Though the numbers were remarkable, the real story behind Vanderbilt's Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization's record fiscal 2025 begins with the people behind those numbers.
Faculty members, researchers, clinicians, postdocs, students and staff contributed ideas that progressed from labs and classrooms toward real-world use. And behind them, Vanderbilt's CTTC staff provided guidance and expertise that helped turn those ideas into patents, partnerships and products.
"Vanderbilt's record-breaking year underscores our shared commitment to moving breakthrough ideas into the world with greater speed and scale," Provost C. Cybele Raver said. "These achievements are made possible by the ingenuity of our faculty, the strength of our industry partners, and the CTTC team's tireless dedication to nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship."
The sentiment captures what many inside Vanderbilt's research community experienced in FY25: rapid growth in innovation, increased engagement from first-time inventors, and a coordinated effort to help more ideas reach the people who can benefit from them.
Vanderbilt discoveries make a difference
Across multiple fields, Vanderbilt-developed technologies have reached many people in ways that make their daily lives better.
- A driving simulator developed at the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is licensed to Neurodiverse Technologies and is being used to help people with autism spectrum disorder learn driver education skills.
- Assistive devices like HeroWear help reduce workplace injury risk through improved ergonomics and support.
- Educational tools like the Read 180 program are used by more than a million students to strengthen reading skills.
Therapeutic technologies rooted in Vanderbilt discoveries are also being advanced by industry partners to address urgent needs related to viral infections, neurological disorders, endoscopic surgery and other medical challenges.
These examples represent only a small portion of Vanderbilt's innovation portfolio, and each illustrates how CTTC helps researchers translate their work into solutions with real human benefits.
Growing a community of new inventors
With 231 inventions disclosed in 2025, most involving teams of inventors, CTTC's activity exceeded what many peer institutions report, highlighting the momentum of Vanderbilt's innovation engine. A key signal of that momentum was the sharp rise in new inventors, with 197 first-time inventors contributing to disclosures of new innovations.
This increase stems from an institutional culture that encourages researchers to explore the full potential of their work. While leadership messaging is vital to unlocking faculty engagement, many realize that potential after meeting with CTTC staff or connecting with an Innovation Ambassador. CTTC's expanded outreach and improved disclosure website have helped first-time inventors understand what intellectual property can be protected and how to move an idea forward.
The result is a more accessible pathway from academic discovery to societal impact.
Why partnerships matter
Strong industry partnerships help research move closer to serving society. This year, CTTC played a central role in building those connections, resulting in 104 licensing agreements with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, medical device developers, startups and other partners.
Many Vanderbilt industry collaborations begin the same way disclosures do-with a conversation about in invention's potential trajectory. CTTC's Industry Collaborations team and other staff help identify the right industry partners, and those relationships often grow into sponsored research that creates opportunities for faculty and trainees.
"Companies engage with Vanderbilt to tap into unique research expertise. But relationships are deepened and repeat business is generated through thoughtful service and engagement with our corporate partners, lowering friction for our company partners to do business at Vanderbilt," said Alan Bentley, associate vice chancellor for technology transfer. "These partnerships give Vanderbilt innovators the support they need to transform discoveries into tangible products that impact the way we live."
Startups as a Strategic Priority
That spirit of collaboration fuels a growing wave of Vanderbilt startups. Sixteen companies based on Vanderbilt technologies were launched in FY25, each representing a team of inventors who chose entrepreneurship to carry their ideas into the world.
The growth in Vanderbilt startups is powered in large part by CTTC's Venture Studio, which is designed to help researchers explore whether their ideas could become viable companies by guiding prospective founders through the earliest stages of market analysis, business planning and corporate formation. The studio also connects them with advisers, talent and early funding strategies.
More than 50 potential ventures are in the Venture Studio pipeline, representing research from across Vanderbilt's schools and departments.
But the program does more than support company formation. It helps researchers see new possibilities for their work and consider how their ideas might reach people beyond academic settings. "Momentum builds when researchers feel encouraged to think beyond the lab. That is what we are seeing at Vanderbilt. People are imagining new possibilities," Bentley said.
Turning momentum into impact
The investment world can feel unfamiliar or even uncomfortable to academics, but funding is a practical part of translational research. It helps teams test prototypes, run early studies, hire talent and bring their technologies closer to the communities they hope to serve.
That reality was on full display at the inaugural Southeast Venture Showcase in April, which featured startups from a consortium of more than 20 institutions across the region-led by Vanderbilt. More than 100 early-stage venture investors converged on Nashville to hear pitches from 40 emerging ventures, including several built around Vanderbilt technologies. The response to the inaugural showcase suggests that next year's event will have no shortage of investors or participating universities.
The showcase demonstrated how well-aligned partners can help ideas advance without pulling researchers away from their academic mission. When investors understand the purpose behind a technology, prototype or concept, they can help teams grow responsibly while moving faster.
What happened at the showcase reflects a shift across campus. More faculty are beginning to see entrepreneurship not as a departure from scholarship, but as another way to ensure that their work reaches people who can benefit.
People remain at the center
While FY25 set records, the story of CTTC is ultimately a story about people. Each disclosure represents an inventor or inventors taking a step toward impact. Each licensing agreement reflects a collaboration built on trust. Each startup is a team willing to take a risk on a new idea that has the potential to help others.
CTTC consistently welcomes conversations with faculty and researchers at any stage of an idea. Whether someone is considering filing a disclosure, exploring intellectual property protection or deciding whether a startup is right for them, the team offers personalized support tailored to individual goals and project needs.
