THE LEADING MARKETPLACE FOR ACADEMIC EXPERTISE

Monetize your expertise.

Join Unicircles to rapidly earn consulting fees or raise research funding from investors and corporates.

Run short consulting projects, join an advisory board, or post a R&D project to collaborate with market leading businesses. Meet your peers in business and academia to discuss research collaboration and entrepreneurial opportunities. We facilitate research & innovation seminars with a global reach.

Industry-specific startup accelerators, available globally. Designed by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Stanford School of Engineering
San Francisco

"Robotics"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Cambridge - School of Technology
London

"Focused on innovative analytical techniques using mid-infrared spectroscopy for industrial, environmental, and medical sensing. Currently developing a novel sensor for continuous, near real-time monitoring of brain chemistry in trauma patients."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Cambridge - School of Technology
London

"Working on developing machine learning methods and Big Data approaches to design of reaction pathways for circular economy"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Cambridge Undergrad
London

"Biotechnology and chemical engineering"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
MIT - School of Engineering
Boston

"cellular immunology and infectious diseases"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
HKUST - School of Business and Management
Hong Kong

"Secretary and Research Assistant to President (European) at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Princeton - Natural Sciences
Washington DC

"Sustainable agricultural with a focus on environmental microbiology"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Stanford School of Engineering
San Francisco

"biosensor"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
HKUST - School of Engineering
Hong Kong

"Robotics"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Heidelberg - Medicine
Frankfurt

"Neuronal vesicle fusion mechanisms in vitro"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Cambridge - School of Technology
London

"Cambridge-Oxford-Harvard educated multidisciplinary clinical scientist"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
HKUST - School of Engineering
Hong Kong

"water and wastewater treatment."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Stanford School of Engineering
San Francisco

"Mechanics of Piezoelectric "

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Penn - Wharton Business School

"asset pricing, empirical"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Los Angeles

"Macroeconomics"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Penn - Wharton Business School
Arizona

"corporate finance"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Penn - Wharton Business School
Arizona

"Urban and Regional Planning"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Los Angeles

"consumer behavior"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
MIT - Sloan School of Management
Boston

" organizational communication"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Caltech - Engineering & Applied Science
Los Angeles

"Observational analyses of stellar and planetary genesis; in situ characterization of the Earth's atmosphere and biogeochemical cycles; laser spectroscopic and ab initio characterization of weakly bonded clusters and reactive intermediates"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Penn - Wharton Business School
Arizona

"housing markets"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Princeton - Natural Sciences
New York

"My research focuses on understanding the geometric features of data mathematically and on developing machine learning methods that utilize this knowledge."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
MIT - School of Engineering
Boston

"I have expertise across diverse areas, including biomolecular engineering, chemical biology, synthetic biology, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology, reflecting a highly multi-disciplinary approach."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Student
Oxford - Mathematical, Physical & Life Sciences
London

"3/4 yrs PhD research in Plant Science, manages UK and Bolivia science and sport collaborations"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Professor
Penn - Wharton Business School
Arizona

"insider trading"

Capitalize on the R&D of tomorrow, today

Join over 500 startups and numerous Global Fortune 500 companies who have chosen to work with Unicircles, to directly access the next generation of research and technology.

Get the chance to collaborate with leading research teams spanning over 200 academic circles across 100 leading Universities. Leverage this engagement to enhance and accelerate internal R&D and digital transformation projects, through the targeted hiring of advanced expertise, acquisition of leading edge IP, or investments in early stage research ventures.

Taking corporate innovation to the next level.Tailored solutions for every size, stage and need.

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Lightspeed Venture Partners

"Focused on backing early and growth stage technology companies for over 20 years."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Menlo Ventures

"Primarily focused in cloud infrastructure, SaaS, and computational biotech"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Michelin

"Chief Technical officer for Natural Rubber - Chief Operational Officer for Natural Rubber assets Michelin"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Investment Analyst
Orbis Investment Management
London

"Investment analysis generalist"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Wellington Management

"Portfolio manager with 30+ years of equity investing experience, now specializing in late-stage, pre-IPO equity"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Flex

"Chief Technology Officer Nutek Austria"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Cofounder
Aledade

"Tech enablement of value based care (Aledade cofounder). Product leader of 4 nationally recognized EHR products including athenaClinicals, Practice Fusion and CareCloud Charts plus 25+ other HIT products. Mission driven team and culture builder"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Crosslink Capital
Virginia

"Investor in software and communications infrastructure, occasionally venturing beyond. Focus on exceptional entrepreneurs tapping into significant opportunities with technological or business model innovations for a strategic advantage. Stage agnostic."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Michelin

"Experienced Head of Analytics/Data Science, skilled in driving business impact through Machine Learning/AI. Passionate about overcoming trust deficits and guiding teams with a focus on technical depth, trust, and customer empathy."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
o9 Solutions

"Interested in ibp, planning, supplychain, decisionmaking, and sustainability"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Wells Fargo

"Tech Operations Sr Associate, VP Wells Fargo. Interested in animal Welfare, children, education, health, human rights , disaster and humanitarian relief"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group

"Interested in banking, innovation, techforgood, financialwellbeing, and behavioraleconomics"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Goodyear

"Tire Performance Evaluation Engineer The Goodyear Company. Interested in cars, racing, and testing"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Orange S.A.

"Visionary and goal-oriented CIO with demonstrated experience in planning, developing and implementing cutting edge IT & network solutions to address Telco’s business opportunities."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Nokia
Helsinki

"Senior Manager, Program Management - CTO/NRC Prototyping Nokia"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
UBS

"CIO UBSWealth Management UK & Jersey UBS Wealth Management"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Tata Motors

"Assistant General Manager (Dev) - Advanced Engineering TATA Motors Limited"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Board Member
Zenefits

"Convinced we haven't even begun to see the impact of technology in our lives, and find it insatiable to see and invest and help build some of the companies that will create that revolution"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Zurich Insurance Group

"Chief Information Officer -Australia General Insurance; Regional CIO -Asia Pacific General Insurance Zurich Financial Services"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Raytheon

"Advanced UX Team Lead, Engineering Fellow, Chief Engineer for UX Raytheon Technologies"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Delta Air Lines

"AMT Delta Air Lines"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Credit Suisse

"Assistant Vice President CISO Risk Assessment Credit Suisse"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Delta Air Lines

"Network Operations Center Engineer Delta Air Lines"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Comcast

"Director of Information Systems Comcast"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Apple
Las Vegas

"Technician (Genius) Apple"

Get the support you need to grow your startup business.

Join 1000+ successful founders who are keen to learn from their academic and business peers. Connect with potential co-founders, investors, employees, and customers. And give back to the community with learnings for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Cofounder
Aledade

"Tech enablement of value based care (Aledade cofounder). Product leader of 4 nationally recognized EHR products including athenaClinicals, Practice Fusion and CareCloud Charts plus 25+ other HIT products. Mission driven team and culture builder"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
o9 Solutions

"Interested in ibp, planning, supplychain, decisionmaking, and sustainability"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Board Member
Zenefits

"Convinced we haven't even begun to see the impact of technology in our lives, and find it insatiable to see and invest and help build some of the companies that will create that revolution"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
ABL Space Systems

"Holds a variety of roles in propulsion, stage operations, and production. Graduated in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering from MIT."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Board Member
Kaseya

"Start-Up Advisor, Investor & CEO of Channel Program - Maryland Emerging Tech Company of the Year. Interested in channel, gotomarket, technology, channelprogram, and channelpartners"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Cofounder
Podium

"Modernising the way business happens locally"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Founder
Revolut

"Financial services"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Cofounder
Revolut

"Delivering Revolut, the financial super app"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Founder
IdeaGPS
San Francisco

"Angel investor, startup advisor, enterprise software, B2B, cloud, climate impact, ESG, circular economy"

Invest in the winning research of tomorrow, today.

Join hundreds of Angel Investors, Family Offices, and Corporates that joined Unicircles to connect with over 1000 startups.

As a financial investor, connect with leading academic experts. Invest in startups capitalizing on this research, and support your existing portfolio companies with academic expertise. As a corporate investor, do not miss out on leading edge technology. Invest in early stage ventures, acquire them, or purchase their IP.

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Redpoint Ventures

"Entrepreneur + investor. I believe values + people are the foundation for building great companies. "

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
General Catalyst Partners

"A multi-stage investor, spending most of my time focused on early-stage investments in consumer and fintech companies. "

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Redpoint Ventures

"Interested in growth stage companies"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Lightspeed Venture Partners

"Focused on backing early and growth stage technology companies for over 20 years."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Institutional Venture Partners
San Francisco

"I'm looking for promising new start-ups to partner with."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Crosslink Capital
Virginia

"Investor in software and communications infrastructure, occasionally venturing beyond. Focus on exceptional entrepreneurs tapping into significant opportunities with technological or business model innovations for a strategic advantage. Stage agnostic."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Wellington Management

"Portfolio manager with 30+ years of equity investing experience, now specializing in late-stage, pre-IPO equity"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Matrix Partners
San Francisco

"Early stage venture and climate change"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Investment Analyst
Orbis Investment Management
London

"Investment analysis generalist"

< Swipe to see more reviews >
Business Leader
Mesa Verde Venture Partners

"Specialized in corporate and securities law, financings, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, commercial law, international transactions, life sciences law, trademarks, and intellectual property litigation."

< Swipe to see more reviews >
General Partner
Menlo Ventures

"Primarily focused in cloud infrastructure, SaaS, and computational biotech"

THE MARKETPLACE FOR ACADEMIC EXPERTISE AND INNOVATION
Consulting • Research Collaboration • Funding

GLOBAL SCHOOLS & INDUSTRY NETWORKS

Since launching at a few universities in the US, Great Britain, and Switzerland in 2015, Unicircles has expanded to over 100 leading global academic institutions. We aim to connect experts in academia with clients in industry, both to help with funding research and to help companies innovate. We ensure that the vast innovation potential in both the young talent and leading experts at these schools is unlocked.

We focus on monetizing academic expertise through both project work and startup funding. Ranging from hourly projects, fixed price projects, pre-seed financing, equity investments, and sales of intellectual property.

By putting our collective minds together, we can solve the biggest problems facing our most fragile ecosystems and societies around the globe. Unlocking the unparalleled opportunity in GenAI, while mitigating the unknowable risks from climate change.

2451

ACADEMIC
EXPERTS

13092

CLIENTS IN
R&D ROLES

914

MANAGEMENT
CONSULTANTS

505

VC & PE
INVESTORS

2020

STARTUP
FOUNDERS

239

UNICIRCLES
AMBASSADORS

We believe in unlocking the potential of research and democratizing innovation. We aim to support a more sustainable future, balancing profit and planet.

Our ambassadors and mentors help make this happen by facilitating global connections across academia and business. Join us to help companies innovate, startups grow, universities finance research, and to help connect graduate students with industry.

Your success as ambassador will be rewarded with a stake in Unicircles. Please click below for more information.

Unicircles Events

Show all events
< Swipe to see more events >

MARKETPLACE FOR ACADEMIC EXPERTISE

We connect global business leaders with advanced research and business expertise.

Business should be a force for good, which is why our core tenets include sustainability, inclusion, and global risk mitigation.

Our aim is to help companies hire the most brilliant minds to solve the most intractable problems. We facilitate trusted interactions, and speed up the typical statement of work through simple workflows and standardized legal documentation.

Join as:

Our mission is to accelerate sustainable innovation to increase global happiness.

We aim to reduce the current levels of angst and anxiety that permeate the media, and that are not always warranted.

We do this by connecting tomorrow’s most promising and purpose driven startups with academic expertise, early stage investors, and launch customers.

We facilitate trusted interactions, and speed up the typical recruitment, sales, and fund raising process through simple workflows and standardized legal documentation.

Join as:

MARKETPLACE FOR FUNDING & INCUBATION

Selected Participants On Unicircles

News from Unicircles

< Swipe to see more articles >

Connecting researchers with business

Our mission is to accelerate collaboration between industry and academia. Much of our startup experience in Silicon Valley was driven by informal relationships with researchers at Stanford, based on personal connections and ad-hoc meetings, mainly at the School of Engineering. We found that even on campus there was limited interaction between departments and schools. We were in the founding officers team of BASES, the Business Association of Stanford Engineering Students, which started to improve interaction between engineering students and graduate students at other schools. As part of BASES we started INTERACT, an event series between e.g. Computer Science and the Stanford GSB, from which many startups were founded in the nineties and aughts.

We are highly confident that today's collaboration between academia and business can be greatly improved. Enhancing interaction in terms of discovery, the legal framework, financial transactions, and overall trust between the parties involved. Especially outside of Silicon Valley the informal networks between experienced entrepreneurs, angels, and lawyers are nascent. We see an order of magnitude opportunity to unlock deep research IP in Europe and Asia. All across Europe we see a wealth of untapped academic expertise, despite many attempts by the EU to kick-start a European version of the Valley.

Unicircles was founded in Europe, and intends to function as a digital "silk road" between Asia, Europe and the Americas. Our founding team includes several long time entrepreneurs from the San Francisco Bay Area - one of which working closely with the angel investor who coined the term Silicon Valley (Ralph Vaerst). Building on our combined track record spanning 5 decades and three continents, we aimed to capture and automate the key success factors for effective research collaboration. After our founding in 2012 we grew Unicircles.com from a social network for academia into today's global marketplace, incorporating the “KSFs” linked to research discovery, networking, standardized legal frameworks, and trusted financial transactions.

The Unicircles mission is to grow with a strong sense of purpose. We believe that there are enormous societal gains to be made by enabling more rational discourse between business and academia, crossing both national and political boundaries. Especially in the current era of disruption of industry supply chains, natural ecosystems, social safety nets, and the global climate. We believe it is paramount that we improve the quality and frequency of communication across the global research and entrepreneurial hubs.

Unicircles has grown into a global platform for applied research, combining a marketplace for expertise and funding in one place. The platform spans research consulting, business innovation advisory, IP transactions, and pre-seed / angel funding. We aim to radically improve communication across innovation hubs and in doing so increase purpose driven innovation around the globe. Our members leverage the network by extending the interaction during conferences and events to day-to-day collaboration. Especially in the post COVID world we believe that most innovators cannot afford to miss this more frequent interaction.

We hope that you will support our dual mission for more rational discourse and accelerated, purpose driven innovation. Please sign up now to take advantage of our time limited offer for a free annual license. We continue to enhance the marketplace experience and always appreciate your feedback. If you would like to join as a Unicircles ambassador in return for equity please let us know after the quick sign up process.


Sincere regards,
The Unicircles founding team