Programs & Services
Express Licensing
We streamline IP licensing so you can focus on building your company, not negotiating a license.
LICENSE UT IP IN AS LITTLE AS ONE DAY
Fixed terms and fast-track licensing built for faculty founders. Open to UT Austin research faculty, grad students, and post-docs.
HOW IT WORKS
Get your express license in 4 steps.
STEP 1
Sign-in with your UT EID:
You’ll log-in through UT Austin’s standard authentication page.
STEP 2
Tell us about your technology:
Enter your Tech ID and we’ll match you with the correct license type.
STEP 3
We prepare your agreement:
A licensing specialist completes the IP details, summarizes your patent costs, and sends the agreement in 1 – 2 days.
STEP 4
Sign via DocuSign:
Review, sign, done. No back and forth. No redlines.
WHY EXPRESS
The fastest path from your research to your startup.
A license in 1-5 days
Fixed terms mean no negotiation. Most licenses are completed in 1-5 business days once required conflict of interest disclosure and review steps are complete. Learn about UT’s COI process.
No lawyer required
The terms are published and the contract is standardized — outside counsel is completely optional. Your early capital goes towards building your company, not legal bills.
Fair, benchmarked terms
Our terms are benchmarked against published startup license programs at Cornell, Yale, Michigan, and other peer research universities. You get low cost of entry, an extended patent cost repayment timeline, and clear milestones.
Full transparency
Every term is published on this page. Every contract template is downloadable. You’ll know exactly what you’re signing before you start the process. No surprises.
Investor-ready
The Express License gets the IP rights locked down so you can have those conversations now, not in six months.
UT invests first, you pay back later
UT covered the cost of protecting the IP. You reimburse over two years — 50% in year one, 50% in year two — giving you time to raise capital before bills for past patent costs come due.
Log in with your UT EID to begin. The form takes about 5 minutes to complete.
TERMS AT-A-GLANCE
We publish our terms because we believe transparency builds trust. Here’s what the Express License includes across each technology category.
| TERM | PHYSICAL SCIENCES | MEDICAL DEVICES | THERAPEUTICS |
|---|---|---|---|
| License fee | $2,500 upfront | $2,500 upfront | $2,500 upfront |
| Royalty rate | 2.5% | 2% | 2% |
| Equity | 5% fully diluted at first equity raise of $2.5M+ | 5% fully diluted at first equity raise of $2.5M+ | 5% fully diluted at first equity raise of $2.5M+ |
| Minimum annual royalty (creditable against running royalties) | Years 1 – 2: $0 Year 3: $5,000 Year 4: $7,500 Year 5+: $25,000 | Years 1 – 2: $0 Year 3: $5,000 Year 4: $7,500 Year 5+: $25,000 | Years 1 – 2: $0 Year 3-5: $10,000 Year 6+: $50,000 |
| Sublicensing share | 15% | 15% before regulatory clearance; 7.5% after regulatory clearance | 15% before regulatory clearance; 7.5% after regulatory clearance |
These are our standard, published terms, applied uniformly across every Express Patent License. Standardization means faster execution, lower legal costs, and a level playing field for every UT founder. Express software and copyright license templates are in development. View the full agreement.
PATENT COST REIMBURSEMENT
Past patent costs are split evenly across your first two years, never due all at once at signing. That gives you room to close a funding round before you repay.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5+ | |
| Past patent costs (incurred before the license) | 50% | 50% | Paid in full | —— | —— |
Past patent costs cover prosecution UT funded before the license, repaid in two equal installments across Years 1 and 2.
Future patent costs are reimbursed as incurred, with a quote and your sign-off before we spend a dollar. No surprises on your bill.
Why We Spread Past Patent Costs
Many programs ask for 100% of patent costs at signing. We split past costs 50/50 across two years so you can raise a round before the bill comes due, lowering the bar to get your technology out the door. And if the total is still too steep for your stage, tell us. We’ll work out a payment plan that fits.
Log in with your UT EID to begin. The form takes about 5 minutes to complete.