University of California, Davis: Research to Revenue

University of California, Davis

Summit Venture Studio

Research to Revenue Report

Summit Venture Studio (SVS) Opportunities

SVS has identified 38 commercialization opportunities from University of California, Davis 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 University of California, Davis'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

80/100

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

Startup Momentum

7/100

Definition: Growth in patents, funding, and startup formation

Ecosystem Strength

94/100

Definition: Tech transfer infrastructure and support systems

Innovation Legacy

A Timeline of Groundbreaking Discoveries

Innovation Timeline

Founded

1905

First Nobel

1990

First Patent

1975

First IPO

1995

2022-2024

AI-powered diagnostics

2025

Today

Notable Commercialization Outcomes

Nobel Prizes

1990s

First Patent

Invention of plant pathogen detection

1990s

Biotech Spinoff

Creation of AgraQuest company

2000s

CRISPR Licensing

Licensing gene-editing technology

2010s

Patent Milestone

1000th patent granted

2015

Startup Launch

Formation of Twist Bioscience

2018

Competitive Benchmarking

University of California, Davis vs. Peer Research Universities

University of California, Davis vs Peers Comparison

Metric	University of California, Davis (FY2023)	Peer Average	Elite Average
Annual R&D Expenditure	$962M	$855M	$1,675M
New Inventions Disclosed	1	200	400
Startups Formed	8	7	10
Visibility Index	1	12	23
Licensing Revenue	$20M	$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. Precision Agriculture Innovations Transforming Sustainable Farming Practices

UC Davis develops AI-driven tools optimizing crop yields and reducing resource waste, addressing global food security and environmental sustainability challenges with scalable solutions.

2. Breakthrough Vaccine Technologies Accelerating Infectious Disease Prevention

Novel vaccine platforms from UC Davis offer rapid, cost-effective immunization against emerging pathogens, meeting urgent global health demands and enabling widespread deployment.

3. Advanced Environmental Biosensors Enhancing Pollution Monitoring

UC Davis creates sensitive, real-time biosensors detecting toxins in air and water, crucial for regulatory compliance and protecting public health at large scales.

4. Renewable Energy Storage Solutions Improving Grid Reliability

Innovative battery technologies from UC Davis increase energy storage efficiency and lifespan, supporting scalable renewable integration and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

5. Neurotechnology Platforms Enabling Next-Gen Brain-Machine Interfaces

UC Davis pioneers scalable neurotech devices enhancing communication and mobility for disabled individuals, addressing significant unmet medical needs with competitive advantages.

6. Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Revolutionizing Seafood Production

UC Davis engineers eco-friendly aquaculture methods boosting yield and minimizing environmental impact, meeting rising seafood demand sustainably with scalable commercial potential.