Technology Incubator
The CNSI Technology Incubator sits at the heart of the CNSI research community in Elings Hall. With financial support from the State of California through legislation AB2664, the Incubator has undergone a significant expansion to include 1,500 square feet of dedicated wet bench laboratory space and separate office space, available for lease by local technology-oriented start-ups. The incubator is in close proximity to the CNSI Shared Experimental Facilities, the Materials Characterization Facilities, as well as conference rooms and meeting spaces, further facilitating successful engagement and innovation. Incubator companies benefit from UCSB’s entrepreneurial mentorship and training ecosystem, and the vibrant research community of CNSI.
Contact
Forms
Resources
- Resources
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- Access to UCSB’s entrepreneurial mentorship and training ecosystem
- CNSI Startup Support Programming
- Technology Management Program
- Bench space with electrical, air, vacuum, and nitrogen hookups
- Chemical fume hoods
- Access to conference rooms, sound-insulated calling and meeting booths, and kitchen facilities in Elings Hall
- Close proximity to the CNSI Shared Facilities:
- CNSI Innovation Workshop
- Nanostructures Cleanroom Facility
- Biological NanoStructures Laboratory
- The BioPACIFIC Materials Innovation Platform
- Rate breaks at CNSI-managed Shared Facilities and affiliated laboratories at UCSB
- Access to discount / credit programs with AWS and Mathworks
- Access to UCSB’s entrepreneurial mentorship and training ecosystem
- Eligibility
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- Companies requiring dedicated laboratory facilities, bench space, or advanced computing infrastructure
- Companies incorporated no more than 5 years before joining the incubator
- Pre-production companies that have not yet raised Series A funding
- Companies can be:
- Founded by UCSB faculty, staff, students, postdocs, or alumni
- Active corporate licensees of UCSB intellectual property
- Companies actively collaborating with a member of the UCSB community
- Pre-production start-ups from the Santa Barbara community or relocating to Santa Barbara
- Basic Terms
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- Two year membership, extendable up to a 4-year maximum tenure in 1-year increments
- 3-12 month leases available
- 5ft bench station at $500/month
- 4ft fume-hood station at $500/month
- Equipment/storage spaces at $12.50/sqft/month
- Desk space in associated office at $120/month
- No university claim to intellectual property created in the incubator
- Application Process
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- File pre-application (here)
- If pre-approved:
- Create Chemical Hygiene Plan and complete safety/compatibility check
- Provide proof of insurance (see inset)
- Review and sign the General Policies document (see inset)
- Submit required business forms (to be sent separately); these will require an EIN
- CNSI submits complete application packet to UCSB Business and Financial Services
- If approved:
- Complete necessary safety training and access protocols
- Submit a $1000 one-time security deposit and first month's rent
Current Members
Capella
Capella is an Energy Transition VC firm exploring novel approaches to improve the cost and availability of green hydrogen in partnership with CNSI.
EyeClimate
Advancing Methane Detection with Precision Intelligence for a Sustainable Future.
FLO Materials
FLO is revolutionizing plastics by bridging performance, sustainability, and profitability through the commercialization of ECANs, a new class of proprietary circular polymers that form durable and dynamic plastics designed to be mechanically and chemically recycled at the end of life.
GaNify
GaNify develops semiconductor technologies that will transform medium-voltage electrical systems.
Hikari
Hikari is developing a cutting-edge nanoscale drug release and monitoring platform that significantly improves patient safety by providing noninvasive precision drug dosing.
Leeta
Leeta is advancing agile manufacturing for superior battery materials, enabling electrification efforts globally.
Lucidean
Lucidean makes electronic and photonic integrated circuits for energy-efficient high-speed fiber-optic interconnect solutions.
Mentium Technologies
Mentium has the technology to bring ultra-fast AI to low power electronics, like cameras, sensors, microphones, wearable accessories, and bringing the performances of autonomous vehicles and AI cloud computing to a whole new level.
Mirios
Mirios' fully-integrated, multispectral, photonics chips are ideal for applications requiring drastic reductions in the size, weight, and power (SWaP) of infrared systems.
Pacific Optica
Pacific Optica brings technological and application expertise to advanced optics, photonics, and imaging to create impactful products that unlock new capabilities.
Phaeno
Phaeno is transforming biomedical approaches to a wide range of diseases from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and advanced cancers; to AIDS, Lyme and Covid-19. Phaneo's proprietary Precision Sequencing technology has solved a longstanding technical limitation with accurate large-scale, full-length, single-molecule sequencing. This technology can pinpoint the molecules responsible for disease and the drug targets for treatment.
PseudolithIC
PseudolithIC is developing Heterogeneous Integration technology for mm-Wave communications in order to deliver affordable mm-Wave apertures with unrivalled performance.
Santa Barbara Nutrients
Santa Barbara Nutrients, a benefit corporation, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, was founded by experienced kidney researchers and many industry professionals including team members affected by kidney disease. The company focuses on developing science-backed, kidney-safe products for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and other renal conditions based on technology developed at the University of California Santa Barbara.
Vine Medical
Vine Medical leverages mechanically intelligent, tip-growing, soft robots to enable autonomous intubation matching anesthesiologist success rates in the hands of any provider, with virtually no training. Starting with airway management, Vine Medical seek to reinvent minimally invasive access to every corner of the human body.
Xiretsa
Xiretsa is a biotechnology company developing novel membrane-remodelling small molecule antibiotics that evade resistance to address the greatest Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and Mycobacterial threats. The company is dedicated to tailoring its proprietary molecular platform to meet critical unmet needs in infectious disease therapy.
Former Members
Apeel Sciences
Apeel Sciences creates products from natural plant extracts that allow growers to reduce reliance on pesticides, increase produce quality, and provide superior shelf life without refrigeration. Apeel leadership includes a number of UCSB alums.
AviAI
AviAI is a technology startup, building the next-gen operational intelligence platform for the aviation industry.
bioProtonics
BioProtonics magnetic resonance-based diagnostic paradigm, µTexture, dramatically extends the resolution limits of magnetic resonance imaging of biologic textures, enabling early stage clinical diagnoses.
BioZen Batteries
BioZen Batteries, Inc. develops advanced organic electrolytes for truly-sustainable, safe, stationary batteries in residential, commercial, and city-sized energy storage applications.
C-Zero
C-Zero's technology pyrolyzes methane, the predominant component in natural gas, to pure hydrogen and carbon. The hydrogen produced is thus CO2 free and can be used for a variety of purposes including electricity, process heat, and industrial applications.
Doumani Enterprises
Doumani is a company reasarching and developing biodegradeable technologies for the healthcare industry.
Dragon Q Energy
Dragon Q Energy is developing a new way to build safe and scalable grid-sized battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Fluency Lighting Technologies
Fluency Lighting Technologies, Inc. is working to create next-generation, low-étendue light sources for highly efficient and flexible design illumination, using laser technology and materials design.
Fyg Bioscience
Fyg Bioscience, LLC is developing DNA nanotechnology with application in the health and biotech industries.
In2Cell
In2Cell is developing chemical and virus free, gentle, effective transfection technology for CRISPR/Cas 9 immunotherapy and cancer drug delivery applications.
Laxmi Therapeutic Devices
The overarching goal for Laxmi Therapeutic Devices, Inc. is to develop a painless wearable continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that can be developed quickly, manufactured cost-effectively, and does not require calibration.
Luxe Scientific
Luxe Scientific is a female-founded, B2B2C company building smart and hygienic refill dispensers that allow consumers to refill beauty product samples and minis in retail spaces.
Milo Sensors (now Ion)
Milo Sensors aims to positively impact the $12B Alcohol Use Disorder treatment industry with non-invasive wearable alcohol sensor technology.
MONDE Wireless
MONDE Wireless develops devices and circuit products based on a new class of gallium nitride semiconductors for high efficiency next generation mobile communication and novel display applications.
NEXT Energy
NEXT’s mission is to transform windows and glass facades into producers of low-cost, on-suite, renewable energy for buildings. NEXT windows can help dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.
Nexus Photonics
Nexus Photonics' proprietary heterogeneous integration allows single-chip systems with on-chip optical sources that operate in ultra-broadband wavelength range to support broad range of applications including communications, positioning, and human-machine interfaces.
SciKare
SciKare is developing a non-invasive diagnostic device for early detection of kidney disease in patients suffering from chronic diseases (such as diabetes and congestive heart failure).
Tesserol
Tesserol is a clean energy venture that manufactures ultra-lightweight Hydrogen Generators and composite fuel cells. Our mission is to make zero-emission hydrogen power less expensive and easier to use, lowering the barrier to hydrogen adoption to help various industries transition to clean energy sources.
TiMEMS
TiMEMS is commercializing Titantium MEMS technology that was developed in Profs. Noel MacDonald's and Carl Meinhart's laboratory. The commercial applications include thermal management for the energy sector.
Quintessent
Quintessent is commercializing scalable lasers and photonic integrated circuits to power the growing connectivity needs of the future.
Ultra-Low Loss Technologies
ULL Technologies is developing ultra-low loss SiN-based photonic circuits for a range of sensor, LIDAR, and communication applications.
Wirefall
Wirefall's main focus is to reshape how users in certain industries interact with software. We are developing technology to assist customer-facing tech in increasing its user retention, enabling cheaper CPA (cost per action), and improving overall user experience.
