The University of Pennsylvania's newly launched $10 million StartUP Fund has announced its inaugural investments, supporting three separate Penn faculty-founded companies.
The companies span the fields of maternal health, advanced radio-frequency filtering technology, and AI-powered drug discovery.
"I am thrilled that the StartUP Fund is able to provide the critical early-stage capital needed to support Penn spinout companies as they translate these types of innovations into products with real world impact," said Chief Innovation Officer John Swartley.
The fund is designed to supply early-stage capital to companies spun out of Penn research.
In other campus news, Brigitte Weinsteiger, Penn Libraries' vice provost and director, discussed modern research libraries, collaborative "third places," and the "Don't Study Alone" campaign for new students. "You can encounter something made thousands of years ago and cutting-edge technology in the same library system," she said.
Penn Engineering announced a new Master's Degree in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, which will prepare students to build, analyze, and responsibly apply intelligent systems across two rapidly evolving fields, beginning in the fall of 2027.
Penn Medicine teams from Philadelphia to Lancaster are giving gun locks, safes, and guidance to gun owners, following a surge in gun sales during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw an estimated 30 million people buy guns. The effort is being studied as a possible model for other hospitals and health systems.
Second-year student Sage Sawhney spent the summer in the Developing Minds Lab exploring the behavioral and neural foundations of early math learning, studying how everyday interactions and "math talk" may shape children's mathematical development.
Annette Lareau of the School of Arts & Sciences told The New York Times that services helping parents manage tasks for their college-aged children "might save parents, especially moms, valuable time," but she worries they may prevent young adults from developing independence.