Impact

NC State is creating real-world impact through innovative ideas and action. Our faculty, students and staff are at the forefront of progress, and the Office of Research Commercialization helps accelerate those ideas to the market. See how we are making a difference locally, nationally and globally.

Startups Making a Difference

Creating impact is what we do. Our faculty and students are at the cutting edge of technological advancements, and we help to get their ideas and innovations into the marketplace. At every stage of innovation, we’re here to support researchers. Hundreds of startup companies have been launched based on NC State research — creating billions in annual economic impact for North Carolina.

Catalyzing Creative Concepts to Solve Commercial Challenges

The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund (CIF), a competitive internal seed fund, has selected six more research projects to support this coming year.

Meet Five Wolfpack Women Who Are Innovative Entrepreneurs

Five women who lead startups based on NC State research — and also either hold degrees from the university or teach here — share their insights and perspectives as researchers and startup founders.

Ship Repair Startup Forging Its Way to Market

What if an app could get more U.S. Navy ships back to sea sooner? The co-founder of startup company Washington’s Hammer knows just how hard it can be to get an aircraft carrier, battleship or destroyer back in sailing shape.

A visual table of statistics for the Office of Research Commercialization

Over 250 startups and spinoffs based on NC State research, attracting a total of $1.7 billion in venture capital.
#3 nationwide for startups launched among universities without a medical school; #2 nationwide in active licenses and options.
Over 2,000 patents issued worldwide.
The Wolfpack Investor Network (WIN) matches NC State alumni investors with promising university-affiliated startups to facilitate mentoring, support and angel investments for entrepreneurial businesses. WIN currently has 140 members, and WIN members have invested more than $13 million in 23 NC State-affiliated startups.
The George W. Bush Institute study on The Innovation Impact of U.S. Universities listed NC State as one of the top 20 universities for innovation impact.
The Milken Institute, an economic think tank, cited the collaboration and innovation fostered by NC State — and particularly by Centennial Campus — as key reasons why Raleigh is the one of the top 10 best-performing large cities in the United States.
NC State and its students, alumni and associated startups generate $6.5 billion of North Carolina income annually.

Five Year Metrics

	FY20	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24
Disclosures
Inventions	212	186	163	159	163
Software	17	21	15	18	21
Plant Variety	35	38	24	10	23
Copyright	10	21	2	3	9
Trademark	0	2	0	0	0
Tangible Research Material	2	1	1	0	0
Total	276	269	205	190	216
Patent Activity
Total New Patents Filed	275	258	260	269	248
US Patents Issued	63	53	54	44	60
Foreign Patents Issued	33	42	50	46	79
Total Patents Issued	96	95	104	90	139
Commercialization Agreements
Patent License	34	32	25	31	30
Software License	6	6	17	10	9
Plant License	39	74	55	50	69
Copyright License	1	5	1	0	2
Tangible Research Material License	1	0	1	1	0
Options	63	82	91	48	45
Total	145	201	193	141	156
Miscellaneous Agreements
MTA	202	222	254	258	189
CDA	384	429	400	343	354
Other	192	190	228	179	147
Total	778	841	882	780	690
Revenue
Royalties ($ millions)	$4.5	$6	$6.8	$5.7	$7.3
New Venture Development
Startup Companies	17	20	18	14	15