Jacksonville Business Journal
Written by Carole Hawkins
UF fourth in nation for launching startups
The University of Florida helped create 15 start-ups last year, ranking it fourth nationally in a survey of 194 universities.
A yearly audit by the Association of University Technology Managers found only three other schools had more start-ups: the entire University of California system, the entire University of Texas system and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a UF news release said.
The report also shows UF ranked 11th for the number of licenses and options it granted for university research.
UF’s Office of Technology Licensing assesses whether the school’s discoveries are patentable and marketable and if so, it actively seeks out companies and venture capitalists who might license the research. That includes licensing to start-ups.
The university collects revenue from the license and the inventors receive 40 percent.
UF’s fourth place ranking for start-ups this year is evidence of the collaborative relationship between faculty and the Office of Technology Licensing, OTL director David Day said in the release.
Also, UF’s high rank for its licenses and options demonstrates investors believe the school’s inventions and technology are commercially viable, he said.