process resulted in an environment of “fast failure” for technologies and placed an emphasis on high-value opportunities. The inventor engagement plan resulted in an increased level of trust from inventors and overall participation from the enterprise.