PCI Ventures - Penn Center for Innovation

PCI Ventures (PCIV) is a division of PCI specifically focused on creating early-stage businesses founded on Penn technology.

PCIV prides itself on promoting entrepreneurial activities and new company formation around Penn’s leading research and innovations. PCIV actively seeks entrepreneurs to lead its companies and investors to provide funding for a portfolio of new ventures in development. PCIV also provides a suite of products and services to support its portfolio as spinouts make their way towards commercial success.

How PCIV Helps Penn Spinouts

Since 2010, PCIV has worked with over 200 faculty and staff members to form and launch new companies based on selected inventions and innovative technologies.

While there are many paths to commercialization of a new technology, the PCIV team works with Penn inventors to develop a commercial strategy that utilizes company creation as a means to increase the value of the technology while giving it exposure in the marketplace. PCIV will assist the business team through the entire commercialization process with an array of services that includes matching a strong entrepreneur to each company, providing a network of partners to help with any number of startup needs, and assisting with fundraising.

By connecting local entrepreneurs, investors and partners with Penn inventors, PCIV adds a powerful platform for a larger entrepreneurial ecosystem in greater Philadelphia and beyond.

PCI Ventures Services

UPstart

UPstart offers a wide array of services to assist entrepreneurial faculty members with the company formation and development process. UPstart smooths the path to future success by working closely with faculty members to create a commercial opportunity for their technology through a new venture.

UPadvisors

UPadvisors provides support to companies that operate independently and want to leverage the resources of the PCI Ventures team, services, programs, and network to help navigate the challenges of an early-stage startup. PCI Ventures provides a Company Formation Handbook and advises UPadvisors companies during Weekly Office Hours.

Venture WarmUP

Venture WarmUP is designed to assist faculty prior to starting a company as they explore different options for technology development and commercialization. Program participants may choose to work with PCI to pursue licensing or R&D alliance opportunities, start a company through PCI Ventures, start a company on their own (or with an outside partner), or simply continue with additional research.

Read about successful companies in the PCIV portfolio here.

Ready to get started? Contact PCIVentures@lists.upenn.edu

Our Portfolio

Read about successful companies in the PCIV portfolio here.

View Our Full Portfolio

Axonova Medical

Tech platform allowing the stretch growth of axon bundles for use as fully functional grafts to address peripheral and CNS neuropathies.

Penn Founders: D. Kacy Cullen, PhD & Douglas Smith, MD (Penn Medicine)

PCI Ventures (UPstart)

Neurostorative

Developing nerve fusion technology for immediate axonal reconnection and electrical restoration after injury.

Penn Founders: Justin Burrell, PhD & D. Kacy Cullen, PhD (Penn Medicine)

PCI Ventures (UPadvisors)

Veltion Therapeutics

Novel approaches for cancer treatment by targeting the Integrated Stress Response and its role in tumor as well as stroma adaptation to stress

Penn Founder: Costas Koumenis, PhD (Penn Medicine)

PCI Ventures (UPadvisors)

Rafias

Novel therapeutics to treat cocaine and other substance abuse disorders.

Penn Founder: Elizabeth Heller, PhD (Penn Medicine)

PCI Ventures (UPadvisors)

Evinacel

Developing a variety of technologies that enable improved gamma delta T-cell therapy, a novel DR5 CAR construct, and an exosome therapy platform

Penn Founder: George Xu, MD, PhD (Penn Medicine)

PCI Ventures (UPadvisors)

SchoolSims

Technology-enhanced immersive learning solutions to leadership development for educational and other organizations

Penn Founder: Michael Johanek, EdD (Penn Graduate School of Education)

PCI Ventures (UPstart)

Upcoming Events

All Events

Innovation @ Penn: Real World Implementation of AI and Healthcare

January 13 @ 8:00 pm

More Info

Cellicon Valley ’25: The Future of Cell and Gene Therapies

April 30 @ 12:00 pm

More Info

The Team

Michael D. Poisel, MS, MBA

Executive Director, PCI Ventures

Profile

Bhavana Mohanraj, PhD

Associate Director, PCI Ventures

Profile

Yi-Yen Chen, PhD

Associate Director, PCI Ventures

Profile

Melisa Lopez-Anton, PhD

Assistant Director, PCI Ventures

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Jaime Sweet

Associate Director of Programming at Pennovation Works

Profile

Raquel Giron

Administrative Coordinator

Profile

Working with PCI Ventures has been tremendously helpful. Moving to contributions in the commercial sector rather than the academic world is not an easy one for faculty. PCI Ventures’ broad knowledge, willingness to help, and proactive guidance has made it possible to be both a professor and a founder in a medical device company – something I would never have imagined to be possible.

Dr. Mark Yim, Founder of Prendo Systems & Greppo Technologies; Professor and Director of Integrated Product Design – Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

PCI Ventures offers an excellent program for commercializing innovative technologies from the University of Pennsylvania. The organization was instrumental in helping Quantitative Radiology Solutions receive non-dilutive funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health STTR grant programs, and connecting us with providers of accounting, insurance, and payroll services. PCI Ventures offers multiple opportunities for entrepreneurs to network and support each other in building successful companies.

Joe Camaratta, CEO of Quantitative Radiology Solutions

We have been a proud partner of PCI Ventures for several years. They have been instrumental in both facilitating our ability to invest in emerging technologies from Penn as well as supporting the evolution of these technologies into viable and compelling commercial enterprises. From our vantage point as a dedicated, University-focused, hard science investment platform, PCIV provides Penn with a unique and highly valuable capability to engage with partners such as ourselves and to drive the successful commercial exploitation of its research and intellectual property.

Michael Burychka, Managing Director, North America, IP Group

We have been a proud supporter and resource for PCI Ventures for the past 6 years and counting! It is exciting to be a part of a start-up community where you have a front row seat for the innovative ideas coming out of UPenn and finding their way into industry. PCI Ventures is a reliable incubator to the network of participating companies whether it be through the support they provide with funding strategies and mentoring or the physical Pennovation community they are constantly emerged in. PCI Ventures is an invaluable resource for these start-ups to have by providing a solid support system to rely on as they endure all of the challenges of starting and funding a new business.

Mike Stephano, Managing Partner, Stephano Slack

PCI Ventures took us by the hand and helped us navigate the previously uncharted (for us) waters of company creation. The portfolio manager assigned to us was an absolute blessing and has been with us every step of the way. Together, we have built a highly productive nucleus of key company members (CEO/president, operations, legal, regulatory and scientific co-founders) in a short period of time and 16 months later we have raised a seed round and we are well on our way to a Series A raise.

Dr. Saar Gill, Founder of CARISMA Therapeutics; Assistant Professor of Medicine; Director, Gill Laboratory, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies

As a novice founder, the team from PCI Ventures has been instrumental in helping me navigate the complexities of launching and growing a company. They are an outstanding group of professionals dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and committed to the success of their startup companies. The PCI Ventures team has helped me in many areas including navigating agreements and contracts, engaging in networking opportunities, applying for funding, connecting me with resources across the Penn campus, identifying business partners, and assisting with strategic planning. I greatly appreciate their support and very much enjoy working with them!

Dr. Tanja Kral, Founder of MeMix; Associate Professor of Nutrition Science

PCI Ventures has created mechanisms to develop the lab-to-market pipeline, with new opportunities for faculty and students to have an impact. It supports faculty who are interested in commercializing their technologies while being engaged in teaching and research at the university.

Dr. Vijay Kumar, Founder of Exyn Technologies; Nemirovsky Family Dean, Penn Engineering and Professor Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Computer and Information Science, and Electrical and Systems Engineering

Over the last seven years, I have worked closely with the staff at PCI Ventures. I can speak to their professionalism and support in the establishment of startup companies. They have accepted the challenge of supporting the creativity and innovation of Penn faculty, and I believe this is only the beginning of a phenomenal trajectory for this program. All of our faculty would benefit from PCI Ventures, and I think it is the envy of the Ivy League Schools. I sincerely thank PCI Ventures for their support in helping us realize our dreams in moving our technologies ahead for the benefit of patients and the world.

How PCIV Helps Penn Spinouts

PCI Ventures Services

UPstart

UPadvisors

Venture WarmUP