From lab to market: GUi accelerates tech commercialization at AAU

Anhui Agricultural University (AAU) is redefining research commercialization with the support of the Grand Union of Innovation (GUi). In 2023, AAU launched Baimai New Technology Company, its first company based on equity investment through scientific achievements. The company, focused on high-performance bio-based nylon, surpassed $11 million in valuation in less than two years and was recently added to Hefei's 2024 strategic enterprise list, granting it policy and financial support.

Baimai Tech's rapid growth reflects a broader transformation at AAU, driven by reform efforts to empower researchers. As part of a provincial pilot launched in 2022, AUA granted research teams ownership or long-term use rights of job-related scientific achievements. This shift removed key barriers to commercialization, giving scientists the autonomy to transfer or invest their technologies. To date, 87 such projects have been transferred, generating 45 million yuan ($6.23 million) in transactions.

GUiTEK Service Platform, the service company of GUi, has been a critical enabler. Through roadshows and early-stage investment, it connects research teams with funding, market access, and policy resources.

In July 2024, during a tech commercialization roadshow hosted by GUiTEK, professor Chen Yuxia from the College of Materials and Chemistry at AAU presented a research achievement that drew strong interest from investors. By November, this achievement led to the founding of Anhui Lefuer Home Technology Company, with GUiTEK investing and taking a 5-percent equity stake. Following its startup, GUiTEK further supported the startup by connecting it with the Institute of Health at the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center and facilitating access to multiple investment funds. The company's first funding round aims to raise 10 million yuan.

AAU and GUi also jointly established a tech transfer and entrepreneurship training base, while leveraging AAU's network of 36 experimental and industrial stations across the province. These on-the-ground platforms help close the gap between lab research and industrial application.

With over 30 percent annual growth in both project volume and transaction value, GUi continues helping AAU emerge as a model for turning academic innovation into real-world impact.