The Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale

Location: New Haven, CT
Investment: Up to $300,000 for Development Awards, Up to $100,000 for Pilot Awards, $30,000 for Accelerator Awards
Program Duration: 6 months for Accelerator Awards, 1 year for Pilot Awards, 1-2 years for Development Awards
Stage: Early Stage

Industry of Focus

• Healthcare
• Biotech

Key Highlights

Program Overview

The Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale focuses on transforming applied research and life sciences technologies into commercialized products that address unmet medical needs. Sponsored by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the program supports Yale faculty innovations through funding, guidance, and industry partnerships. Since 2017, the fund has awarded over $20 million to 80+ projects, resulting in 28 ventures raising $438M, clinical trials, and revenue-generating digital health solutions.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Exclusion

The Blavatnik Fund welcomes a diverse range of innovations, spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, and digital solutions.

Investment Details

• Development Awards: Up to $300,000 for 1-2 years.
• Pilot Awards: Up to $100,000 for 1 year.
• Accelerator Awards (Mid-Cycle): $30,000 for 6 months.
• Booster Awards: Additional funding to derisk technologies for external funding, up to a total project funding limit of $500,000.

Benefits Details and Perks/Credits

• Funding for developing commercial-ready solutions.
• Comprehensive mentorship, coaching, and expert guidance.
• Feedback and exposure to industry partners.
• Access to Yale CORE facilities and contract research organizations.
• Support includes market research, competitive analysis, and commercialization strategies.

Program Format

• Development Awards: Starts with application opening in September, and culminates with finalist pitches to the Blavatnik Advisory Board in February.
• Accelerator Awards: Applications open in April with finalist pitches held at the Yale Innovation Summit in May.
• Applicants receive iterative feedback at multiple stages.
• Semifinalists pitch at Yale Life Sciences PitchFest.

Location or Relocation Requirements

• Applicants must have a full-time, ladder-track faculty appointment at Yale.

Requirements Related to Users, Revenue, or LOIs:

• Associated companies should have raised no more than $500K in dilutive funding.
• Commercial interest and industry feedback are necessary for awards.
• Successful recipients must closely align their goals with milestone achievement, derisking strategies, and budget planning.

Post-Program Engagement

• Booster Awards for additional funding are available for milestone-ready projects.
• Applicants can connect with the Blavatnik team via office hour sessions and ongoing coaching.

Company Types Requirements

• Open to innovative Yale technologies with clear commercialization potential such as Yale IP, copyright, or licensable know-how.
• Targeting technologies addressing major unmet medical needs.

Founding Team Preferences

• Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI must have full-time faculty roles at Yale.
• Engaged and committed leadership for technology development is preferred.

Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale

The Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale focuses on the commercialization of applied research and technology in the life sciences, supporting Yale investigator-initiated research addressing unmet medical need. Completed projects aim for partnerships with industry, the development of startups, or major industry-sponsored research agreements. Since its inception in 2017, it has supported more than 80 projects with over $20 million awarded, 28 new ventures launched raising $438M in external funding, 9 IND’s accepted with 7 clinical trials initiated. 2 positive early clinical trial readouts and 2 revenue generating digital health ventures. The Blavatnik Fund welcomes a diverse range of innovations to apply. In the past we have funded traditional therapeutics as well as medical devices, diagnostics, and digital solutions. The accelerator fund is supported by a grant from The Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Deadline: October 31, 2025