From NZ to LSU: Insights from a US tech transfer secondment

17 July 2025

For Massey Ventures’ Ella Moffat, a secondment to the United States offered the chance to step outside the familiar and explore new ways of thinking about research commercialisation.

Supported by KiwiNet, commercialisation manager Ella packed up her desk at Massey Ventures to spend two months based at Louisiana State University’s Innovation Park, a busy hub of tech transfer activity.

“The volume alone was staggering,” she says. “At Massey we might have 50 disclosures or active projects—at LSU they have 300.”

While based in Baton Rouge in 2024, Ella connected with more than 50 tech transfer offices (TTOs) from across the US, primarily regional states, learning how they structure deals and exploring different licensing models.

One of the most valuable takeaways was the concept of licensing levers—strategic tools within agreements that allow for more flexible negotiations between university TTOs and licensees. From scalable royalty rates to structured milestones and upfront buyouts, these mechanisms can be tailored to achieve mutually beneficial deals.

“It definitely deepened my understanding of how to structure deals. I came back thinking differently—more strategically—about how we can approach negotiations here,” says Ella.

The experience also prompted reflection on what makes New Zealand’s system unique. In the US, funding support typically comes post-licensing in the form of non-dilutive grants for startups, whereas Aotearoa’s PreSeed Accelerator Fund provides critical early-stage support before a company is formed—something Ella says was admired by her US peers.

“The majority of TTOs I spoke to don’t have access to PreSeed Funding to develop technology prior to commercialisation, and when I explained how our ecosystem works, they thought it was a great idea.”

Despite the differences, many of the challenges faced by TTOs in both countries were strikingly similar—limited capital, investor dynamics, and the need to align university priorities with commercial realities.

Beyond systems and strategy, the secondment offered Ella the chance to grow professionally and personally. She returned home with a wider network, greater confidence, and a clearer sense of what she enjoys most about her role.

“It was a life-changing experience. I gained a lot professionally, but it also pushed me out of my comfort zone and built my confidence.”

Now back at Massey Ventures, Ella is applying her learnings in her day-to-day work and sharing them across the ecosystem, including at forums like the Nexus conference.

“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and hope others are able to do the same,” she says. “It’s a fantastic way to upskill—stepping outside our ecosystem, learning how others do things, and bringing fresh ideas back to New Zealand,” she concludes.