In the 12 years since the University of Minnesota established its Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC) in 2006, more than 120 new companies have been founded based on the U's diverse research activities. Now, OTC is a finalist for an international award recognizing the best academic technology transfer units in the world. According to Twin Cities Business, the other nominees are comparable units at Indiana University, Johns Hopkins, Oxford and Yissum (Hebrew University of Jerusalem). Vice President for Research Allen Levine said "We are thrilled to see the University of Minnesota receive global recognition. . . . It is a testament to our efforts. . . to foster entrepreneurship, connect with the private sector and accelerate the transfer of knowledge to benefit the public good.” The winner will be announced on May 22 in London. Several faculty members affiliated with the Consortium have launched companies in partnership with OTC, including Kenny Beckman (University of Minnesota Genomics Center, Corebiome); Bruce Blazer (Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tmunity Therapeutics); and Michael Sadowsky and Alexander Khoruts (BioTechnology Institute, CIPAC – Crestovo LLC).