Washington University in St. Louis: Research to Revenue

Washington University in St. Louis

Summit Venture Studio

Research to Revenue Report

Summit Venture Studio (SVS) Opportunities

SVS has identified 40 commercialization opportunities from Washington University in St. Louis 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 Washington University in St. Louis'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

20/100

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

Startup Momentum

5/100

Definition: Growth in patents, funding, and startup formation

Ecosystem Strength

56/100

Definition: Tech transfer infrastructure and support systems

Innovation Legacy

A Timeline of Groundbreaking Discoveries

Innovation Timeline

Founded

1853

First Nobel

1944

First Patent

1973

First IPO

1991

2022-2024

AI-powered medical imaging

2025

Today

Notable Commercialization Outcomes

Nobel Prizes

1972

First Patent

First issued patent granted

1972

Spin-off Founded

Launch of first spin-off

1995

Tech License

Major technology license agreement

2000

Startup Funding

Startup received venture capital

2010

Patent Milestone

1000th patent filed

2015

Competitive Benchmarking

Washington University in St. Louis vs. Peer Research Universities

Washington University in St. Louis vs Peers Comparison

Metric	Washington University in St. Louis (FY2023)	Peer Average	Elite Average
Annual R&D Expenditure	$1,169M	$855M	$1,675M
New Inventions Disclosed	6	200	400
Startups Formed	5	7	10
Visibility Index	13	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. Advanced Neurotechnology for Early Alzheimer’s Detection

Revolutionizing early Alzheimer’s diagnosis with scalable, non-invasive neuroimaging technology addressing growing aging population and unmet clinical needs worldwide.

2. Sustainable Bioplastics from Renewable Resources

Creating biodegradable plastics from agricultural waste, reducing pollution, tapping into $10B+ eco-friendly packaging market with scalable, cost-effective production methods.

3. AI-Driven Precision Oncology Platform

Leveraging AI to personalize cancer treatments, improving outcomes and reducing costs in a rapidly expanding $150B oncology therapeutics market.

4. Next-Gen Quantum Computing Algorithms

Developing proprietary quantum algorithms offering competitive advantage in cryptography and complex problem solving for emerging multi-billion-dollar quantum tech market.

5. Wireless Implantable Medical Devices

Innovative, minimally invasive wireless implants enhancing patient monitoring and treatment adherence, addressing rising chronic disease burden with scalable healthcare solutions.

6. Advanced Materials for Energy Storage

Novel high-capacity battery materials improving energy density and lifespan, crucial for electric vehicles and renewable energy sectors experiencing explosive growth.