IP Group, a developer of intellectual property-based businesses, has invested £371,000 ($578,000) in Marblar, a platform which is looking to "gamify" technology transfer.
If the full amount is invested IP Group will have a 33.1% stake in Marblar.
Marblar has developed an online network for individual, university and corporate-linked inventors, allowing them to come up with new ways to exploit scientific discoveries.
This year IP Group participated in a pilot version of the Marblar, for applications for DNA chemistry from the Southampton Nucleic Acid Research Group, led by Professor Tom Brown.
The University of Southampton is one of IP Group’s partner universities.
Within three weeks, one entrant on the Marblar network had come up with a novel application, which is being evaluated as a potential spin-out.
Alan Aubrey, chief executive of IP Group, said: "What Marblar is offering is an innovative way of unearthing new applications for existing science that might otherwise be overlooked and complements our existing model. We see this as a great source of new ideas, and potentially new companies, that could ultimately benefit UK plc as a whole."