University of Wisconsin–Madison: Research to Revenue

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Summit Venture Studio

Research to Revenue Report

Summit Venture Studio (SVS) Opportunities

SVS has identified 75 commercialization opportunities from University of Wisconsin–Madison 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 Wisconsin–Madison'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

72/100

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

Startup Momentum

9/100

Definition: Growth in patents, funding, and startup formation

Ecosystem Strength

57/100

Definition: Tech transfer infrastructure and support systems

Innovation Legacy

A Timeline of Groundbreaking Discoveries

Innovation Timeline

Founded

1848

First Nobel

1915

First Patent

1964

First IPO

1995

2022-2024

AI-powered drug discovery

2025

Today

Notable Commercialization Outcomes

Nobel Prizes

1920s

Vitamin Discovery

Discovered Vitamin D synthesis

1920s

Warfarin Development

Blood thinner anticoagulant created

1970s

CRISPR Research

Early gene editing studies began

1980s

Human Genome

Contributed to genome mapping

1990s

Spinout Companies

Launched numerous tech startups

2000s

Competitive Benchmarking

University of Wisconsin–Madison vs. Peer Research Universities

University of Wisconsin–Madison vs Peers Comparison

Metric	University of Wisconsin–Madison (FY2023)	Peer Average	Elite Average
Annual R&D Expenditure	$1,732M	$855M	$1,675M
New Inventions Disclosed	1	200	400
Startups Formed	10	7	10
Visibility Index	13	12	23
Licensing Revenue	$30M	$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. AI-Driven Drug Discovery Accelerates Therapeutics Development

Leveraging AI to reduce drug discovery time and costs, addressing critical pharmaceutical R&D inefficiencies with scalable, market-ready technology for global healthcare impact.

2. Sustainable Crop Genetics Enhance Food Security and Climate Resilience

Advanced genomics improve crop yields and stress resistance, meeting global demands for sustainable agriculture and scalable solutions amid climate change challenges.

3. Next-Gen Battery Tech Powers Clean Energy Revolution

Innovative battery materials increase energy density and lifespan, enabling scalable, cost-effective clean energy storage critical for renewable energy adoption worldwide.

4. Precision Medicine Platform Personalizes Cancer Treatment

Cutting-edge genomic analysis enables tailored therapies, improving patient outcomes and scalability in oncology markets with high unmet medical needs.

5. Advanced Robotics Automate Manufacturing Efficiency

Robotic systems enhance production speed and precision, reducing costs and enabling scalable deployment across diverse industrial sectors globally.

6. Novel Biodegradable Polymers Reduce Plastic Waste

Eco-friendly polymers offer sustainable alternatives to plastics, addressing environmental pollution with scalable manufacturing and strong market demand.