Girvan is a tax-exempt non-profit public-benefit corporation with the purpose of facilitating the development of new technologies from concept to application. Initial funding of Girvan was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA"), through the Commercial Technology Office at NASA's Ames Research Center, under a five-year cooperative agreement between Ames and Girvan.

Girvan Ventures is an international technology investment and business development company working with the Girvan Institute of Technology to explore business opportunities in the private sector across the globe.