UNM Rainforest Innovations 

UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation owned by the University of New Mexico Board of Regents. As UNM’s technology transfer and economic development arm, UNMRI protects and commercializes university innovations through patents, copyrights, and licensing. 

Established under the New Mexico University Research Park and Economic Development Act, UNM Rainforest Innovations fulfills its mission by: 

• Protecting and commercializing UNM technologies through patenting and licensing, and by launching startup companies or partnering with established businesses; 

• Connecting the business community to UNM by providing access to university expertise, research facilities, and collaborative opportunities; and 

• Advancing UNM’s role in economic development by helping translate academic innovation into real-world impact across New Mexico. 

Based in the Lobo Rainforest Building in the heart of Albuquerque’s Innovation District, UNMRI is surrounded by world-class research institutions, including the University of New Mexico’s Quantum New Mexico Institute and the New Mexico Bioscience Authority, along with a growing ecosystem of businesses born from UNM technologies. 

UNMRI’s mission is to foster a “Rainforest in the Desert” by nurturing innovation, connecting inventors with entrepreneurs and investors, and driving economic growth across New Mexico and beyond.