University of Manchester Innovation Factory
The University of Manchester Innovation Factory Limited is the dedicated technology transfer office for the University of Manchester, commercialising university IP through spinout creation, technology licensing, and investor support for academics, licensees, and venture investors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What University of Manchester Innovation Factory does
The University of Manchester Innovation Factory Limited (Company No. 05177409) is the dedicated technology transfer office (TTO) of the University of Manchester, incorporated as a private limited company that acts solely as agent for the University in relation to intellectual property and know-how created by its employees, students and collaborators. Headquartered at the Core Technology Facility, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester (M13 9NT), the organisation is governed by a Board chaired by Luke Hakes with Non-Executive Directors Jo Kelley, Simon Thorpe, Carol Prokopyszyn, and University Vice-Presidents Professor John Holden, Professor Ashley Blom, and Professor Graham Lord. Operational leadership is led by CEO Dr Catherine Headley (appointed 2025), COO Paula Dhoot, Head of Innovation Discovery Duncan Henderson, and Director of Portfolio Nic Gowland. The Innovation Factory ranks 4th among Russell Group universities for spinout company creation (122 spinouts established across 2012/13–2023/24 per the HESA Spinout Register) and received the highest possible KEF rating for IP and commercialisation from Research England.
The organisation commercialises University research via three principal mechanisms: (1) spinout company formation across Life Sciences, Biotech, Medtech, Pharma, Computing, Software, Hardware, Engineering, Advanced Materials, and Energy & Environment; (2) technology licensing of University IP through the ExpressIP catalogue — licensable software including CrystoGen, OASIS, ORIGAMI, MRM, PolyParticle Tracker, X-MAN II, SUDA, SOLID, ESOL Stepping Stones, CHAT, COAST, EQUIP, PRECiS, PEPS, Empowerment Scale, and Self-Management of Orofacial Pain; and (3) investment support services for portfolio companies. Notable spinouts include VariantValidator (a genomic variant validation platform serving 28,987 active users across 129 countries with over 1.3 million monthly API requests), Watercycle Technologies (Direct Lithium Extraction), Phagenesis (Phagenyx Neurostimulation for dysphagia), Complement Therapeutics (CTx001 gene therapy for Geographic Atrophy), Imperagen (AI-quantum enzyme engineering), Forkprint (NLP for food carbon footprint), FOTENIX (computer-vision crop imaging), GiFT (electromagnetic tracheostomy guidance), CASA (2D-material VLEO satellite coatings), Cytotrait (MOSS crop trait engineering), Grid Stability (AI power-grid assessments), and Lutèo Medical (microbiome therapeutics).
Revenue is generated through spinout equity stakes, upfront licensing fees, ongoing royalties, and grant funding; licensing and spinout terms are negotiated on a case-by-case basis and are not publicly disclosed. Customer segments span University of Manchester academics and researchers on the supply side and industry licensees plus VC and angel investors (including Northern Gritstone, Manchester Angels, and the Northern Triangle Mentor Network spanning Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield) on the demand side. Geographic reach is anchored in the United Kingdom but explicitly global in stated ambition, with portfolio companies expanding into MENA, Europe, and North America.
University of Manchester Innovation Factory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Manchester Innovation Factory
- Legal name
- University of Manchester Innovation Factory Limited
- Website
- https://uominnovationfactory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The University of Manchester Innovation Factory Limited is the dedicated technology transfer office for the University of Manchester, commercialising university IP through spinout creation, technology licensing, and investor support for academics, licensees, and venture investors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of Manchester Innovation Factory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Technology Transfer Services
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro industry
- IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology TransferBusiness & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent ServicesTechnology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization)IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) AnalysisBusiness & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services
Keywords
Where University of Manchester Innovation Factory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
University of Manchester Innovation Factory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Spinout Company Creation: Formation of new spinout companies from university research, creating value through equity ownership and investment returns as these companies grow and attract external funding.
- Technology Licensing: Licensing university intellectual property to external companies for commercial development, generating upfront fees and ongoing royalties from licensees.
- Investment Support Services: Supporting spinouts in attracting investment through investor networks and the Northern Triangle Mentor Network, with the organization benefiting from successful portfolio companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom licensing and spinout arrangements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
University of Manchester Innovation Factory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of Manchester Innovation Factory is the dedicated Technology Transfer Office (TTO) for the University of Manchester. It commercializes university-generated intellectual property by identifying research with commercial potential, protecting and managing IP, forming spinout companies, and licensing technologies to external industry partners. It also operates the ExpressIP software portfolio of licensable academic tools and supports portfolio spinouts (including VariantValidator, Forkprint, CASA, GiFT, and Watercycle Technologies) across life sciences, biotech, medtech, pharma, computing, software, hardware, advanced materials, and energy & environment domains.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ExpressIP Software Portfolio A collection of licensable software tools and IP available for academic and research purposes. Includes biomedical software, engineering and physical sciences software, computer science software, copyright materials, healthcare tools, and social sciences software.
- Spinout Portfolio Services Technology transfer services including early-stage evaluation, intellectual property management, licensing, company formation and investor support for spinout companies from University of Manchester research.
- VariantValidator Widely used platform for validating and standardizing genomic variant descriptions. Supports researchers, clinicians and data specialists worldwide with over 1.3 million API hits monthly from 130,000+ users across 129 countries.
- Forkprint AI-powered software that analyzes food recipes in real time to calculate carbon footprint of each ingredient and suggests lower-carbon alternatives. Uses NLP and AI for sustainability analysis.
- CASA Coating Technology Advanced coatings based on 2D material technologies for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite performance. Provides atomic-scale flatness to reduce aerodynamic drag and resist atomic oxygen erosion.
- GiFT (Guidance for Tracheostomy) Groundbreaking innovation using advanced electromagnetic guidance system to enhance accuracy and safety in Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy procedures. Offers fourfold improvement in needle placement accuracy.
- Watercycle Technologies High flux, low fouling membrane technology coupled with advanced membrane distillation for treating highly concentrated wastewater from desalination, mining, oil & gas, textiles, food & beverage industries, including direct lithium extraction.
- CrystoGen Crystal growth simulation software that helps develop understanding of how crystals grow at the nanoscale through simulation of crystal habit and surface topography, helping predict and control functionality.
- OASIS Component-based Software Development Toolkit available for licensing under the ExpressIP engineering & physical sciences software portfolio.
- ORIGAMI Mass spectrometry software for analytical chemistry applications available through ExpressIP licensing.
- MRM (Multivariate and Repeated Measures) A MATLAB toolbox for the analysis of neuroimaging data, available through ExpressIP biomedical software licensing.
- SUDA A software tool for use with statistical disclosure control for microdata, available through ExpressIP social sciences software licensing.
- PolyParticle Tracker Software for tracking of particles in digital movies, used in biomedical research, available through ExpressIP licensing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 122 spinout companies established from 2012/13 to 2023/24, ranking 4th among Russell Group universities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use University of Manchester Innovation Factory
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
University of Manchester Innovation Factory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability11 records
Feature3 records
University of Manchester Innovation Factory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
University of Manchester Innovation Factory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oxford University Innovation: The technology transfer office of the University of Oxford. Operates the same TTO model — IP licensing, spinout creation, and ExpressIP-style software portfolios — for another leading Russell Group university, making it the closest UK comparable.
- Cambridge Enterprise: University of Cambridge's technology transfer and commercialisation arm. Runs a near-identical TTO mandate (IP licensing, spinouts, equity stakes) and serves as a benchmark for UK university commercialisation performance.
- UCL Business: University College London's wholly-owned commercialisation company. Similar TTO mandate: spinout formation, IP licensing, and equity investment across UCL's research portfolio.
- Imperial College Innovations: Technology transfer arm of Imperial College London. Directly comparable as a Russell Group TTO commercialising deep-tech and life-sciences research through spinouts and licensing.
- Edinburgh Innovations: University of Edinburgh's commercialisation office. Directly comparable as a leading Russell Group TTO, operating across life sciences, engineering and computing spinouts.
Broad incumbents
- IP Group plc: A London-listed IP commercialisation firm providing capital and support to university spinouts, primarily in the UK and South Africa. Comparable as a broader commercial operator in the same university-IP space, though not strictly a TTO.
- Parkwalk Advisors: UK EIS fund manager backing university spinouts and deep-tech from UK research universities. Comparable as a participant in the same university-IP commercialisation ecosystem with overlapping investment targets.
Others
- Northern Gritstone: Investment company backed by the Universities of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield — a direct capital partner of UoMIF. Comparable as a thematic investor targeting the same Northern Triangle university spinout pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of Manchester Innovation Factory social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Manchester Innovation Factory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of Manchester Innovation Factory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
University of Manchester Innovation Factory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of Manchester Innovation Factory 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 of Manchester Innovation Factory
What does University of Manchester Innovation Factory do?
The University of Manchester Innovation Factory is the dedicated Technology Transfer Office (TTO) for the University of Manchester. It commercializes university-generated intellectual property by identifying research with commercial potential, protecting and managing IP, forming spinout companies, and licensing technologies to external industry partners. It also operates the ExpressIP software portfolio of licensable academic tools and supports portfolio spinouts (including VariantValidator, Forkprint, CASA, GiFT, and Watercycle Technologies) across life sciences, biotech, medtech, pharma, computing, software, hardware, advanced materials, and energy & environment domains.
Is University of Manchester Innovation Factory a public or private company?
University of Manchester Innovation Factory is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was University of Manchester Innovation Factory founded?
University of Manchester Innovation Factory was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is University of Manchester Innovation Factory based?
University of Manchester Innovation Factory is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does University of Manchester Innovation Factory make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Spinout Company Creation is the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing and investment Support Services.
Who are University of Manchester Innovation Factory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oxford University Innovation, Cambridge Enterprise, UCL Business, Imperial College Innovations and Edinburgh Innovations. Broad incumbents are IP Group plc and Parkwalk Advisors. Northern Gritstone is listed as an others.
Does University of Manchester Innovation Factory have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Manchester Innovation Factory.
What industry is University of Manchester Innovation Factory in?
University of Manchester Innovation Factory's product category is Technology Transfer Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAF, IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer, with a secondary code of EDAHABAH, Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization). Its SIC code is 8731.