Some of the most successful startups originate from University research, so we sat down with our data partner Startup.Directory to pick out the 10 most exciting recent spin-offs from U.S. Universities, choosing from more than 450 that have been formed in 2014 or 2015.
The startups span a range of sectors including green technology, IT, materials, biotech, medical devices, and electronics. You can find out more about the startups in the profiles below.
NextPotential / Green Technology
Spin-off from: Arizona State University
Founded 2014
NextPotential converts CO2 emissions from power utility companies into clean- burning natural gas, which substantially decreases greenhouse gas emissions and provides a constant source of renewable energy. The technology provides companies with a way to continue to burn fossil fuels and save billions of dollars in excess costs while reducing the harmful effects associated with the industry.
SioTeX / Green Technology
Spin-off from: Texas State University
Founded 2014
SioTeX™, a specialty chemical and performance materials manufacturer, has developed a drop-in replacement for fumed silica called Eco-Sil™. The production cost of Eco-Sil is 70% lower than that of conventional fumed silica. Their technology uses rice hulls, an abundant biowaste, as the raw material. The process is much simpler than the conventional method, consumes substantially less energy, and involves few toxic reactants.
SmartUQ / IT
Spin-off from: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Founded 2014
SmartUQ is dedicated to developing cutting-edge analytics technologies to accelerate simulation-based decisions and successfully meet data challenges of simulation. Whether using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Analysis, Agent-based Models, Coupled and complicated physics, Multiscale, Multiphysics, Electromagnetic simulation or other types of complex simulation, SmartUQ software can dramatically reduce the simulation and product development time, greatly improving decision-making and saving costs.
A-76 Technologies / Materials
Spin-off from: Rice University
Founded 2014
A-76 Technologies develops a multi-purpose product that acts as a preservation coating and lubricant and prevents corrosion in aggressive high salinity, high humidity environments. It works on a wide range of metal surfaces including noble metals, nickel, copper, aluminum, magnesium, and all grades of oil field steel, across a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, maritime, transportation, and household applications.
Alkahest / Biotechnology
Spin-off from: Stanford University
Founded 2014
Alkahest’s mission is to extend people’s health and activity into the advancing years of life. Resolving the challenges for individuals, families and society with aging is one of the most important challenges of our generation. Alkahest is founded on breakthrough science, which has opened new insights and created new opportunities to improve brain function against the negative processes of aging. The company is working to translate these opportunities and discoveries into transformative human therapies.
Emulate / Biotechnology
Spin-off from: Harvard University
Founded 2014
Emulate is focused on commercializing Organs-on-Chips as an automated human bioemulation platform that achieves a new standard for mimicking true human physiology so that responses to medicines, chemicals and diseases can be accurately predicted. Through co-innovation with collaborators and internal programs, Emulate is advancing product innovation, design and safety across a range of applications in drug development, personalized medicine, agriculture and chemical-based consumer products.
ExoVita Biosciences / Biotechnology
Spin-off from: University of New Mexico
Founded 2014
Exovita Biosciences is developing potentially transformative, exosome-based cancer therapeutics that harness the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. Their initial focus is breast cancer, with the idea of leveraging the technology and resulting therapeutics to other forms of cancer such as pancreatic, colon and prostate.
Synlogic / Biotechnology
Spin-off from: Boston University and MIT
Founded 2014
Synlogic is focused on delivering the potential of next generation synthetic biology to patients. Synlogic leverages the most advanced technology platform available for the creation of therapeutic microbes with the goal to make significant advancements in the treatment of disease.
InvisionHeart / Medical Devices
Spin-off from: Vanderbilt University
Founded 2014
InvisionHeart is developing a cardiac data solution that serves clinicians who care for patients with potential heart conditions. The hardware technology enables physicians, nurses, and care providers to capture, communicate, and utilize patient ECGs in a manner that is both more efficient and cost effective than the current standard of care. At the center of the technology is a cloud-based healthcare IT platform that allows a network of care providers to collaborate, review and annotate patient 12-lead ECG tracings.
Accion Systems / Electronics
Spin-off from: MIT
Founded 2014
Accion Systems is printing propulsion systems for satellites based on a proprietary ion beam technology. The revolutionary new approach to in-space electric propulsion uses simple, modular thruster chips that can go anywhere on a satellite, in any number.
All of these companies are commercializing new technologies that could impact all of our lives. We’re looking forward to watching how they progress.
You can also check out thousands of other global University spin-offs in the VentureRadar database.