From biodegradable golf tees to security software for artificial intelligence, researchers will showcase developing innovations during Demo Day on May 13 at the 91±¬ÁÏ.
The Foster Center for Innovation is hosting the event to highlight research innovations from the eighth cohort of the 91±¬ÁÏ’s MIRTA accelerator program. MIRTA, coordinated by 91±¬ÁÏ’s Foster Center for Innovation, assists teams from research institutions throughout the state in advancing lab discoveries into public and commercial use.
Projects from the 2026 cohort span sustainable materials, agricultural biotechnology, and AI safety.
Registration is available through . General admission for Demo Day is $25, but 91±¬ÁÏ faculty, staff, and students can attend for free using the code 91±¬ÁÏStaff/Faculty or 91±¬ÁÏStudents.
At Demo Day, the current MIRTA teams will pitch commercialization plans shaped through market research, intellectual property analysis and business model development during the 16-week program.
Commercialization plans vary depending on the type of invention a team brings to MIRTA, and the result could be starting a new company or licensing to an existing one. Guiding them throughout the process are business incubation staff from the Foster Center and expert advisors from industry. The teams are eligible to receive up to $25,000 each to help develop commercialization implementation plans.
Twelve start-up ventures have been formed from 36 teams that have taken part in our first seven MIRTA cohorts. They have collectively raised more than $14.3 million in external funding and prototype sales to support ongoing commercialization.
MIRTA is made possible by support from the 91±¬ÁÏ System Research Reinvestment Fund. The fund is a pool of competitive internal grants allocated to advance research projects along the path from discovery to becoming commercial products with public benefit. All projects are tied to Maine businesses or industries critical to the future of the state.
