At USC, Innovation Isn’t Just a Word – It’s Our DNA.

USC Trojan entrepreneurs are fueling the future, one breakthrough at a time.

Who We Are

USC’s Innovation Ecosystem connects and empowers Trojan entrepreneurs–transforming groundbreaking research into
startups, technologies, and real-world solutions.

Facilitated by the Office of Research and Innovation, we support innovators at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from discovery and company formation to venture growth and global impact.

Explore Who We Are

By The Numbers

$1B+

Annual research expenditures

$32B+

Venture capital raised by USC alumni-founded startups (PitchBook)

Los Angeles’s ranking in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report of the world’s leading startup ecosystems

#17

USC’s ranking in Fast Company and Inc.’s Ignition Schools list of the world’s top universities for entrepreneurship and innovation

What We Do

Empowering Innovation at Every Stage

Explore!

Inspire

Spark your entrepreneurial journey—USC’s early-stage programs ignite ideas, fuel innovation, and turn ambition into action!

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Ignite

From spark to startup—Office of Research and Innovation’s seed funding and internal venture support programs help early-stage ideas gain traction and thrive.

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Invest

Big ideas deserve bold backing—USC strategically invests in its entrepreneurs to accelerate startup growth and real-world impact.

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The USC Innovation Network

The Office of Research and Innovation anchors USC’s innovation ecosystem, bringing together USC’s innovation infrastructure, strategic partners, and campus collaborators to support Trojan entrepreneurs.

EXLORE THE USC INNOVATION NETWORK

Innovation Leadership

Office of Research and Innovation Strategy

Learn more at rii.usc.edu

USC Stevens Center for Innovation

Learn more at stevens.usc.edu

USC Alfred E. Mann Institute

Email us at twarsi@usc.edu

Strategic Partner

USC + Techstars Partnership

Learn more at techstars.com/usc-and-techstars-programs

Campus Innovation Partners

Innovation Quest

Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship

I-Corps Hub: West Region

MESH Strategic Partnerships

Innovation News & Events

Latest News

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Jordan Locy, Author at Office of Research and Innovation

From Idea to Pitch: OORI and Techstars Bring USC Founders Together for Startup Weekend
by Jordan Locy on May 22, 2026 at 5:29 pm
Author – Ethan Bochicchio Over the course of 54 hours, Trojan entrepreneurs moved from early ideas to final pitches during the 2026 USC and Techstars Startup Weekend, a three-day innovation experience coordinated by the Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) in partnership with Techstars. Throughout the weekend, USC students, faculty, staff, and alumni came together to pitch…
USC OORI-Organized Venture & Innovation Summit Showcases a Thriving Innovation Ecosystem
by Jordan Locy on April 28, 2026 at 5:41 pm
Author – Ethan Bochicchio The USC Venture & Innovation Summit, held on February 12, underscored the growing strength of Southern California’s innovation economy and the University of Southern California’s central role in it. Hosted by USC’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) and sponsored by Amgen and J.P. Morgan, the daylong event brought together faculty, founders, investors, corporate leaders,…
From Lab to Launch: OORI Support Drives SBIR/STTR Success for USC Startup AO Tech
by Jordan Locy on April 27, 2026 at 10:24 pm
Author – Ethan Bochicchio AO Tech, a startup born out of the University of Southern California’s (USC) research ecosystem, has achieved a major milestone by securing both a National Institutes of Health (NIH) STTR Phase I award of approximately $300,000 and an ARPA-H STTR Fast-Track Phase I/II award totaling roughly $3.7 million, about $1.5 million of…
OORI Unlocks Microsoft for Startups Resources for USC Entrepreneurs
by Jordan Locy on March 27, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Author – Ethan Bochicchio Through its expanding network of external collaborators, the Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) has enabled USC founders to access Microsoft for Startups resources by joining the Microsoft for Startups Investor Network. This engagement offers benefits to Trojan entrepreneurs, including cloud credits, go-to-market support, and AI tools. By building these partnerships,…
AMI Makes Exciting Investment in Innata Bio
by Jordan Locy on March 26, 2026 at 7:42 pm
By – Ethan Bochicchio & Jordan Locy Innata Bio is an inflammation-modulation platform company at the clinical stage, focused on developing advanced treatments to address aging-related inflammation. Co-founded by USCS’s Dr. Denis Evseenko, Innata Bio has identified a key link between inflammation and cellular aging and has created a patented platform to reverse this process.…

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Trojan Innovators in Action

Turning Ideas into Startups Through the OORI Innovation Empowerment Award

“The mentorship and funding gave me the freedom to experiment, validate ideas, and make real progress in the early stages of building my startup.”

Jessie Tran, Student

Master of Science, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
USC Marshall School of Business

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What truly stood out was the diverse expertise and support we received from the Techstars team and mentors. In a short period, we connected with many different mentors whose practical insights helped us pivot swiftly when necessary and tackle various early-stage obstacles. The collaborative atmosphere also facilitated valuable relationships with other founders, fostering a community of mutual support. I highly recommend applying for the Student Empowerment Award. The funding it provides is incredibly valuable in the early stages, helping you experiment, validate ideas, and make key progress without the stress of securing outside investment. Beyond funding, it boosts your credibility and opens doors to networking, mentorship, and partnerships. You won’t realize how impactful it is until you experience it.

Advancing Biomedical Innovation Through USC Research and Commercialization

“OORI’s support—from grant development to commercialization—has been instrumental in advancing innovation across my research programs.”

Mark Humayun, Faculty

University Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering
Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences, Director, USC Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics
Co-Director, USC Roski Eye Institute
Keck School of Medicine of USC

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Through USC’s Office of Research and Innovation, I’ve had the pleasure to work closely with a few units, including Research Strategy and Development, Research Initiatives and Infrastructure, and the Stevens Center for Innovation. These units have helped me secure grant funding, providing writing and editing support, and have helped me see-through commercialization and IP efforts with my company. With each, I’ve been met with nothing but continuous support and guidance, with a clear dedication shared amongst staff and personnel to ensuring the success of USC faculty in their research and innovation activities. I continue to recommend faculty to engage with OORI’s units, as the support they provide as a resource to faculty is unparalleled.

Building AI Tools to Make Healthcare More Accessible

“The OORI Student Empowerment Award helped us accelerate development of AI tools that make healthcare more
affordable and accessible.”

Dhruv Deshmukh, Student

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
USC Viterbi School of Engineering

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I’m incredibly honored to have received the OORI Student Empowerment Award, which is helping us advance both our entrepreneurial and social impact goals with my startup, Veyra. With this support, we’re able to incorporate and expand our product development and build new voice AI and email communication tools that empower people to save money on their medical bills—especially since nearly 80% of bills in the U.S. contain costly errors. This award not only helps us grow as a company but also enables us to do meaningful work that makes healthcare more affordable and accessible for the communities that need it most.

Gaining Real Startup Experience Through USC Techstars Partnership

“Working with USC Techstars gave me the real-world experience, mentorship, and confidence to take the first steps toward launching my own venture.”

Wednesday Satterlee, Student

BS, Business Administration
Marshall School of Business

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As a senior in my final semester, I fell in love with the start-up ecosystem but worried it was too late to gain real experience before graduation. I was eager to dive into the investing side of the industry, and the OORI Early Career Innovator Award gave me the opportunity to do just that. Through USC Techstars, I worked alongside 10 visionary founders, each building radically different companies. I witnessed the grit it takes to fundraise, the clarity required to craft a compelling vision, and the humility needed to iterate constantly. These lessons weren’t theoretical like the ones I learned in the classroom. I now have the practical experience and exposure needed to take the first real steps toward launching my own venture one day, I can confidently say there’s been no experience more valuable.

The Early Career Innovator is the perfect title for this award as the interns have proved that innovation isn’t reserved for the seasoned or the titled, it belongs to the curious, the relentless, and those bold enough to believe they can build something better. I am grateful to have worked with USC Techstars this semester and I hope it marks the beginning of a lifelong journey in entrepreneurship.

Advancing a Student Healthtech Startup with the Empowerment Award

“The Student Empowerment Award is helping us advance our healthtech startup to the next stage by supporting technical development and early growth.”

Miki Safronov, Student

BS, Human-Centered Design, Technology, Entrepreneur, and Communication
Iovine and Young Academy

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We are extremely grateful to have received the Student Empowerment Award for our healthtech startup, Veyra. This funding will be crucial in letting us advance our startup to the next level and it will directly go towards technical development, incorporation costs, and marketing. It’s amazing that USC is supporting student-led ventures and we’re thrilled to be recipients of this award!

Accelerating Startup Growth Through USC Techstars Partnership

“USC Techstars gave our startup the funding, mentorship, and network we needed to test ideas, find product-market fit, and accelerate growth.”

Rex Ordonez, Student

Bachelors, Computer Science & Business
USC Viterbi School of Engineering

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The program offered by OORI played a crucial role in speeding up the growth of my startup. It connected me with my founding team, provided grant funding, and gave us access to a vast network of mentors and resources. These resources helped us conduct customer discovery, run small experiments, and identify product-market fit, giving us everything we needed early on. The Techstars program offers founders invaluable support, providing funding, the tools, mentorship, and the network needed to accelerate startup growth. It’s especially beneficial for entrepreneurs looking to scale quickly and effectively while avoiding common pitfalls.

Scaling a Student Startup with the OORI Student Empowerment Award

“The OORI Student Empowerment Award helped accelerate Treffa’s growth and gave me the support to build a venture that can create real impact beyond USC.”

Anantika Mannby, Student

BS, Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation
Iovine and Young Academy

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The OORI Student Empowerment Award has been a crucial catalyst for Treffa’s next stage of growth. With this support, we’re on track to bring Treffa to hundreds of thousands of users in the next year. I’m so grateful to USC for not just supporting student innovation, but for propelling me to build something that creates impact far beyond the walls of our school.

Advancing Research Translation Through OORI Support

“OORI’s programs and support have been invaluable in helping translate my research into real-world innovation and connecting our work to industry.”

David Barnhart, Faculty

Research Professor of Astronautics
Department of Astronautical Engineering
Viterbi Information Sciences Institute

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As a PI at USC, I have interacted with the OORI through the SBIR/STTR planning award, garnered support for both large and small proposals, and received outstanding students through the ECI program. RSD has benefited me by providing more opportunities to develop proposals for projects with relevant and state-of-the-art companies in industries that we can work with through research. My entrepreneurial venture off campus has also benefited, as RSD has showcased how mergence with major research university resources and students can help accelerate innovation and therefore growth in the commercial sector. The motivation of the personnel in the office, their ability to help keep proposal deadlines on track, their ability to reach out to other universities and academic institutions to get letters of support (honestly the things that as a researcher we need help on to translate our technology and concepts into reality), have been invaluable in my collaborations with the office. I highly recommend participating in the SBIR/STTR planning award for PIs here at USC. It’s an outstanding way to bridge the unique transition from pure academic research to connectivity into the industrial and entrepreneurial workspace. As a personal note, the folks at OORI helped to recharge my focus on seeing my group’s research flourish, as they are super motivated and positive. The idea of “transition” is not an easy one and is not always on a researcher’s mind, but this group at USC is in an office that should get accolades for helping get our ideas out into the world, which aligns with USC’s goal of world-class knowledge generation and impactful research amongst our faculty… Steve/Robyn/Jordan/Aaron and everyone behind the scenes, I can’t thank you enough!

At USC, Innovation Isn’t Just a Word – It’s Our DNA.

USC Trojan entrepreneurs are fueling the future, one breakthrough at a time.

Who We Are

By The Numbers

What We Do

Empowering Innovation at Every Stage

Inspire

Ignite

Invest

The USC Innovation Network

Innovation Leadership

Office of Research and Innovation Strategy

USC Stevens Center for Innovation

USC Alfred E. Mann Institute

Strategic Partner

Campus Innovation Partners

Innovation Quest

Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship

I-Corps Hub: West Region

MESH Strategic Partnerships

Innovation News & Events

Latest News

Upcoming Events

Trojan Innovators in Action

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I-Corps Hub: West Region