News (January, 2025) - As of January 1, 2025, the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) will be doing business as the Massachusetts Academic Spinouts Center (MASC).

About MASC

The Massachusetts Academic Spinout Center (MASC) is the new operating name of the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC). MASC operates under the umbrella of MassVentures’ MV Spinouts programs. MASC works with inventors, researchers, and entrepreneurs to bring innovative technologies from academic research institutions to the market. By providing access to capital, coaching, and connections, MASC accelerates the adoption of new technology, expedites startup activity, and expands economic impact statewide.

Academic Research Commercialization

Massachusetts is a national leader in the commercialization of academic research through the licensing of university-controlled intellectual property (IP). Some of that IP is licensed directly to industry, though increasingly, it is the researchers/inventors or entrepreneurs that are forming new ventures to bring their technologies from the lab to the market. An academic spinout is a company formed for the express purpose of commercializing inventions and technologies directly resulting from research done at a university, academic medical center or non-profit research lab.   

Since 2010, Massachusetts academic and non-profit institutions have generated over 1000 spinouts that have gone on to produce market-defining products and thousands of jobs.

MASC Activities

MASC works with inventors, researchers and entrepreneurs and their institutions, as well as the Massachusetts innovation ecosystem, to accelerate the formation and success of academic spinouts.

• Spinouts Monitor: To better understand and track spinout activity with greater detail and frequency, MASC is developing a Spinouts Monitor to collect and report on the formation and success of MA-founded spinouts.
• Spinout Success Initiative: MASC will bring together key participants in the academic spinout ecosystem including founders, investors, tech transfer offices, accelerators, startup legal advisors and other quasi agencies to ensure that we are creating an environment conducive to spinout success.  An initial focus will be on the efficient formation and licensing of spinout companies as well as providing specific assistance to the UMass campuses in their spinout efforts.  

A measure of MASC success will be the increase in the number and quality of academic spinouts capable of raising investment capital to build, grow and create jobs in the Commonwealth.  

MASC will continue to administer the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices (MATTO), whose members are all not-for-profit research institutions in the Commonwealth. 

History

In 2003, the legislature created the Mass Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) to support the transfer of technologies from all research institutions in the state to industries.  Initial funding was $1.9 million.  The Center was housed within the University of Massachusetts' President's Office. UMass contracted with MassVentures to manage the Acorn academic research commercialization fund in 2020 and 2021. In January 2022, the Governor signed legislation that transferred MTTC operations to MassVentures. In January 2025, MTTC was rebranded and now does business as the Mass Academic Spinouts Center (MASC).