Agência Unesp de Inovação

What Agência Unesp de Inovação does

Agência Unesp de Inovação (AUIN) is the technology transfer and innovation agency of UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista), the largest state university system in Brazil. Headquartered in São Paulo, AUIN operates across all UNESP campuses to manage the full innovation lifecycle — from invention disclosure and intellectual property protection through licensing, commercialization, and startup creation. The agency does not develop proprietary technology products; instead it runs a portfolio of services anchored by the Zhenit online platform (for invention communication and process tracking), the Vitrine de Inovações public catalog (for technology showcase), and structured IP management covering patents, trademarks, software registration, and cultivar protection.

AUIN's revenue model is non-commercial in nature. Income derives from licensing royalties and technology transfer agreements, distributed on a 1/3–1/3–1/3 basis across the originating university unit, the Rector's Office/AUIN for administrative purposes, and the inventors. AUIN also facilitates UNESP researchers' access to public funding agencies (FAPESP, CNPq, FINEP) and develops partnership agreements with companies. The portfolio includes 80+ patents, 100+ IP assets, 90+ signed IP contracts, and 400+ invention communications processed. AUIN's primary customer segments are internal — UNESP researchers, faculty, and postgraduate students needing IP protection — plus UNESP-affiliated entrepreneurs seeking startup support, and external companies and investors seeking to license or co-develop UNESP technologies. The agency is governed under UNESP's Innovation Policy (Resolução nº 35/2020) and the Brazilian Innovation Law (Lei 10.973/2004).

Name

Agência Unesp de Inovação

Legal name

Agência Unesp de Inovação

Website

https://auin.unesp.br

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AUIN is the technology transfer office of UNESP, Brazil's largest state university system. It manages IP protection, licensing, and commercialization of UNESP research through the Zhenit platform and Vitrine de Inovações catalog, serving researchers, entrepreneurs, and partner companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Services

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Management, Patents & Trademark Software (BPAEAPAN)

Keywords

• Technology transfer services
• Intellectual property management
• Patent commercialization
• University research licensing
• Innovation ecosystem support

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing and technology transfer royalties: AUIN generates revenue through licensing fees and royalties from the commercialization of UNESP technologies by companies. Revenue from IP exploitation is distributed: 1/3 to the university unit where the technology was developed, 1/3 to the Rector's Office/AUIN for administrative purposes, and 1/3 to the inventors.
2. Research funding support services: AUIN supports researchers in accessing research funding from agencies such as FAPESP, CNPq, and FINEP, and facilitates partnership development agreements (DIT) between UNESP and private companies. These agreements contribute to research funding flows.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AUIN is UNESP's institutional technology transfer office, managing the full innovation lifecycle from invention disclosure through intellectual property protection to licensing and commercialization. It supports UNESP researchers in communicating inventions via the Zhenit platform, conducts feasibility studies, files and manages patents with INPI, negotiates licensing and partnership agreements with companies, and fosters startup and spin-off creation from the university research community. The agency manages a portfolio of 80+ patents and 100+ IP assets across agriculture, health, engineering, and biotechnology.

Product overview

Agência Unesp de Inovação (AUIN) is a university technology transfer office that manages the complete innovation lifecycle at UNESP. Rather than a unified software product, AUIN operates a portfolio of services including the Zhenit online platform for invention communication and tracking, the Vitrine de Inovações showcase for technology commercialization, intellectual property management (patents, trademarks, software, cultivars), technology transfer services through various licensing and partnership agreements, the PROFNIT professional master's program, and social innovation support. These services work together to transform university research into real-world impact by protecting intellectual property and connecting innovations with industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intellectual Property Management (Gestão de Propriedade Intelectual) Comprehensive intellectual property management service covering patent filing, industrial design registration, trademark protection, software registration, and cultivar protection. Provided to UNESP researchers with all prosecution costs covered by the university.
• Technology Transfer Services (Transferência de Tecnologia) End-to-end technology transfer service that manages the commercialization of UNESP innovations through licensing agreements, development partnerships, partnership development agreements (DIT), confidentiality agreements, and material transfer agreements with companies.
• Invention Communication System (Sistema de Comunicação de Invenção) Formal invention communication service allowing UNESP researchers to submit their innovations to AUIN for evaluation, protection, feasibility assessment, and potential commercialization through the IP and technology transfer pipeline.
• Social Innovation Program (Inovação Social) Social innovation program that catalogs and supports UNESP community technologies that address societal needs but may not meet formal patent requirements, broadening AUIN's impact beyond commercially-viable IP.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90+ intellectual property contracts signed
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAPESP is the principal research funding agency in São Paulo state. AUIN collaborates with FAPESP on programs such as PIPE/PITE, and UNESP's incubators have been accredited by FAPESP to support startups under the FAPESP PIPE program. FAPESP co-titles IP rights when it funds research projects.
• Santander UniversidadescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSantander, through its Santander Universidades program, partners with AUIN on entrepreneurship culture programs, including the Santander X Explorer pre-incubation program, and Santander scholarships for entrepreneurship and innovation roles at AUIN. Multiple joint funding programs and student bursary initiatives have been conducted.
• PROFNIT (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Propriedade Intelectual e Tecnologia para a Inovação)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROFNIT is a postgraduate program in intellectual property and innovation technology. AUIN collaborates with PROFNIT to offer professional master's positions and joint training activities in IP and technology transfer.
• ORALLScoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerORALLS is the exclusive licensee of three dental technology patents from UNESP: dental whitening composition, fluoridated dentifrice, and reduced-fluoride toothpaste. These licensing agreements were formalized through public tender processes managed by AUIN.
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnterprise Europe Network is a European Commission initiative connecting businesses with innovation partners. AUIN references EEN as a resource for technology transfer information and international partnership opportunities.
• FUNDUNESP (Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFUNDUNESP is a private foundation that provides administrative support for AUIN's contracting processes, including the intermediary role in public tender and licensing agreements between UNESP and third-party companies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RF SUNY): Centralized foundation that handles technology transfer, IP management, and licensing for the SUNY system. Comparable to AUIN as a multi-campus institutional entity managing IP and licensing at scale for a state public university system.
• Fraunhofer: Germany's leading applied research organization with extensive technology transfer and IP licensing activities across industries. A broader incumbent operating an analogous R&D-to-market model at much greater scale and international footprint than AUIN.

Others

• Anprotec: Brazilian association of science and technology parks, business incubators, and accelerators. AUIN participates in Anprotec conferences and Anprotec represents the same innovation ecosystem (incubation, spin-offs) that AUIN serves for UNESP.
• AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers): The principal global industry association for university technology transfer professionals. Comparable as an ecosystem/enabling organization — AUTM provides TTO benchmarking, training, and best-practice frameworks that AUIN and similar TTOs rely on.

Direct peers

• Inova Unicamp: The innovation agency of UNICAMP (State University of Campinas), one of Brazil's most research-intensive universities. Provides IP management, technology licensing, and startup incubation from UNICAMP research, directly comparable to AUIN's service portfolio and target segments.
• UFRJ Agência de Inovação: The innovation agency of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Comparable to AUIN as another Brazilian federal/state university TTO providing IP management, licensing, and entrepreneurship support to academic researchers.
• MIT Technology Licensing Office: MIT's central technology transfer office managing IP protection and licensing for MIT research output. Comparable to AUIN as a full-service university TTO handling patents, software, and copyright licensing across multiple disciplines.
• Stanford Office of Technology Licensing (OTL): The university technology transfer office of Stanford University. Operates the same invention-disclosure-to-licensing pipeline as AUIN and is the global benchmark for university TTO performance, making it a structural model for AUIN's commercialization approach.
• Agência USP de Inovação: The technology transfer office of the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil's largest research university. Operates the same model as AUIN — IP protection, licensing, and spin-off creation from university research — making it the most direct domestic peer competing for Brazilian licensing partners.

Regional players

• Embrapii: Brazilian Company for Industrial Research and Innovation, a non-profit that co-funds industrial R&D with universities and research institutes. Comparable to AUIN in funding and brokering university-industry R&D partnerships in Brazil, though focused on co-development rather than IP licensing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@auin_unesp
• Facebookfacebook.com/unesp.auin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agencia-unesp-de-inovacao
• Instagraminstagram.com/auin_unesp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Agência Unesp de Inovação