Penn State Research Foundation

What Penn State Research Foundation does

Penn State Research Foundation operates the research enterprise of The Pennsylvania State University, a public state-related land-grant institution founded in 1855 and headquartered in University Park, Pennsylvania. The enterprise encompasses 18 academic colleges, 9 interdisciplinary research institutes, and the Applied Research Laboratory, supporting research across life sciences, computational and data sciences, materials, energy and environment, and national security. In FY 2024-25, the enterprise achieved a record $1.44 billion in research expenditures, ranking 25th nationwide among U.S. universities.

The enterprise delivers research services through several interconnected units. The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) connects researchers with industry and entrepreneurs for technology licensing and commercialization, including via the Flintbox platform. Core Facilities & Equipment, including maker spaces such as Maker Commons and Origin Labs, are made available for industry use. Invent Penn State and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization support startup formation, while Innovation Park provides incubation facilities. Community-engaged research is channeled through the Presidential Public Impact Research Award (PPIRA) Program and the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative. Spin-out activity is exemplified by FDA-cleared products such as the SOLOPASS 2.0 bedside navigation system (developed by inTRAvent Medical Partners) and the RibFix Advantage System.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: federal and state research funding supporting the $1.44 billion in expenditures, industry sponsored research through the Corporate Engagement Center (over 2,000 companies partnered on 9,000+ projects since 2013), technology commercialization and licensing royalties, and philanthropy. Customer segments span large industry partnerships, small and medium businesses, federal and state partners, investors and licensees of commercialized technology, and Pennsylvania-focused economic development initiatives. Strategic leadership is provided by Senior Vice President for Research Dr. Andrew Read, appointed in March 2024, with the Office of the SVP having implemented a strategic reorganization effective July 1, 2024, to strengthen commercialization, community-engaged research, and statewide economic impact.

Name

Penn State Research Foundation

Legal name

Penn State Research (The Pennsylvania State University)

Website

https://research.psu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Penn State Research Foundation operates the research enterprise of The Pennsylvania State University, spanning 18 colleges and 9 interdisciplinary institutes with $1.44 billion in FY 2024-25 research expenditures. It serves industry partners, federal and state agencies, startups, and Pennsylvania communities through sponsored research, technology licensing, and commercialization programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Research Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE), Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• University research services
• Technology licensing
• Sponsored research
• Technology transfer
• Industry research partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Research Funding: Penn State receives significant federal, state, and institutional investments to support research activities. The $1.44 billion in research expenditures for FY 2024-25 is supported by these funding sources.
2. Technology Commercialization and Licensing: The Office of Technology Transfer connects researchers with industry and entrepreneurs to commercialize technologies through licensing agreements and startup formation.
3. Industry Research Partnerships: Over 2,000 companies have partnered with Penn State on over 9,000 industry research projects since 2013, generating sponsored research revenue.
4. Philanthropy and Donations: Gifts to support research include online contributions, in-kind donations, and estate gifts supporting institutes, colleges, and campuses.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Penn State Research Foundation operates the research enterprise of The Pennsylvania State University, advancing $1.44 billion in annual research expenditures (FY 2024-25) across 18 colleges and 9 interdisciplinary research institutes. It sells sponsored research collaborations, technology licensing through the Office of Technology Transfer, access to shared core research facilities and equipment, entrepreneurship and commercialization support via Invent Penn State and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, and leasable research/incubation space at Innovation Park, serving industry, government, and startup partners.

Product overview

Penn State Research Foundation operates the Penn State Research Enterprise as a comprehensive research services organization rather than a single commercial product. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected services including the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) for commercialization, Core Facilities & Equipment for shared research infrastructure, Invent Penn State for entrepreneurship support, and the PPIRA grant program for community-engaged research. The research enterprise encompasses 9 interdisciplinary institutes spanning life sciences, computational sciences, energy, materials, national security, and social sciences. Commercialization opportunities are available through the Flintbox technologies platform, with specific technologies like SOLOPASS (FDA-cleared medical device) representing successful spin-outs. Research facilities include makerspaces (Maker Commons, Origin Labs) and Innovation Park for incubation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Office of Technology Transfer (OTT): Connects researchers with industry and entrepreneurs to scale groundbreaking technologies for commercial development.
• Invent Penn State
• Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Products and services

• Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) Licensing Services Licensing service that connects Penn State researchers with industry and entrepreneurs to scale groundbreaking university technologies for commercial development, offered to corporate partners, startups, and licensees.
• Core Facilities & Equipment Access for Industry Use Shared research facilities and equipment made available to industry and academic partners for prototyping, fabrication, and specialized research, including Maker Commons and Origin Labs makerspaces.
• Invent Penn State Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Program Entrepreneurship and commercialization support program providing resources for startups and innovators bringing Penn State-developed technologies and ventures to market.
• Innovation Park Research Park and Incubation Facilities Leasable research park and incubation facilities on the Penn State campus, providing startups and partner companies with space to conduct research in collaboration with the university.
• Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTap) Technical assistance services for Pennsylvania businesses and organizations, extending Penn State research capabilities to small and mid-sized companies in the state.
• SOLOPASS 2.0 Bedside Navigation System (commercialized via Penn State spin-out) Bedside navigation system for medical use, developed through Penn State research and commercialized by spin-out inTRAvent Medical Partners, which received FDA clearance for the SOLOPASS 2.0 version.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 companies have partnered with Penn State on over 9,000 industry research projects since 2013
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• Ben Franklin Technology PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBen Franklin Technology Partners is a key economic development partner of Penn State, supporting startups and technology commercialization in Pennsylvania through funding and business support for startups.
• Federal Reserve Bank of PhiladelphiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn State researchers partnered with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia to examine the economic consequences of the opioid epidemic and identify underlying factors of opioid use disorder through AI and machine learning methodologies.
• 2000+ Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn the past decade, more than 2,000 companies have partnered with Penn State on over 9,000 industry research projects, representing the core industry partnership ecosystem.
• National Park ServicenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn State Behrend research team partnered with the National Park Service to create a digital replica of the Liberty Bell for preservation purposes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Purdue Research Foundation: Research foundation of a comparable large public land-grant research university, operating a parallel technology-transfer, commercialization, and economic-development model including an affiliated research park.
• University of Michigan Office of Research: Top-tier public research university's research arm, with comparable federal funding scale, technology transfer operations, and industry-sponsored research programs across life sciences, engineering, and computational sciences.
• Georgia Tech Research Corporation: Research arm of a large STEM-focused public university with a comparable industry-partnership engine, defense-research portfolio through GTRI, and an active technology licensing operation.
• Texas A&M Engineering Research Center: Research enterprise of another large public land-grant university with significant federal and defense research funding, multi-campus structure, and a sizable industry-sponsored research base.
• Ohio State Research Foundation: Research enterprise of another large public R1 university with comparable scale of federal/industry research funding, multiple interdisciplinary institutes, and an active technology-transfer office.
• Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF): Long-established university-affiliated research foundation that licenses technologies and supports startups from a public R1 university; structurally and operationally one of the closest direct analogs to Penn State's research enterprise.

Broad incumbents

• Battelle Memorial Institute: Large nonprofit R&D organization managing national laboratories and conducting applied research across defense, energy, and life sciences; comparable to Penn State in applied-research scope but with a broader industry portfolio.
• RTI International: Independent nonprofit research institute performing contract R&D across health, energy, education, and advanced technology for government and commercial clients — comparable to Penn State's sponsored-research and federal contract model.
• SRI International: Multidisciplinary nonprofit research institute performing applied research and technology development across life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering for government and industry — analogous to Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory and interdisciplinary institutes.

Others

• Ben Franklin Technology Partners: Pennsylvania-focused technology commercialization and startup-support organization; explicitly a core strategic partner of Penn State and a complementary node in the same regional innovation ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-state-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/pennstateresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Penn State Research Foundation