Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement

MIRTA is an accelerator program designed specifically to develop UMaine research innovations into marketable new products and services that may lead to new job creation and grow Maine’s economy.

MIRTA applies the accelerator model used in the startup world for technology transfer projects in the university ecosystem. During this intensive 16-week program, participants are guided through market analysis, intellectual property analysis, and business model development. After participation in MIRTA, teams have a roadmap with clear pathways that could include creation of a startup, licensing to a new or existing company or direct engagement with the end user.

Eight new startups have been formed from 26 teams in six MIRTA cohorts, and the teams have collectively raised more than $6.4 million in external funding and prototype sales to support ongoing commercialization. Companies that have been formed after participation in MIRTA  include Neuright, winner of the $25,000 David Shaw prize at the statewide Top Gun accelerator program in 2019, and UNAR Labs, selected to join the first cohort of the Roux Institute Startup Residency Program in 2021.