Forming a spinout company
Once the decision has been made to create a spinout company to commercialise your technology, EI will support you in making the transition to the commercial arena as easy as possible.
It is important to engage at an early stage of the commercialisation process to help validate the opportunity. The Enterprise Development team can offer 1-2-1 support to help guide and advise on the company formation process.
A spinout opportunity where there is an IP ask requires specific support that the Enterprise team can also provide and they will help develop the plans to fully commercialise the IP. Once the plan is established we will also seek to gain the necessary University approval. We will support you in making the transition from research to commercial as easy as possible.
Key issues
There are a number of key issues to think about when considering whether to form a University spinout company and licensing the technology to this new company:
- What significant barriers exist for a new company to entering the market?
- Is the marketplace fragmented with a lot of small companies or dominated by some major players?
- Does the technology have many applications?
- Is there a portfolio of patents attached to the technology?
- Is further investment required in the technology in order to reach the market?
- Is there a group of founders motivated enough to start a new company?
- Is it likely that investment funds can be raised for a company?
- Is there a financial exit route built into the plans for investors, including the University?
University process for spinout company formation
The University has a process through which all spinout propositions must pass in order to obtain approval to proceed.
This process is mandatory for all proposed spinout companies built around University of Edinburgh technology, in order to have official University sign off on the process and is subject to the resolution of any outstanding matters.
EI’s Company Formation Advisory Group
EI’s Company Formation Advisory Group meets several times a year to give potential spinouts the opportunity to receive some constructive advice from key representatives of the University Court and the business community.
Your EI Enterprise Development Executive will be on hand to guide you through the process, assist with the proposal and presentation and even assist on presentation technique, if you feel this is required.
Details on when the Company Formation Advisory Group meets and what is required to attend can be obtained from the Enterprise Development team at EI.
Post approval
Once University approval has been given to create a spinout company to commercialise your technology, EI will support you in making the transition from the research environment to the commercial arena as easy as possible.
Spinout Support Guide
Download our Spinout Support Guide
