USF I-Corps

Early-Stage Innovation Fund awards advance breakthrough technologies in healthcare, education and security
June 20, 2025
The Florida High Tech Corridor in partnership with University of South Florida Research & Innovation is pleased to announce the latest recipients of the Early-Stage Innovation Fund awards. This initiative supports pioneering research projects with significant commercial potential, providing each selected faculty-led team with up to $25,000 in seed funding to advance their innovations toward market readiness. Dr. Bo Pei (Eq-Math) was a Principal Investigator (PI) on a Fall 2024 USF I-Corps team. Drs. Hariom Yadav and Shalini Jain (MANNBIOME) were Principal Investigators (PIs) most recently on Spring 2025 USF I-Corps teams. Dr. Mauricio Pamplona Segundo (Identyx) was a Principal Investigator (PI) on a Spring 2025 USF I-Corps team.

MediMirror, silicon atomic clock and early stroke detection device awarded BRAG grants for further development
June 9, 2025
The University of South Florida Foundation and the USF Research Foundation have awarded Foundation Bull Ring Accelerator Grants to three early-stage start-ups affiliated with the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator. Following a rigorous and competitive process, MediMirror, QuantumSilicon Clocks and SPKL have been selected to each receive up to $25,000 in BRAG funding. Dr. Ashwin Parthasarathy (SPKL) was a Principal Investigator (PI) for a Spring 2020 USF I-Corps team.

USF Professors and Team win Health Hackathon
April 25, 2025
Congratulations to USF College of Engineering Professor Arash Takshi, USF Muma College of Business Professor Ehsan Sheybani, and their research team on winning the Sahlgrenska Global Health Hackathon USA with eNose Diagnostic, a non-invasive technology for early detection of cancer by analyzing chemical release from the blood. Dr. Arash Takshi was a Principal Investigator (PI) on a Fall 2022 USF I-Corps team.

USF Sarasota-Manatee researchers receive seed funding for human trafficking prevention project
February 13, 2025
A research team that includes two USF Sarasota-Manatee faculty members has been awarded a Cyber Florida grant to develop an AI-driven education platform designed to safeguard teenagers from human trafficking risks prevalent in online gaming, cyber dating and social media environments. Dr. Tingting Zhang is a Principal Investigator (PI) on a Spring 2025 USF I-Corps team.