What stage does NJII Venture Studio invest at?

NJII Venture Studio invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.

What is NJII Venture Studio's typical check size?

NJII Venture Studio typically writes checks of $1M.

What sectors does NJII Venture Studio focus on?

NJII Venture Studio focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Healthtech.

Where is NJII Venture Studio located?

NJII Venture Studio is headquartered in Newark, US.

NJII Venture Studio

Venture studio

Newark · Pre-Seed–Seed · 12 people tracked

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Investment thesis

NJII Venture Studio turns breakthrough, IP-grounded ideas into high-potential startups aligned with NJII's strengths in AI/ML, human health, and advanced manufacturing. It sources pre-incorporation ideas and IP from NJIT, other NJ research universities, corporations, and independent researchers, pairing strong concepts with corporate partners who serve as co-builders, funders, and first customers. The studio launches 2-3 ventures annually from a pipeline of 100+ ideas, forming new C-Corps and investing up to $1M each. It places experienced operators as founding CEOs, provides back-office infrastructure, and drives an 18-month build phase targeting a major financial milestone.

Invests inAdvanced Manufacturing AI & Machine Learning Healthtech Newark United States

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Stage

Pre-Seed–Seed

Check

$1M

Newark, NJ, US

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2014

AUM

$11.6M

Team · 12 people

from the firm's website

Michael Johnson· President· New York City Metropolitan Areain

President of NJII focused on developing and commercializing paradigm-shifting technologies. He previously founded Visikol, an advanced cell culture and imaging contract research business, and later served as Chief Commercial Officer at MatTek Life Sciences.

Charlene Nicholson· Controller· New York City Metropolitan Areain

Controller managing NJII's financial reporting and day-to-day financial operations, at NJII since 2019. Previously spent 20 years in healthcare finance at RWJ Barnabas Health and Atlantic Health System.

Darlene Carr· Vice President, Healthcare· United Statesin

Healthcare executive with over 25 years in healthcare technology and innovation, overseeing NJII's Healthcare Division and the New Jersey Health Information Network. Previously Director of Information & Technology Services at RWJ Barnabas Health's Children's Specialized Hospital.

Jennifer D'Angelo· Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, Healthcare Division

COO and EVP of Healthcare at NJII with over 25 years in healthcare technology and management, overseeing operations and grant-funded programs including the New Jersey Health Information Network. Formerly SVP and CIO at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and roles at Christian Health and Jersey Health Connect.

Joseph Cauvin· Vice President, Operations· Shrewsbury, New Jersey, United Statesin

Oversees purchasing and operations at NJII, joining in 2020 after a 21-year career at Wayside Technologies where he was Director of Operations.

Lauren Baldino· Vice President, People Development and Culture· Freehold, New Jersey, United Statesin

Leads NJII's people strategy and cross-functional collaboration. Previously held HR roles at a Panera Bread franchise and CareWell Health; certified SHRM-SCP and HRCI-SPHR.

Michael Chirico· Compliance/Privacy Officer & General Counsel· United Statesin

Attorney and technologist serving as compliance and privacy officer and general counsel, and a former CISO at two New Jersey hospitals with expertise in security, privacy, and regulatory compliance.

Michael Van Ter Sluis· Vice President, Entrepreneurship· Newark, New Jersey, United Statesin

VP for Strategic Partnerships & Entrepreneurship at NJII. Previously VP of Innovation at the Council on Competitiveness, a Washington, DC science and technology think-tank.

Susan Teran· Healthcare Technology Officer· Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Areain

Healthcare executive experienced in architecting and delivering enterprise systems, leading cross-functional teams and third-party relationships in Healthcare IT.

Thomas Murphy· Vice President, Defense· Jersey City, New Jersey, United Statesin

Leads defense manufacturing technology at NJII (COMET project). A former Canadian Army RCEME officer with expertise in additive manufacturing, previously at Cimquest and Shapeways.

Thomas Villani· Vice President of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Leads AI/ML at NJII with a background spanning pharmaceutical development, AI/ML, and business. Cofounded Visikol, an advanced cell culture and imaging contract research business.

Tom Nehila· Chief Financial Officer· Flemington, New Jersey, United Statesin

CFO with over 30 years of finance experience across data analytics, media, publishing, and healthcare, previously at Reader's Digest, Volt Information Sciences, and Avaya.

Frequently asked questions

What stage does NJII Venture Studio invest at?: NJII Venture Studio invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What is NJII Venture Studio's typical check size?: NJII Venture Studio typically writes checks of $1M.
What sectors does NJII Venture Studio focus on?: NJII Venture Studio focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Healthtech.
Where is NJII Venture Studio located?: NJII Venture Studio is headquartered in Newark, US.