From Lab Trick to Fundable Play: Dual-Function Molecules (TADF + 2PA)
 
Multifunctional materials are powerful—and messy. One side wants OLED-grade efficiency and lifetime; the other wants deep-tissue bioimaging brightness with sane safety. This blueprint turns that chaos into a clear TRL-mapped plan you can actually execute.
 
What you gain
Avoid missing a grant cycle. Horizon Europe grants now average ~273 days from call close to grant signature. One misaligned submission can push you back almost 9 months—this playbook shows exactly which evidence to assemble before you apply.
Plan around manufacturing reality. OLED production is a marathon—140+ process steps and >1 month end-to-end. If your emitter plan doesn’t respect that complexity, your pilots stall. We show where your material must pass, and when.
See credible exit timing. Strategics buy IP + data before full mass production: Samsung Display acquired Cynora’s TADF IP to secure tech options. Knowing when exits happen prevents over-building and under-pricing.
Unlock near-term revenue. Ship research-use-only (RUO) imaging probes while you mature the platform—an FDA-recognized path for lab-phase products.
 
Translation: this guide helps you avoid a 9-month grant slip, de-risk panel pilots that have 140+ failure points, time your dealmaking to when strategics actually transact, and bring in RUO cash early.
 
What you get
Layered Case Study (readable, source-backed):
Science profile (how dual TADF/2PA works, with references).
Markets and sizing; two application lanes (OLED & bioimaging).
TRL 3 → 7 product roadmap with science + business gates.
Capital architecture: revenue-first stack (pilots, JDAs, RUO) + grants; equity only when KPIs exist.
Decision Aids (printable):
Track Choice Decision Tree: Exit @ TRL7 vs. Build-the-Company.
TRL→Capital Canvas: science gates, monetization, grants, KPIs on one page.
Source kit: links to market and regulatory references you can forward to partners and reviewers.
Reader bonus: 10% off a Tailored Capital Roadmap (includes 1:1 session + a written plan).
 
Why is it worth it
Because time and sequencing are your profit. Deep-tech ventures don’t fail for lack of brilliance; they fail by burning cycles in the wrong order. This blueprint is designed to:
Convert your current TRL into the next paying milestone (venture-client pilot, RUO kit, or eval lots), not a science project.
Map non-dilutive capital to each gate so you’re not trading equity for evidence.
Keep your exit optionality alive: you can sell at TRL-7 (like many materials/IP plays) or keep building a platform—without rewriting your plan mid-flight.
 
Who it’s for
Founders, postdocs, and intrapreneurs working on dual-function organic emitters/probes (TADF, MR-TADF, 2PA/NIR fluorophores) who want a fundable path, not generic advice.