For the Economy

We drive our state and national economy by guiding new inventions to market, launching and supporting companies that create high-paying jobs, and graduating talented, workforce-ready students.

#1 in Licensing Agreements

NC State consistently leads the nation in active licensing agreements among universities without medical schools, according to AUTM data.

#2 in New Products

NC State ranks No. 2 in both new products released and total options executed among universities without medical schools, according to AUTM data.

265+ Startup Companies

Hundreds of startups have been launched based on NC State-owned intellectual property — more than from any other school in the UNC System.

Making the Market’s First All-Natural EPA-Registered Insect Repellent

Thanks in no small part to an NC State entomology professor’s early-stage research, consumers now have a plant-based, DEET-free bug spray available to purchase that’s EPA-certified to protect against mosquitoes for up to eight hours.

Researchers Hit ‘Fast Forward’ on Materials Discovery with Self-Driving Labs

Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that allows self-driving labs — robotic platforms that combine machine learning and automation with chemical and materials sciences to discover materials more quickly — to collect at least 10 times more data than previous techniques.

Aerial view of vineyard fields bathed in golden sunset light.

Agritourism Boosts Rural Livelihoods While Connecting Visitors to Farm Life

As cities grow and more people want to reconnect with the source of their food, farms are increasingly offering agritourism experiences — hands-on opportunities to learn about agriculture and rural life while supporting local economies and helping sustain family farms.

Driving Innovation in Medical Textiles for 70 Years

The historic breakthrough of a functional synthetic aorta in 1955 sparked decades of biomedical innovation at the Wilson College of Textiles. Today, the college is a global leader in solving the most pressing healthcare challenges.

Taking textiles next-level

Why Is North Carolina’s Blue Crab Population Declining?

Blue crabs are North Carolina’s most valuable commercial fishery. But since the early 2000s, blue crab numbers have fallen — and the population has yet to rebound. To understand why, North Carolina Sea Grant and partners investigated.

SinnovaTek: NC State Spinout Company Sparking Innovation and Fighting Food Waste

SinnovaTek — a company co-founded by an NC State professor and one of his former students — helps small-scale entrepreneurs get new processed-food products to market while curbing food waste from farms.

From NC State Science to Supplement: CodonRX Pioneers a New Era in Gut Health

The probiotic strain with promising health benefits behind the new supplement was first discovered 40 years ago in NC State’s Food Microbiology Lab. It was later advanced by researchers here, who removed a specific gene to reduce gut inflammation.

Daugherty Endowment Fund

The Daugherty Endowment Fund provides early-stage NC State startup companies with grant funding to address critical business needs. Startups that have licensed NC State intellectual property within the past three years are eligible for the Daugherty Endowment Challenge, an annual business plan competition, which has been part of the VenturePack Challenge since 2016 (as the Daugherty Endowment Track). Since its inception, the Daugherty Endowment has awarded nearly $690,000 to 59 startups — over 70% of which are still in business. Those Daugherty-supported startups have subsequently attracted close to $72 million in additional investment.

The engineering buildings, particularly the Fitts-Woolard building, on Centennial Campus, with downtown Raleigh skyline in the background.

More about the Daugherty Endowment: