From Lab to Market: Why Researchers Need to Speak Two Languages — TRL and BRL

Most researchers know what TRL means. It is the scale that measures how technically mature a technology is — from basic principles all the way to full deployment. What fewer know is that there is a parallel scale, equally important, that measures something entirely different: how ready the business is.

That second scale is called BRL — Business Readiness Level. And the gap between the two is one of the most common reasons promising deep-tech projects fail to reach the market.

Two Scales, One Reality

Technology and business maturity do not move at the same pace, and they should not be confused.

A team can have a TRL 6 technology — a validated, functional minimum viable product — and a BRL 2 business. They know the science. They do not know the customer, the pricing model, or how the company would actually be structured. That combination is not investable.

Conversely, a team with a polished business model and no validated technology is equally unfinished. Investors who have seen both sides of this table know it well.

The point is not to reach TRL 9 and BRL 9 at the same time — that is rarely realistic in early-stage ventures. The point is to know where you are on both scales, and to actively work on closing the gap.

What Each Scale Actually Measures

TRL (Technology Readiness Level) tracks the development of the technology itself, from observed scientific principle (TRL 1) to a system proven and certified for real-world deployment (TRL 9). It is the standard used by the European Commission, the EIC, NASA, and the vast majority of public R&D programmes.

BRL (Business Readiness Level) tracks the commercial and entrepreneurial maturity of the project, from a first business hypothesis (BRL 1) to a company in full scaling phase with reliable historical financial data (BRL 9).

Here is a simplified view of how both scales align:

Level	TRL — Technology	BRL — Business
1	Basic principles observed	Business concept and hypothesis formulated
2	Technology concept formulated	First business concept described
3	Experimental proof of concept	First business model draft (no financials)
4	Validated in laboratory	Complete business model with financial projections
5	Validated in relevant environment	Business model validated, IP development initiated
6	MVP demonstrated in simulated environment	Full model with pricing validated through first conversations
7	Prototype proven in operational environment	Product-market fit established, Letters of Intent or purchase orders
8	Low volume manufacture, certification complete	Sales metrics proving growth, financial model mapped 3 years
9	Production-ready, certified	Company in scaling phase, historical data proving ROI

Why This Matters for Researchers

When a research team approaches Ivoro Ventures — or any serious venture builder — the first question is not «how good is the science?» The science is already a prerequisite. The question is: where does the project stand on both dimensions?

A strong TRL with a weak BRL tells us the technology exists but the founders have not yet done the work of understanding their market, their customer, or the viability of the business. That is not a disqualifier — it is a starting point. But it needs to be named clearly.

This dual assessment is exactly why we ask research teams to declare both their TRL and BRL in our evaluation process. It allows us to design the right support from the start: which gaps to close first, what kind of team to build around the science, and what funding timeline is realistic.

The Most Common Imbalance We See

The pattern we encounter most frequently in academic spin-offs is TRL 4-6 with BRL 1-2.

The technology has been validated in the lab. Sometimes there is a patent. But the team has never had a real customer conversation. There is no financial model. The go-to-market is described as «licensing» because that feels like the path of least resistance.

That is not a business. It is a technology looking for a reason to exist in the market.

Closing that gap — systematically, with the right methodology — is exactly what Venture Architecture is designed to do. TRL and BRL are not just metrics. They are a diagnosis.

Where to Start

If you are a researcher with a technology you believe has commercial potential, start by honestly assessing both scales. Not where you want to be — where you actually are today.

Then ask yourself: what would it take to move the BRL two levels in the next six months? That question alone will tell you whether you are ready to start building a company.

If you want to explore whether Ivoro Ventures can help, the first step is our project evaluation form — which asks for both TRL and BRL as part of the initial assessment.

Apply here

Ivoro Ventures is a venture architect and building firm specialized in transforming deep-tech science into investable companies. We work at the intersection of science, investment and commercialization — with a focus on agrifood tech, health and bioeconomy.