Licensing and Spin-offs
Source: https://www.aucegypt.edu/research/technology-transfer/licensing-and-spinoffs Parent: https://www.aucegypt.edu/research/technology-transfer/about
The Licensing Process
It’s the Technology Transfer Office's (TTO) role to negotiate license agreements with companies seeking to commercialize The American University in Cairo's (AUC) inventions. A license agreement is a contract between AUC and a third party in which AUC’s rights to a technology are transferred to the licensee company (without relinquishing ownership) for financial and other benefits. License agreements are used with both new, spinoff businesses and established companies.
The majority of AUC’s technologies are early stage and require licensees with a strong commitment to the highly complex journey of the development and productization phases of commercialization.
The TTO’s main goal in any licensing agreement is to ensure that the licensee will:
- Developing the technology with public benefit is one of the main aspirations
- Comply with all AUC policies and regulations
- Provide reasonable financial return to AUC and the inventors if the technology is proven successful. Typically, part of the total value of AUC’s intellectual property is shared back to the University in the form of royalties on sales, upfront fees, maintenance fees, equity and development milestone payments.
All licensing negotiations are handled directly between the TTO and a non-inventor representative of the company in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
To start the licensing process, contact one of AUC’s technology licensing officers, or send an email to tto@aucegypt.edu.
You can also search our available technologies for licensing opportunities.
Spin-offs: Starting a Company
Sometimes an invention is best commercialized via the creation of a spinoff — a technology-based company formed to commercialize inventions made at the University and protected via intellectual property rights that are owned by AUC. Inventors may participate in these spinoff or startup companies in a variety of ways, and AUC’s TTO staff are available to discuss all aspects of forming a spinoff company with you.