Duke University: Research to Revenue

Duke University

Summit Venture Studio

Research to Revenue Report

Summit Venture Studio (SVS) Opportunities

SVS has identified 28 commercialization opportunities from Duke University and scored them based on our proprietary metrics and rubrics.

The SVS model is to identify the top 1% of commercialization opportunities and start companies around them.

Please connect with SVS if you would like to engage with us in our startup and investment efforts.

Return on Research (ROR) Analysis

Commercialization Revenue per Research Dollar

Top Universities by Return on Research (ROR)

ROI Ratio: Commercialization Revenue ÷ Research Funding

University Innovation Analysis

Total Innovation Scores by Institution

Top Universities by Innovation Score

180+ High Innovation

150-179 Strong Innovation

130-149 Moderate Innovation

100-129 Emerging Innovation

130+ total score considered high innovation impact

SVS Innovation Index

Proprietary Assessment of Duke University's Innovation Ecosystem
Score out of 100. Benchmark: Top 50 U.S. research institutions.
A score of 90/100 can be read "doing better than 90% of schools benchmarked"

Innovation Visibility

70/100

Definition: Media mentions, publication count, and global research visibility metrics

Startup Momentum

7/100

Definition: Growth in patents, funding, and startup formation

Ecosystem Strength

83/100

Definition: Tech transfer infrastructure and support systems

Innovation Legacy

A Timeline of Groundbreaking Discoveries

Innovation Timeline

Founded

1838

First Nobel

2001

First Patent

1963

First IPO

2000

2022-2024

AI-powered diagnostics

2025

Today

Notable Commercialization Outcomes

Nobel Prizes

1939

Penicillin Production

First large-scale penicillin synthesis

1939

Patent Act

Bayh-Dole Act impact begins

1980

Start-up Launch

Duke spin-off company formed

1995

Patent Milestone

Over 1,000 patents filed

2004

Cancer Therapy

Innovative drug commercialization

2012

Competitive Benchmarking

Duke University vs. Peer Research Universities

Duke University vs Peers Comparison

Metric	Duke University (FY2023)	Peer Average	Elite Average
Annual R&D Expenditure	$1,508M	$855M	$1,675M
New Inventions Disclosed	1	200	400
Startups Formed	6	7	10
Visibility Index	13	12	23
Licensing Revenue	$25M	$17M	$46M

Note: Peer Average = Median value among U.S. R1 research universities. Elite Average = Top 10 ranked U.S. research universities.

Emerging Opportunities

1. "Duke's AI-Driven Drug Discovery Revolutionizes Pharmaceutical Development"

AI accelerates drug design, reducing costs and time, addressing urgent global health needs with scalable, precision-targeted therapies and strong IP protection.

2. "Next-Gen Cancer Immunotherapy from Duke Enhances Patient Survival Rates"

Innovative immunotherapies target tumors effectively, offering scalable treatments with competitive advantage in oncology markets addressing unmet medical needs globally.

3. "Duke's Sustainable Energy Storage Solutions Power Future Renewables"

Advanced battery technologies enable scalable, cost-effective energy storage, addressing renewable energy intermittency and supporting global decarbonization efforts with proprietary materials.

4. "Breakthrough Neuroscience Tech from Duke Enables Early Brain Disease Detection"

Novel diagnostic tools provide scalable, early detection of neurodegenerative diseases, addressing huge market demand for preventive healthcare with strong commercial potential.

5. "Duke's Precision Agriculture AI Boosts Crop Yields and Sustainability"

AI-driven farming solutions optimize resource use and increase yields, addressing global food security challenges with scalable, data-driven competitive advantages.

6. "Innovative Biodegradable Polymers from Duke Transform Packaging Industry"

Eco-friendly polymers reduce plastic waste, offering scalable, sustainable packaging alternatives that meet growing regulatory and consumer demand for green solutions.