From Lab to Launch: Inside UConn's Startup Foundry

The Accelerator with Michael Conniff

Welcome back to The Accelerator Podcast hosted by Michael Conniff! In today's episode, we are excited to introduce three remarkable guests: Ryan Coles, Ph.D. He is a Professor at UConn (University Of Connecticut) School of Business along with Peter Goggins from Pisces Atlantic and Massyl Malem from PatentPlus AI.

Our conversation begins with Professor Coles, who shares his inspiring journey into entrepreneurship and his passion for startup culture. He narrates a captivating story of his involvement in a volunteerism startup in the Middle East during the Arab Spring in 2011. This experience exposed him to the challenges of starting a business internationally and understanding the complexities of different cultures and power structures.

After completing his doctoral studies at Cornell, Professor Coles joined the University of Connecticut (UConn) and established the Foundry within Daigle Labs. The Foundry serves as an experimental space for nurturing businesses built around scientific and technological breakthroughs. Professor Coles emphasizes the significance of leveraging academic research to foster successful startups.

Next, we explore Massyl Malem's journey, the co-founder, and CEO of PatentPlus AI. Massyl's fascination with intellectual property began during a co-op program while pursuing his studies in chemical engineering at UConn. This led him to create PatentPlus AI, an innovative AI-powered platform for patent searching and analysis. Massyl discusses the challenges they encountered while accessing global patent databases and how the Foundry's "pivot grant" played a pivotal role in overcoming these obstacles.

Currently, in the beta testing phase, Massyl's company aims to revolutionize the patent search process, making it quicker, more cost-effective, and more accurate compared to traditional methods. They collaborate with pilot programs and potential clients to fine-tune their AI-powered patent search tool.

Next, we hear from Peter Goggins, the visionary founder and CEO of Pisces Atlantic. His company produces sustainable, high-tech fish feeds that are fish meal-free, using alternative protein sources like yeast byproducts, fungal meals, and insect meals. This eco-friendly feed not only benefits the environment but also improves the health of the fish.

Peter shares Pisces Atlantic's challenges during their scaling-up journey and how the Foundry's support was instrumental in identifying niche markets abroad to gain traction. With approximately 10 million USD in sales secured, Pisces Atlantic is now focused on expansion and fulfillment.

Daigle Labs is an essential hub for nurturing startups, employing a unique approach similar to a lab rather than a traditional accelerator. Professor Coles and his team provide ongoing support to startups, even after they achieve commercial success. The Foundry's dedication to fostering innovation underscores its commitment to propelling groundbreaking entrepreneurship forward. Tune in to this informative episode as we explore the dynamic ventures of PatentPlus AI and Pisces Atlantic while gaining valuable insights into Daigle Lab’s pivotal role in their success.