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Quarter in Review | October - December 2024
Spotlight on
Technology
Brown Interaction Capture System (BRICS)
Srinath Sridhar, an assistant professor of computer science, has a published patent application for Brown Interaction Capture System (BRICS), a spatial AI technology that realistically captures 3D and 4D spatiotemporal audiovisual representations of objects, hands, and hand–object interactions. The modular and wireless multi-camera platform can be used to create physically intelligent AI systems and faciliate research on the digitization of human physical intelligence, animal behavior, and the physical world.
For investors, entrepreneurs, and companies interested in seeing other Brown technologies, click here.
Startups
Adept Materials
Adept Materials, an advanced materials startup spun out of the lab of physics professor Derek Stein, closed a $4.6M seed round in August. The round was led by DR Horton and Pulte Group, two of America's largest homebuilders, and included Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and Point Cove LLC. The funds will support and accelerate Adept's first product launch, an advanced paint and primer system that incorporates the company's proprietary building moisture control technology, which provides directional vapor control, regulates humidity by storing or releasing excess moisture, and manages temperature by storing and releasing heat.
Phinyx AI
Phinyx AI, a generative AI startup spun out of the lab of applied mathematics professor George Karniadakis, develops powerful physics-informed machine learning and simulation tools accessible to all engineers. Phinyx AI closed its pre-seed round in 2024. The company is gaining early traction in the semiconductor and automotive industries, signing a large US semiconductor manufacturer and a leading Formula 1 team as its first two customers. Additionally, Phinyx AI was awarded a large Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract.
XM Therapeutics
XM Therapeutics, a startup co-founded by pathology and laboratory medicine professor Jeff Morgan, develops therapeutics for scarring. The startup received a $75,000 Innovation Voucher from the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to collaborate with Dr. Ruhul Abid and Dr. Frank Sellke of Rhode Island Hospital on the testing of its novel class of therapeutic that can mitigate scarring and promote regeneration of heart tissue after heart attack. Results from a preclinical trial of the company’s lab-grown extracellular matrix (ECM) particles were published in the February 2025 issue of the American Journal of Physiology–Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Contact our office if you want to learn more about our startups.
Research
Point 225 Lab Showcase
BTI partnered with Wexford Science + Technology and the 195 District in downtown Providence for the Point 225 Lab Showcase, featuring researchers from Brown's Center on the Biology of Aging and the Brown RNA Center—Drs. John Sedivy, Shobha Vasudevan, and Theresa Raimondo. The Point 225 building is located at 225 Dyer Street, near Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine, and the site of Brown’s planned integrated life sciences building. Point 225 opened its new sixth-floor life sciences wet lab space last spring.
Contact our office if you want to learn more about the important research going on at Brown.
Quarter in Review
Corporate engagement and industry relationships have become increasingly important within Brown’s research enterprise. This was especially evident last quarter, when we executed seven new sponsored research agreements with companies that are industry leaders in healthcare, life sciences, technology, and energy. Their interest in partnering with Brown reflects the quality and reputation of our faculty’s research.
We’ll maintain this momentum in the new year, with significant activity at the JP Morgan Healthcare conference and with the RI Life Science Hub. The third Innovation@Brown Showcase—southern New England’s premier event for investors and startups—will take place on September 25, 2025, at CIC Providence, located at 225 Dyer Street. This Showcase is a key event during Rhode Island Startup Week, which runs from September 19–26. Be sure to check out this video of the 2024 event.
All of these initiatives align with the university’s strategic plan to invest in its research enterprise and enhance the impact of faculty innovation and discovery.
BTI Second Quarter Numbers for FY25
Put Brown Technology First Disclosures FY25 | 20FY24 | 21 |
Amplify Networking Confidentiality Agreements FY25 | 19FY24 | 16 |
Steward Brown Inventions Patents Issued FY25 | 4FY24 | 6 |
Streamline Deal Execution Options + Licenses FY25 | 2FY24 | 4 |
Streamline Deal Execution Sponsored research agreements FY25 | 7FY24 | 4 |
Brown Technology in the News
RILSH Announces $20M in New Grant FundingThe RI Life Science Hub has made $20M in new grant funding available to foster innovation, attract new businesses, and support early-stage companies in RI. Application information and eligibility requirements will be available in November at https://www.rilifescience.com. |
NSF Expands the Innovation Network The NSF has named three new I-Corps Hubs, expanding the National Innovation Network. Brown is one of eight universities in the New England region. NSF I-Corps Hubs provide experiential entrepreneurial training to researchers in science and engineering, accelerating the translation of discoveries to new solutions that benefit society and the economy. Each I-Corps Hub, comprising a regional alliance of at least eight universities, may receive up to $3 million annually for five years. |
Upcoming Opportunities
Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, MA—Registration Open
The Robotics Summit & Expo brings together 5,000+ developers building robots for aerospace and defense, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and other markets. Attendees will learn the latest technologies, engineering best practices, and emerging trends. The event takes place April 30–May 1, 2025, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Register here.
RIHub Offerings! Pitch Deck Support and Open Office Hours At RIHub’s Pitch Scrub, you’ll have the opportunity to practice before a team of experts who will give you feedback and help you prepare for your investor meeting or elevator pitch competition. Apply here. Come to Open Hours! RIHub staff are available twice a month for drop-in visits. No appointment necessary. |
Blueprint Spring 2025 | Opportunity for Students & Postdocs Blueprint is a program for graduate students, postdocs, research scientists, and their teams, to explore the translational opportunities of their breakthroughs and startup projects. Learn more about the Blueprint program and apply here by March 10th @ 11:59pm. |
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