University Lab Partners
University Lab Partners is a 501c3 nonprofit wet lab incubator and accelerator founded in 2019 in Irvine, California, that provides shared lab facilities, equipment, coworking, and STEM education programs to early-stage life science, medtech, and student participants across Orange County and Southern California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What University Lab Partners does
University Lab Partners (ULP) is an independent 501c3 nonprofit wet lab incubator and accelerator headquartered at 5270 California Avenue, Suite 300 in Irvine, California, with a second site (ULP @ Soka) at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo. Founded in 2019, the organization provides professionally managed wet laboratory facilities, shared equipment infrastructure (including fume hoods, a tissue culture lab, and a freezer farm), and flexible coworking options ranging from six-foot benches ($2,450/month and above) to private lab suites of 150-250 square feet and office space of 100-300 square feet. ULP is co-located with UCI Beall Applied Innovation within the 2.2 million square foot UCI Research Park.
The organization's product portfolio is organized around three pillars. First, the Wet Lab Incubator offers application-based residency to early-stage life science and medical device startups, ranging from SBIR/STTR-funded ventures to publicly traded companies with small R&D teams. Second, accelerator programs include the REALIZE Accelerator (health tech) and the I-CREATE Accelerator Network, the latter operated in partnership with BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority) and providing non-dilutive funding up to $200,000 per company in support of health security MedTech innovations; ULP also leads a $10M ReadyDetect Next-Generation Diagnostics Competition with BARDA. Third, STEM Education delivers fee-based introductory, accelerated, and core laboratory courses priced $250-$5,000 apiece, plus the flagship BioInnovators Program serving high school students.
ULP's revenue mix combines monthly lab and office rental (subscription), one-time course fees, and grants/donations from federal and foundation sources (notably a $2 million U.S. Department of Commerce Build to Scale award matched by $2 million in local funding in 2023, plus a $25,000 Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation grant in 2025). Distribution is application-based for residency, with self-serve online course registration and partnerships with institutions including UCI, Soka University, CHOC Research Institute, Beckman Foundation, Biocom, California Life Sciences, and Allergan Aesthetics driving pipeline. Since 2019, ULP reports hosting 69 resident companies that have collectively raised $21.8M in funding, generated $23M in revenue, and created 498 jobs, alongside 2,000+ students served through STEM education.
University Lab Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University Lab Partners
- Legal name
- University Lab Partners
- Website
- https://universitylabpartners.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- University Lab Partners is a 501c3 nonprofit wet lab incubator and accelerator founded in 2019 in Irvine, California, that provides shared lab facilities, equipment, coworking, and STEM education programs to early-stage life science, medtech, and student participants across Orange County and Southern California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University Lab Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Science Incubator Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Medical Laboratory Support (Lab Assistant) (EDAOAJAL)
Keywords
Where University Lab Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
University Lab Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Lab Space Rental: Monthly rental fees for wet lab bench space, private lab suites, and office space. Residency options available from $2,450/month for flexible wet and dry lab facilities.
- Educational Programs: Fee-based laboratory courses and programs for high school and college students as well as professionals, including introductory courses, accelerated courses, and core laboratory courses.
- Grant Funding: Non-profit organization receiving government grants (e.g., $2 million Build to Scale program award) and foundation grants to support operations and programs.
- Accelerator Programs: Non-dilutive funding and support services for early-stage life science and medical technology companies through programs including I-CREATE and REALIZE accelerators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Flexible Lab Bench - 6-foot bench for 1-2 people |
| Subscription | Monthly | Private Lab Suite - 150-250 sq ft for up to 6 people |
| Subscription | Monthly | Office Space - Cubicle or private office (100-300 sq ft) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Introduction to Biotechnology |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Introduction to Physiology |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Molecular Biology 1 & 2 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cancer Research |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | College Research Intensive |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Molecular Biology 1 Bootcamp |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
University Lab Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
University Lab Partners is a nonprofit wet-lab incubator and accelerator that provides shared and private laboratory facilities, specialized biotech equipment, and office space to life-science and medical-device startups. Beyond physical infrastructure, it runs the REALIZE and I-CREATE (with BARDA) accelerator programs offering non-dilutive funding up to $200,000 plus mentorship, and delivers STEM life-science educational programs and courses to high-school, college students, and professionals. Services are delivered at two sites — UCI Research Park (Irvine) and ULP @ Soka (Aliso Viejo).
Product overview
University Lab Partners (ULP) is a nonprofit wet lab incubator and accelerator that operates as a unified platform consisting of three core pillars: (1) Wet Lab Incubator providing state-of-the-art shared and private laboratory facilities at UCI Research Park and Soka University locations; (2) Accelerator Programs including REALIZE Accelerator for health tech startups and I-CREATE Accelerator Network in partnership with BARDA for MedTech innovations; and (3) STEM Education programs offering structured lab courses (Introductory, Accelerated, and Core courses in Molecular Biology, Cancer Research, Biotechnology, and more) plus the BioInnovators Program for high school students. The platform also includes ULP Community Hub Portal and ULP Empowers Student Portal as online community resources for resident companies and students respectively.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- I-CREATE Accelerator: MedTech accelerator program offering non-dilutive funding, mentorship, and advisory services for companies addressing health security challenges.
- REALIZE Accelerator
- BioInnovators Program
- ULP Empowers
Products and services
- Residency Program (Wet Lab Incubator) Application-based wet-lab residency program offering shared and private lab space, office space, shared equipment access, and community resources for early-stage life science and medical device companies ranging from SBIR/STTR-funded startups to publicly traded companies with small R&D teams. Pricing starts at $2,450/month.
- REALIZE Accelerator Comprehensive accelerator program providing entrepreneurial training, scientific infrastructure, and introductions for early-stage capital access for life science and medical technology companies.
- I-CREATE Accelerator Network Accelerator network in partnership with BARDA supporting MedTech innovations addressing health security challenges, providing non-dilutive funding up to $200,000 per company along with mentorship and advisory services. ULP serves as the BARDA Accelerator Network's Medical Devices & Diagnostics Hub.
- BioInnovators Program STEM education program providing high school students with 22 professional wet-lab sessions, mentorship, and up to 50 hours of lab training, designed for students committed to publishing research or competing at the OC Science & Engineering Fair.
- STEM Introductory Lab Courses (Introduction to Biotechnology, Physiology, Biosensors, Oncology, Virology) Entry-level paid laboratory courses covering biotechnology, physiology, biosensors, oncology, and virology fundamentals. Priced individually (e.g., Introduction to Biotechnology at $250; Introduction to Physiology at $1,000).
- Core Laboratory Courses (Molecular Biology 1 & 2, Cancer Research, College Research Intensive) Core laboratory courses for college and high school students covering molecular biology techniques, cancer research methodologies, and an advanced College Research Intensive summer course. Priced at $1,850–$5,000 per course.
- Accelerated Summer Courses (Molecular Biology 1 Bootcamp and Intensive) Accelerated condensed summer courses covering molecular biology fundamentals (e.g., Molecular Biology 1 Bootcamp at $1,875). Designed for high school and college students seeking intensive lab exposure in shorter formats.
- Summer Research Experience Summer research program for high school students focusing on molecular biology, requiring completion of Molecular Biology 1 & 2 as a prerequisite.
- ULP Community Hub Portal Online portal connecting resident startups with like-minded individuals to build networks, access resources, and grow ventures.
- ULP Empowers Student Portal Community platform for Orange County high school and undergraduate students interested in bioresearch, medtech, and life sciences to connect with mentors and share resources.
Quantifiable outcome
- 69 resident companies secured $21.8M in funding and generated $23M in revenue, creating 498 new jobs
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use University Lab Partners
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
University Lab Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
University Lab Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.
- BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority)coreBARDA partnered with ULP for the I-CREATE accelerator program supporting MedTech innovations addressing health security challenges. Some companies receive up to $200,000 in non-dilutive funding. ULP was also selected to lead the BARDA Accelerator Network as the Medical Devices & Diagnostics Hub. Joint ReadyDetect competition offers $10 million for next-generation diagnostics.
- UCI Beall Applied InnovationcoreULP is co-located with UCI Beall Applied Innovation at UCI Research Park, enabling collaboration and resource sharing between the organizations to support startup ecosystem development.
- Soka University of AmericasecondaryULP operates a second location at Soka University of America campus (ULP @ Soka) expanding wet lab and educational services to additional facility in Aliso Viejo.
- Allergan AestheticsminorAllergan Aesthetics partnered with ULP for the Golden Ticket Pitch Competition to accelerate aesthetics startups, providing investment and corporate connections to winning companies.
- California Life Sciences (CLS)secondaryRegional industry organization providing purchasing programs, sponsorship, and support for ULP programs including MIRE (MedTech Innovation and Research Experience) for high school students.
- BiocomsecondaryCalifornia life sciences industry association providing member benefits, purchasing programs, and networking opportunities for ULP resident companies.
- CHOC Research InstitutesecondaryPartnership for MIRE (MedTech Innovation and Research Experience) program created in partnership with CHOC Research Institute in summer 2024 to foster next generation of MedTech talent.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
University Lab Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University Lab Partners social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity Lab Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University Lab Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
University Lab Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University Lab Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University Lab Partners
What does University Lab Partners do?
University Lab Partners is a nonprofit wet-lab incubator and accelerator that provides shared and private laboratory facilities, specialized biotech equipment, and office space to life-science and medical-device startups. Beyond physical infrastructure, it runs the REALIZE and I-CREATE (with BARDA) accelerator programs offering non-dilutive funding up to $200,000 plus mentorship, and delivers STEM life-science educational programs and courses to high-school, college students, and professionals. Services are delivered at two sites — UCI Research Park (Irvine) and ULP @ Soka (Aliso Viejo).
Is University Lab Partners a public or private company?
University Lab Partners is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was University Lab Partners founded?
University Lab Partners was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is University Lab Partners based?
University Lab Partners is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does University Lab Partners make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Lab Space Rental is the primary driver. The others are educational Programs, grant Funding and accelerator Programs.
Does University Lab Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for University Lab Partners.
What industry is University Lab Partners in?
University Lab Partners's product category is Life Science Incubator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAA, Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs), with a secondary code of EDAOAJAL, Medical Laboratory Support (Lab Assistant). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.