Intellectual Property

University Tech Transfers

Q: What is a technology transfer and why does it matter for my startup?

A technology transfer is the formal process by which intellectual property developed at a university — patents, software, know-how, data sets — is licensed or assigned to a company for commercial use. For a spin-out or startup built on university research, getting the transfer terms right is foundational: a poorly negotiated licence can limit your field of use, prevent sublicensing to customers or acquirers, or leave you paying royalties on improvements you make yourself.

Q: Does the university own all the IP I created during my research?

In Switzerland, universities typically claim ownership of IP created by employees and doctoral candidates in the course of their employment or research mandate. The rules vary between institutions and cantons. Before you negotiate, we assess what the university actually owns, what you own personally, and what may be jointly owned — so you negotiate from an informed position.

Q: What should I watch out for in a university licence agreement?

Key issues include: exclusivity and field of use (is the licence broad enough to cover your business model?); improvement rights (who owns improvements you make after the licence?); sublicensing (can you sublicense to customers, investors or an acquirer?); milestone and royalty obligations (are they realistic?); termination rights (can the university pull the licence if you miss a milestone?); and change-of-control provisions (does an M&A transaction trigger a termination right?). We review all of these and negotiate the terms that matter most.

Q: How much does a university licence negotiation cost?

Our flat-fee licence-review package starts at CHF 950 (excl. VAT), and we offer flat-fee packages for IP strategy sessions, licence reviews and negotiations — so you know the cost upfront. For more complex negotiations or combined spin-out setups, we scope the work on a free initial call and quote a fixed price before starting.

Q: Can you help with the full spin-out setup, not just the IP licence?

Yes. We provide the complete legal setup for spin-outs — incorporation of the vehicle, shareholder agreement, ESOP, initial financing documents and the university licence — so you work with one team from lab to first investor.

Protecting and commercialising university innovations — from licence negotiation to spin-out setup.

✓ Switzerland's largest law firm focused on tech companies

✓ 30+ legal experts — IP strategy, tech transfer, and university negotiations

✓ Proven track record in university spin-outs and IP commercialisation

✓ Transparent pricing — flat-fee packages from CHF 950

✓ Trusted by 1000+ clients

✓ Offices in Zurich, St. Gallen, Lausanne, Berlin, Munich & New York

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Trusted by 1'500+ tech companies & investors

"University IP offices have experienced negotiators on their side — you should too. Book a call with me and my team and we'll make sure you get the best-possible terms."

Thomas Kuster · Partner @ LEXR · Book your free call →

How we solve your challenges

From IP strategy and university licence negotiations to spin-out incorporation — the full journey, in one team.

We help you identify your key intellectual property — patents, software, trade secrets, know-how and data — and build a tailored protection strategy before you negotiate with any university or commercialise externally. Getting this right early prevents costly disputes down the road.

Universities have experienced IP offices and standard-form agreements that strongly favour the institution. Our lawyers know these agreements inside out and negotiate the best possible licence or assignment terms for your spin-out or startup — covering field of use, exclusivity, sublicensing rights, milestone payments and improvement rights.

We draft and review technology licence agreements, research collaboration agreements and IP assignment deeds — ensuring that the terms are commercially sensible, that you are not locked out of your own improvements, and that the agreement works across Swiss, EU and international jurisdictions.

From incorporation of the spin-out vehicle to the shareholder agreement, ESOP and initial financing documents, we provide the complete legal setup so you can move from lab to market with a solid legal foundation.

The LEXR approach

How we deliver University Tech Transfers, AI-amplified

Step 01

Matter in

Brief us in plain language — we scope it and route it to the right specialist.

Intake < 4h

Step 02 AI · Privileged

AI does the heavy lifting

Our own AI stack drafts, reviews and cross-checks — inside privilege.

60% fewer draft cycles

Step 03

Senior lawyer signs off

The specialist who built the strategy reviews and signs every output.

Thomas Kuster

Audrey Canova

Yoann Garraux

Step 04

Output delivered

On scope, on the quoted price — delivered into your workflow.

Scope and price are fixed in writing before we start — AI absorbs the lift, not your budget.

Selected deal record

A snapshot of the IP and tech-transfer matters we have guided — from university spin-outs to IP assignments and licence negotiations.

News

LEXR writes the licensing guidelines for the EU's official Chips Design Platform EuroCDP

Read →News

LEXR advises the ETH AI Center on fair use of copyrighted material for AI training

Read →

Our expert University Tech Transfer services

One team across the full IP and commercialisation journey — from first strategy session to signed licence and spin-out launch.

IP strategy workshopUniversity licence agreement reviewUniversity licence agreement negotiationIP assignment draftingResearch collaboration agreementsSpin-out incorporationShareholders' agreement for spin-outsESOP / employee participation for spin-outs

Find your perfect flat fee plan

IP Strategy

We identify your key IP assets and build a tailored strategy for protection and commercialisation.

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University Licence Agreement Review

Get a critical-issues report on the university's proposed licence terms — with clear, actionable advice on what to push back on.

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University Licence Negotiation

We represent you in negotiations with the university's IP office to secure the best-possible licence or assignment terms.

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Spin-Out Legal Package

Incorporation, shareholder agreement and initial financing documents — a one-stop shop to get your spin-out off the ground.

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Why LEXR

Deep tech IP expertise

We advise SaaS, AI, DeepTech and MedTech companies daily — which means we understand the technical realities behind the IP we are protecting and the licences we are negotiating.

Transparent, predictable costs

Flat-fee packages let you plan your budget without surprise invoices. You know the price before we start — financial clarity from day one.

Fast, founder-friendly advice

University IP offices move slowly; we move fast. We give you a clear picture of your position and actionable next steps — so you can get back to building.

University Tech Transfer FAQ

The questions founders and spin-out teams ask us most before starting a tech transfer.

A technology transfer is the formal process by which intellectual property developed at a university — patents, software, know-how, data sets — is licensed or assigned to a company for commercial use. For a spin-out or startup built on university research, getting the transfer terms right is foundational: a poorly negotiated licence can limit your field of use, prevent sublicensing to customers or acquirers, or leave you paying royalties on improvements you make yourself.

In Switzerland, universities typically claim ownership of IP created by employees and doctoral candidates in the course of their employment or research mandate. The rules vary between institutions and cantons. Before you negotiate, we assess what the university actually owns, what you own personally, and what may be jointly owned — so you negotiate from an informed position.

Key issues include: exclusivity and field of use (is the licence broad enough to cover your business model?); improvement rights (who owns improvements you make after the licence?); sublicensing (can you sublicense to customers, investors or an acquirer?); milestone and royalty obligations (are they realistic?); termination rights (can the university pull the licence if you miss a milestone?); and change-of-control provisions (does an M&A transaction trigger a termination right?). We review all of these and negotiate the terms that matter most.

Our flat-fee licence-review package starts at CHF 950 (excl. VAT), and we offer flat-fee packages for IP strategy sessions, licence reviews and negotiations — so you know the cost upfront. For more complex negotiations or combined spin-out setups, we scope the work on a free initial call and quote a fixed price before starting.

Yes. We provide the complete legal setup for spin-outs — incorporation of the vehicle, shareholder agreement, ESOP, initial financing documents and the university licence — so you work with one team from lab to first investor.