The Framework
A nine-level scale, scored across every dimension that matters.
One framework, three design principles.
TRL
ACRL
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Phase-gated to TRL
Each of the nine levels maps to the established TRL scale.
BUS
PROD
IP
MFG
TEAM
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Five dimensions, scored on evidence
Business, Product, Manufacturing, IP and Team — each defined by tangible, objective indicators. The weakest sets the level.
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FUNDING · MAPPED, NOT SCORED
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Funding mapped in parallel
A funding map runs beside the dimensions, showing the capital available for the venture’s next stage.
The Levels
Click through Levels 1–9
ACRL 1
Scientific DiscoveryTogether, these components provide programs, funders, and ecosystem stakeholders with a shared roadmap for commercialization—helping establish program entry and exit criteria, identify gaps in available support, align ventures with the right resources, and track progress over time.
Advancement across the ACRL scale also provides a tangible KPI for informing strategic decisions and guiding the allocation of funding and other ecosystem resources.
Current Scope
ACRL is currently designed for hard-tech innovations rooted in physical technologies, advanced materials, and complex engineering. Future iterations will expand the framework to reflect the unique commercialization pathways of software, medtech, and pharmaceutical innovations.
How INNOVATION Scoring Works
The bottleneck principle
An innovation’s overall ACRL score isn’t an average — it’s the minimum score across its active dimensions. Strong technology and solid IP don’t matter if the business hadn’t progressed and the team isn’t ready. An innovation is exactly as ready as its weakest link.
Each dimension is scored independently with the lowest dimension score indicating the innovation’s true ACRL stage and indicating the innovation’s bottleneck, giving programs and funders a precise picture of where an innovation actually stands — not a single fuzzy number.
Drag the sliders to try it.
