(NU/1433-32) mignon.ai: The Provision of Business Consultancy to Assist Commercialisation of University Research.

Tender description

Newcastle University have developed a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) microchip architecture which is uniquely underpinned by logic-based AI. The microchip named mignon was fabricated in early 2021 and this work was led by Dr Rishad Shafik and Professor Alex Yakovlev of the Microsystems Group, School of Engineering at Newcastle University. The aim is to create a Fabless IP based spin-out company mignon.ai which will market and sell the design of customised hardware devices and semiconductor electronics systems all based on the mignon microchip. The company mignon.ai will develop and design the microchips and supply codes to clients to enable the synthesising of microchip, where all manufacturing of hardware will be outsourced. The team requires an experienced and appropriate business executive to progress this opportunity. Lot 1: Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Teesside universities together with the University of Bath on behalf of the SETsquared Partnership (the Enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) and any other HE Institution that wishes to join this DPS, as detailed in the Office for Students Register, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/the-ofs-register/ will engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period. The specific requirements will be detailed in each individual further competition. The typical brief of an executive will be to: (a) Produce a viable business plan; (b) Obtain university approval for the venture; (c) Act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters; (d) Provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for Research England and ESIF reporting requirements; (e) Secure (venture capital and/or other) funding in accordance with the business plan. This will be a cyclical process throughout the entire Research England, and potential ESIF project along with any additional funding streams.