ABOUT THE EVENT
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026 3–3:50pm EST
Event Location: Virtual
Now Accepting Applications: Founders’ Bench Award for Ophthalmology Innovation
University Lab Partners (ULP), in partnership with Bausch + Lomb and with UC Irvine’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute as academic partner, haslaunched the Founders’ Bench Award, a new program for early-stage companies developing eye health solutions.
Awardees receive six months of funded wet-lab bench space at ULP in UCI Research Park, along with:
- Access to shared scientific equipment
- Mentoring from Bausch + Lomb scientists and business leaders, plus experts in regulatory, IP, clinical development and finance
- Fundraising-readiness support, including NIH SBIR/STTR grant consulting
- Connections to UCI faculty, core facilities and talent
- A Month 6 investor showcase
Who should join: Pre-seed and seed founders, academic or corporate spinouts with a Southern California link and a real need for bench space.
We love ideas in eye drug delivery, treatments, cell and gene therapies, diagnostics and imaging, and surgical or digital tools.
Important dates:
- Info webinar: Thursday, November 12 (register here)
- Apply by: Monday, November 30
- Pitch & Award Night: Tuesday, February 2, 2027
Learn more and apply: universitylabpartners.org/foundersbench
