UH Accelerator Awarded Funds to Expand Outreach

The University of Hawai‘i’s proof of concept center/venture accelerator XLR8UH was recently awarded a $500,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration to expand its successful commercialization efforts statewide, including underserved rural communities on the Neighbor Islands.

The grant is part of the EDA’s 2015 Regional Innovation Strategies Program, a cutting-edge federal program that supports initiatives to stimulate innovation commercialization, entrepreneurship and job creation at the local level.

XLR8UH is one of 17 i6 Challenge awardees to receive grants totaling $8 million. The funding will enable XLR8UH to introduce new activities utilizing regionally developed intellectual property, entrepreneurs and startups.

“We are pleased that the EDA recognized the value and promise of our XLR8UH program,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH vice president for research and innovation. “The University of Hawai‘i will be matching the EDA award to amplify even more of XLR8UH’s reach in extending our research innovation and commercialization efforts across the state.”

For more information, go online.

For more about XLR8UH, go online.

For more about UH research, go online.

For more about Sultan Ventures, go online.

For more about the Hawai‘i Innovation Initiative, go online.