By: Crystal S. Carter, Texas A&M Innovation
Texas A&M Innovation has taken a major step forward in strengthening its commercialization efforts by hiring Dr. Samuel Kim as the new Managing Director of New Ventures. With decades of experience in venture capital and hard science commercialization, Dr. Kim brings a proven track record of transforming academic research into successful, high-impact startups.
As the Founder and Managing Partner of Bandgap Ventures, Dr. Kim has invested in and served on boards of companies commercializing breakthrough technologies from leading universities. His portfolio includes Inpria Corporation (spun out from Oregon State University and acquired for $514M by JSR Corporation), Electroninks (from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), GXC Inc. (a University of Texas Austin spinout acquired by Motive Companies), and Crop Enhancement (a startup from UC Berkeley). His investments span advanced materials, semiconductors, photonics, and nanotechnology, all areas where Texas A&M is poised to make a significant impact.
With a dual Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Nanotechnology from the University of Washington and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, Dr. Kim brings not only financial expertise but also deep technical knowledge. His research has won best paper awards at international conferences, and he holds patents in advanced materials, nanotechnology, and medical devices.
Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry
Dr. Kim’s passion for innovation is rooted in his belief that academic breakthroughs should not stay confined to the lab but should be transformed into real-world solutions. His installation signals Texas A&M’s commitment to becoming a national leader in technology commercialization by turning cutting-edge research into market-ready innovations that benefit society.
“Texas A&M has been blessed with many unique, one-of-a-kind resources that will enable us to be leaders in the next technology revolution in areas such as AI, nuclear energy, semiconductors, space exploration, and healthcare,” says Dr. Kim. “I am excited to leverage these resources to create new ventures and commercialize technologies that will benefit our society and make an impact around the world.”
A Roadmap for Success: The Next 5 Years
Dr. Kim’s strategic vision is clear: build momentum by achieving early commercialization successes and positioning Texas A&M as a premier destination for hard science startups.
“Momentum builds momentum, so in the initial stages, we need to have some early successes to show the world what Texas A&M is capable of,” Dr. Kim explains. “We will do this by identifying the best technologies and capabilities in our ecosystem and incentivizing collaboration with industry partners so that we are focused on opportunities that address real and pressing market needs.”
Over the next five years, Dr. Kim’s goals include:
- Identifying and fast-tracking top Texas A&M technologies for commercialization through new companies
- Building strong collaborations with industry partners to develop market-driven solutions
- Leveraging Texas A&M’s vast resources to attract top-tier corporate partners
- Securing institutional investment from venture capital firms to scale hard science startups
- Elevating Texas A&M’s reputation as a leading innovation powerhouse in the technology commercialization ecosystem
Hitting the Ground Running
Dr. Kim wasted no time in engaging with Texas A&M’s innovation community, making his first public appearance at the InnovationU fireside chat, “Building Strong Startup Companies at Texas A&M”. The event drew over 140 attendees, including faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors eager to hear his insights on launching successful hard science startups from university research.
His message was clear: Texas A&M has the talent, research capabilities, and infrastructure to become a national leader in innovation and commercialization. Now, it’s about execution.
