Report Points to Success Rates of Companies Spun from Federally Funded Research Universities

Hoping to draw attention to declining federal funding for basic research, a nonprofit group of public and private research universities unveiled a report highlighting the success of 100 companies that trace their roots to a federally funded research university. Of the companies highlighted, 89 remain in business today, which is far better than the U.S. average new business survival rate of 50 percent after five years, the report notes. Moreover, 16 of the 20 youngest companies (less than five years old) also remain in business. Several distinctions are drawn for university research startups, including companies bringing forth transformational innovations with social significance and a nurturing ecosystem with companies benefiting from university expertise and a creative environment. As a follow up to a 2010 report, Sparking Economic Growth 2.0 also estimates the level of federal funding behind each of the companies highlighted. Read the report...

Also check out the accompanying online database with access to company profiles.