Clemson University Research Foundation
CURF is the non-profit technology transfer office for Clemson University, managing invention disclosure, IP protection, and licensing of faculty research across nine technology categories. It serves industry licensees, university spinouts, and Clemson researchers through 123+ active licenses and maturation funding programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersClemson, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clemson University Research Foundation does
Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) is a non-profit technology transfer office founded in 1982 and headquartered in Clemson, South Carolina, serving as the exclusive commercialization arm for Clemson University's intellectual property. CURF operates a standardized seven-step process covering invention disclosure evaluation, IP protection (primarily patent prosecution), technology marketing, licensing negotiation, and post-license business development support. The organization manages a portfolio spanning nine technology categories (Advanced Materials, Agriculture, Automotive, Biomedical, Biotechnology, Information & Communication, Manufacturing, Sustainable Energy, and Sustainable Environment) and supports an inventor ecosystem through the Inteum-powered CURF Inventor Portal, the CURF Maturation Fund, and the Prisma Innovation Maturation Fund.
CURF's customer base comprises three primary segments: industry partners seeking to license Clemson technologies, university spinouts and startups formed around Clemson IP (35 formed to date), and Clemson faculty and graduate students who disclose inventions. Revenue is generated primarily through licensing royalties and milestone payments on 10-15 year license agreements, supplemented by maturation fund management. The organization maintains 123+ active licenses and options, with 28 patents issued in FY23. CURF also participates in the NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub and partners with regional accelerators (Brook T. Smith Launchpad, NextGEN, SCRA) and healthcare partners (Prisma Health) to build startup commercialization pathways.
Clemson University Research Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clemson University Research Foundation
- Legal name
- Clemson University Research Foundation
- Website
- https://curf.clemson.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CURF is the non-profit technology transfer office for Clemson University, managing invention disclosure, IP protection, and licensing of faculty research across nine technology categories. It serves industry licensees, university spinouts, and Clemson researchers through 123+ active licenses and maturation funding programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clemson University Research Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- University Technology Transfer Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)
Keywords
Where Clemson University Research Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clemson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clemson University Research Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Technology Licensing Royalties: CURF generates revenue through licensing agreements with companies that commercialize Clemson University intellectual property. Revenue comes from licensing fees, royalty payments, and commercialization milestones negotiated in license agreements typically lasting 10-15 years.
- Maturation Fund Investments: CURF manages technology maturation funds including the CURF Maturation Fund and Prisma Innovation Maturation Fund (partnership with Prisma Health) to advance the development of university technologies toward commercialization.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Clemson University Research Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) is the non-profit technology transfer office for Clemson University. It evaluates, protects, and licenses intellectual property developed by university researchers, and supports the formation of startup companies based on those inventions. CURF also operates internal maturation funds and partners with regional entities to move early-stage research toward commercial readiness.
Product overview
Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) is a university technology transfer office offering a unified portfolio of intellectual property management services. The core offerings include Technology Transfer Services for protecting and licensing university innovations, an Available Technologies Database for industry partners to browse commercializable technologies, and the CURF Inventor Portal for researchers to disclose inventions. The organization also provides funding programs including the CURF Maturation Fund and Prisma Innovation Maturation Fund for healthcare technologies. Supporting programs include the NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub for entrepreneurial training and a Graduate Internship Program for students interested in technology transfer careers. The portfolio is accessed through CURF's website, the Inteum-powered Inventor Portal, and direct engagement with CURF staff.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Technology Transfer and Licensing Services
- Available Technologies Database
- CURF Maturation Fund
- Prisma Innovation Maturation Fund
- Brook T. Smith Launchpad
- NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub
- CURF Inventor Portal
Quantifiable outcome
- 123 active licenses and options managing university intellectual property
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Clemson University Research Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Clemson University Research Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Clemson University Research Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Prisma HealthcorePrisma Health partnership through the Prisma Innovation Maturation Fund, designed to advance healthcare and medical technology development. The fund supports joint Clemson University and Prisma Health eligible staff projects with the goal of improving healthcare and driving economic growth in the region.
- NSF I-Corps Southeast HubcoreNSF I-Corps Southeast Hub led by Georgia Institute of Technology with participation from Clemson, University of Alabama, University of Florida, University of Miami, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, and Morehouse College. The hub provides entrepreneurial training to researchers and students and increases engagement with the Southern community in terms of startups and technology commercialization.
- Brook T. Smith LaunchpadcoreThe entrepreneurship hub of Clemson University located in downtown Clemson. Provides students, faculty, staff, alumni, and startups with content, collision, collaboration, consultation and networking opportunities to launch their businesses.
- SCRA (South Carolina Research Authority)majorSCRA provides startup resources and support to Clemson University entrepreneurs and spinouts. CURF connects startups with SCRA's network of resources for early-stage company development.
- TechstarsmajorTechstars Entrepreneur's Toolkit resource provided through CURF to support entrepreneurs and startup founders with tools and guidance for launching their ventures.
- NextGENmajorNextGEN guides and supports high-growth, high-potential entrepreneurs and their businesses in Greenville and across the Upstate of South Carolina through workshops, accelerator programs, community events, and educational resources.
- UIDP (University Industry Demonstration Partnership)minorUIDP strengthens university-industry partnerships. Listed as an affiliate organization that connects industry with university research capabilities.
- SCBIO Life Sciences IndustryminorSouth Carolina's life sciences industry association. Listed as an affiliate organization connecting CURF with the broader life sciences industry ecosystem.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clemson University Research Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Duke Office of Licensing & Ventures: Duke's tech transfer and venture office manages a substantially larger biomedical IP portfolio. Comparable as a university TTO serving faculty inventors and spinning out startups, though at significantly larger scale.
- Stanford Office of Technology Licensing: Stanford's OTL is the largest and most prolific university TTO globally. Provides the upper-bound benchmark for what a mature TTO at scale can generate in licensing income and spinout formation.
Regional players
- NC State Office of Research Commercialization: NC State's tech transfer arm handles licensing and spinouts for a research-intensive land-grant university. Comparable as a Southeast R1 TTO with similar agriculture and engineering emphasis.
- SCRA (South Carolina Research Authority): South Carolina's state-chartered tech-based economic development organization that supports university startups. Comparable as a regional partner that co-supports the same spinout ecosystem CURF feeds.
- Auburn University Office of Innovation Advancement: Auburn's tech transfer office manages IP and startup formation with strong agriculture and engineering portfolios. Comparable as a Southeastern land-grant peer TTO serving overlapping research domains.
Others
- AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers): Industry association for university tech transfer professionals. Comparable as the primary trade body setting standards, training, and benchmarking for TTOs like CURF.
Direct peers
- Georgia Tech Office of Technology Licensing: Georgia Tech's TTO handles IP licensing and startup formation across engineering and sciences. Direct peer as a fellow Southeast R1 TTO and co-lead of the NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub alongside CURF.
- University of South Carolina Office of Technology Commercialization: Statewide peer TTO at the University of South Carolina, managing IP commercialization, startup formation, and licensing in the same Southeast ecosystem. Most directly comparable due to geography and overlapping faculty/research domains.
- Vanderbilt Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization: Vanderbilt's TTO manages IP disclosures, licensing, and startup formation across science and engineering. Comparable as an R1 university TTO with a similar biomedical/biotech portfolio mix.
- University of Florida Innovate: UF's tech transfer and venture arm manages licensing, startup formation, and a Sid Martin Biotech incubator. Comparable as a large Southeast public-university TTO with biomedical and ag-tech strengths similar to CURF.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clemson University Research Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceClemson University Research Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clemson University Research Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Clemson University Research Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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Clemson University Research Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Clemson University Research Foundation
What does Clemson University Research Foundation do?
Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) is the non-profit technology transfer office for Clemson University. It evaluates, protects, and licenses intellectual property developed by university researchers, and supports the formation of startup companies based on those inventions. CURF also operates internal maturation funds and partners with regional entities to move early-stage research toward commercial readiness.
Is Clemson University Research Foundation a public or private company?
Clemson University Research Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Clemson University Research Foundation founded?
Clemson University Research Foundation was founded in 1982. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Clemson University Research Foundation based?
Clemson University Research Foundation is headquartered in Clemson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clemson University Research Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Technology Licensing Royalties are the primary driver. The others are maturation Fund Investments.
Who are Clemson University Research Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Duke Office of Licensing & Ventures and Stanford Office of Technology Licensing. Regional players are NC State Office of Research Commercialization, SCRA (South Carolina Research Authority) and Auburn University Office of Innovation Advancement. AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers) is listed as an others. Direct peers are Georgia Tech Office of Technology Licensing, University of South Carolina Office of Technology Commercialization, Vanderbilt Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization and University of Florida Innovate.
Does Clemson University Research Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clemson University Research Foundation.
What industry is Clemson University Research Foundation in?
Clemson University Research Foundation's product category is University Technology Transfer Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAKAH, Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB). Its NAICS code is 611710.