Carolina reaches 200 IP-based startup milestone

UNC-Chapel Hill has now launched 200 startups based on the University’s Intellectual Property, placing it among approximately 10% of U.S. research universities to reach this level of commercial productivity.

The milestone reflects the University’s sustained commitment to translating lab discoveries into products and services with real-world impact. According to Innovate Carolina’s analysis of the most recent Association of University Technology Managers survey, only about 10% of the more than 260 U.S. universities that responded reported launching 200 or more IP-based startups since tracking began in 1991.

“Surpassing 200 IP-based startups is a powerful testament to the creativity and research excellence of Carolina’s faculty and inventors and the strength of UNC-Chapel Hill’s flourishing entrepreneurial culture,” said Kelly Parsons, director of technology commercialization at Innovate Carolina. “By launching and supporting startups, our innovators accelerate the path from discovery to real-world solutions — creating jobs, driving economic growth and improving lives.”

It also comes as UNC-Chapel Hill climbed from 94th to 56th on the National Academy of Inventors’ Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Utility Patents ranking over the past three years, with Carolina innovators granted 60 patents in 2025.

By the numbers

Innovate Carolina’s fiscal year 2025 impact analysis highlights the economic footprint of UNC’s IP-based ventures:

• 12 new IP-based startups launched in fiscal year 2025, tying the all-time single-year record
• More than 55% of Carolina’s IP-based ventures remain active
• 77% of active Carolina IP-based startups (83 companies) are headquartered in North Carolina, spanning 11 counties
• $475 million in annual revenue earned by Carolina IP-based startups
• 3,280 jobs created worldwide, including 1,243 in North Carolina
• Across all 1,273 UNC-affiliated startups tracked since 1950, the University’s ventures have raised $48.9 billion in cumulative funding and created more than 131,000 jobs worldwide.

A UNC-affiliated startup is an incorporated firm with a verified legal formation date and a clear connection to UNC-Chapel Hill, founded by faculty, staff or students during their time at the University or within five years of departing. Not all UNC-affiliated startups are IP-based. Carolina IP-based startups are created to commercialize UNC-owned intellectual property.

Recent startups

Among the 12 IP-based startups launched in fiscal year 2025:

• Goldie Health — A digital platform that helps agencies identify individuals at risk of opioid overdose and connect them with personalized care.
• MaiaZura — Immersive virtual reality training for health care professionals.
• InoKare Therapeutics — Developing small-molecule inhibitors of IP6K to treat obesity and obesity-related disorders.
• Persistence Therapeutics — A sponge-like implant that produces CAR-T cells inside the patient’s body, potentially reducing the time and cost of cancer therapy.

Support for founders

Carolina founders work with the UNC Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) and KickStart Venture Services, both part of Innovate Carolina. OTC guides inventors through the full commercialization process from patent evaluation and gap funding to industry partnerships and has helped bring 56 research-based products to market. KickStart provides early-stage funding, education and on-campus wet lab accelerator space to support startup formation and growth.

“During our time working with 200 startups, we’ve developed a deep understanding of what helps entrepreneurial researchers build strong ventures,” said Mireya McKee, director of KickStart Venture Services. “The programs we offer from advisor networks and grant funding to accelerator space and investor connections are designed to support our founders at every step.”