USC collaborates with startup advocate Techstars to promote the development of intellectual property.

USC is set to ignite fresh startups and innovation through a new collaboration with Techstars, a prominent pre-seed investor. This partnership holds promise not only for the local economy but also for converting ideas generated at USC into tangible products and businesses, thereby enhancing the university's economic influence within the "Silicon Beach" area—an emerging tech hub spanning across Los Angeles County and parts of Orange County. Notably, USC boasts several industry-leading institutions in this tech corridor, including the USC Information Sciences Institute in Marina del Rey and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies in Los Angeles.

Ishwar K. Puri, USC’s senior vice president of research and innovation, emphasized the partnership's goal of fostering an ecosystem rooted in innovative thinking, translational research, and multidisciplinary collaborations to drive meaningful impact. The collaboration with Techstars is expected to stimulate growth within the Southern California innovation ecosystem and strengthen the burgeoning tech corridor extending from Santa Barbara through L.A. to San Diego. This initiative aims to cultivate more startups led by USC students, faculty, and alumni.

The collaboration entails a two-fold approach—education and networking, along with business acceleration—to introduce USC affiliates to startup formation. Through the USC and Techstars Digital Economy Accelerator, selected USC-affiliated companies will receive investments, guidance, and access to a global network of partners, enhancing their journey from concept to market. Moreover, the University Catalyst pre-accelerator program will offer training and support for USC students, faculty, and alumni interested in entrepreneurship, bolstering their efforts to commercialize intellectual property.

Techstars' involvement aligns with USC's broader initiative, the USC Frontiers of Computing "moonshot," aimed at advancing and expanding computing research and education across the university. Furthermore, the partnership extends USC's footprint within the Silicon Beach corridor, home to numerous tech giants and startups. By leveraging Techstars' resources, USC aims to facilitate the transformation of cutting-edge research into impactful products and solutions, thereby contributing to the region's innovation ecosystem.

This collaboration also complements the existing efforts of the USC Stevens Center for Innovation, the university's technology licensing office, led by executive director Erin Overstreet. The center, supported by USC alumnus and trustee Mark Stevens, facilitates entrepreneurship and commercialization of USC intellectual property. Moving forward, the partnership with Techstars is poised to amplify USC's impact on the Southern California innovation landscape, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and driving economic growth in the region.