New Partnership Aims to Help Faculty Research

The University of Denver is partnering with Japanese venture capital firm FVC Americas. The partnership is an opportunity for the University and its researchers who are eager to identify new ways to bring products to market.

FVC Americas (FVCA) will work with researchers and entrepreneurs from various areas including the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science and Project X-ITE. Details surrounding FVCA’s investment will be determined at a later date and will be project specific.

The University of Denver is thrilled for the opportunity to work with FVCA on upcoming projects. “FVCA’s interest in developing a partnership with DU to accelerate and advance the commercial viability of our faculty innovations is transformational in how the University thinks about marketing and promoting intellectual property,“ said Corinne Lengsfeld, associate provost for research. “Regardless of the final outcomes, we have made an important change in the culture at DU.”

Denichiro “Denny” Otsuga, president and CEO of FVCA and other executives from his team, will be on campus Friday, March 3, 2017 for a showcase featuring a variety of DU faculty members and their research. There will be presentations from startups at the University – Dream Face Technologies and Elephant Learning, as well as from researchers looking at analytical and atmospheric chemistry, unmanned systems and orthopedic biomechanics.

“The partnership with the University of Denver is the first official relationship FVCA is entering with a U.S. university,“ said Otsuga. “We are eager to pursue the opportunities that are ahead of us and look forward to collaborating on various upcoming projects.”

Erik Mitisek, executive director for Project X-ITE, will also be joining Otsuga in Fort Collins earlier in the week for Fort Collins Startup Week. Mitisek, who is also the cofounder of Denver Startup week, has played a key role in the partnership with FVCA. His expertise and relationships with the business and entrepreneurial world have been vital in helping to connect innovation, technology and entrepreneurship – ultimately, bridging the academy to the public sector.