Duke University lands record $65M in licensing revenue, helps launch 17 startups
Date Published:DURHAM – Duke University’s Office of Licensing and Ventures says its fiscal 2020 year was record-setting, from patents to licensing fees – and the Duke New Ventures program helped launch 17 startups.
Twenty-six of the invention disclosures were Covid-related ideas.
Significantly, revenue from Duke technology soared to $65 million, up from $7 million in fiscal 2019.
“Another record year further demonstrates the innovative culture of faculty and staff at Duke,” said Robin Rasor, executive director of OLV. “These collaborative and multidisciplinary ideas have resulted in more inventions moving out of the lab and onto the market.”
As for startups, Rob Hallford, the director of Duke New Ventures, pointed out:
“Durham and the Triangle remain a great place to start a high-tech company,” said Rob Hallford, the director of DNV. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen strong, investable startups in the emerging fields of gene therapy, vaccine manufacturing, quantum computing, AI, and more, there is a lot of potential for a start-up to stay here and grow.”
Some facts noted by DNW:
- The Duke New Ventures (DNV) program helped to create 17 new start-ups this year, bringing the total to nearly 160 new companies created since the tech transfer office was formed in 1986
- Ninety percent of Duke’s startups in the last three years have stayed in North Carolina, including 15 new FY 2020 start-ups.
- DNV Venture Day and Investor Day resulted in several start-up companies working towards term sheets
- Duke-hatched companies amassed $270 million in investment
- More than $35 million of that $270 million staying in North Carolina this past fiscal year
The Office of Licensing & Ventures (OLV)is responsible management of innovations resulting from Duke research – “from creation, to feasibility and marketing, to protection, and on into licensing to commercial partners, for both startups and existing companies,” the university notes.
THE STARTUPS
| Start-up | What they do | School | Inventor |
| Hydrean | A mindful tool designed for use by anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Its tactile features link to simple prompts that guide your awareness towards intentional living | Trinity | Michael Klien |
| Xilis | Next-generation micro-organosphere technology for precision cancer therapy | SOM | Xiling Shen, David Hsu |
| LVM | Small molecule therapeutics for treatment of epilepsy | SOM | Jim McNamara |
| Upstream Biotechnology | Developing broad-spectrum disease-resistant crops to eliminate pesticide use, reduce production costs, and increase crop yield | Trinity | Xinnian Dong |
| Tumult Labs | Algorithm and software platform that systematically de-identifies data such that original data cannot be reconstructed | Trinity | Ashwin Machanavajjhala |
| Qatch | Microfluidic instrumentation that prescreens injectability and manufacturability of biopharmaceutical drugs to de-risk the preclinical phase in the drug development process | Pratt | Zehra Parlak |
| InSoma Bio | Protein matrix to stabilize autologous fat grafts | Pratt | Stefan Roberts, Tosh Chilkoti |
| Tellus Therapeutics | Developing novel small molecules derived from human maternal breast milk for the treatment of newborns with perinatal brain injury | SOM | Eric Benner |
| Quadridox | Software to simulate X-ray scanner performance | Pratt | Joel Greenberg, Michael Gehm |
| Avalo Biosciences | Enhancing crop breeding with gene discovery, powered by machine learning | Trinity | Mariano Alvarez, Brendan Collins |
| SafineAI | Tunable fluorescent labels for flow cytometry and other applications | Pratt | Roark Horstmeyer |
| Immcure | High throughput genetic modifications via CRISPR | SOM | Qi-Jing Li, Xiao-Fan Wang |
| Simbuka | Developing a low waste incinerator for feminine hygiene products | Pratt | Edgard Ngaboyamahina |
| Pluto Health | Software to facilitate consent for participants in clinical trials | SOM | Eric Peterson, Kevin Monroe |
| Calla Health Foundation | Centered on sustainably improving women’s access to cancer prevention for global impact | Pratt | Nimmi Ramanujam |
| ValanBio | New antibiotic that kills bacteria by inhibiting a particular enzyme involved in the synthesis of bacterial outer membrane | SOM | Eric Toone, Pei Zhou |
| Skincheck360 | Minimizing the risk of wrong-site skin cancer surgery by utilizing smart devices and computer vision technology | SOM | Jigar Patel
|
“Licensing to outside interests, OLV negotiated 105 license agreements, 29 of them exclusive,” the university said.
“In addition, there were 27 option agreements signed, which paves the way for next year’s licenses. The office filed a record 455 U.S. patent applications, up from 360.”
Original Article Source: WRAL TechWire