NTNU
NTNU specializes in patent protection, business development, prototyping, market analysis, and license negotiations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersTrondheim, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NTNU does
NTNU Technology Transfer AS (TTO) is the jointly owned technology transfer office of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Helse Midt-Norge RHF (Central Norway Regional Health Authority), established in 2003 and headquartered in Trondheim, Norway. The company operates as the mandated sole commercialization channel for innovations originating from NTNU's 9 faculties, 55 institutes, and 40,000 students and from HMN's network of hospitals and 15,000 healthcare staff. TTO provides end-to-end commercialization services, including idea evaluation, IP rights management, patenting, proof-of-concept funding, prototyping, market analysis, business development, licensing negotiations, and establishment of spin-off companies, supported by eight faculty-specific contact persons who institutionalize early-stage idea capture.
The company manages a portfolio of available licensed technologies spanning biotech (PRECAST prostate cancer test, Aldera nanocarrier, EDGE-Tx gene therapy, Revie CSF1R inhibitors, Betatide antibiotic peptide), energy (FR-PRO grid frequency stabilizer, Pelton Turbine WearScan, Lithium-Sulfur battery materials), advanced manufacturing (Ultra AM additive manufacturing, Compression Test Fixture), MedTech AI (PROVIZ MRI analysis, In-Motion Cerebral Palsy prediction), and other applications. It has established 73-100+ spin-off companies over its history, with Kahoot! (exited 2014, subsequently reaching 100M+ monthly users across 180 countries) as the headline outcome. TTO also helps projects secure external funding from Norway's Research Council, Innovation Norway, and SIVA, having facilitated over NOK 1 billion (~USD 125M) in project support.
TTO's revenue mechanics derive from three streams: licensing royalties on technologies sold to existing companies, equity stakes taken in spin-off companies with returns realized on exit, and government/institutional funding support. The company is structured as a non-profit commercialization vehicle with no external private equity or venture capital ownership; its board includes representatives from NTNU, HMN, and independent directors, and it maintains a stable headcount in the 11-50 range. Go-to-market relies on direct researcher engagement through faculty liaisons, supplemented by startup competitions (Technoport), student innovation programs (Spark* @NTNU), and strategic partnerships with major industrial players including Kongsberg Gruppen, Equinor, SINTEF, and 4Subsea.
NTNU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NTNU
- Legal name
- NTNU Technology Transfer AS
- Website
- https://www.ntnutto.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NTNU specializes in patent protection, business development, prototyping, market analysis, and license negotiations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NTNU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Technology Transfer and Research Commercialization Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG)
Keywords
Where NTNU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trondheim
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
NTNU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Licensing Royalties: Revenue generated from licensing NTNU and HMN technologies to existing companies, with inventors receiving fair profit shares
- Spin-off Company Equity: TTO takes equity stakes in spin-off companies created from NTNU research, providing long-term value creation through successful exits
- Government Funding Support: TTO helps projects obtain government funding from Research Council, Innovation Norway, and other sources - has obtained over NOK 1 billion in support for projects
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
NTNU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NTNU Technology Transfer AS (TTO) is a technology transfer office that commercializes research innovations from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Helse Midt-Norge RHF. It secures, manages, develops, markets and sells rights to inventions and intellectual property through idea evaluation, patent protection, proof-of-concept funding, business development, prototyping, market analysis, spin-off company creation, and license negotiations.
Product overview
NTNU Technology Transfer (TTO) operates as the commercialization office for The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Central Norway Regional Health Authority. Rather than a unified software product, TTO manages a portfolio of available technologies for licensing including PRECAST (prostate cancer diagnostics), Aldera (nanocarrier for cancer treatment), EDGE-Tx (gene therapy platform), Mini10k (brain imaging microscope), FR-PRO (grid frequency stabilizer), Compression Test Fixture, Ultra AM (additive manufacturing), Momentum (timber construction), PROVIZ (MRI analysis), Betatide (antibiotic peptide), Dep Joint (geothermal foundation), WearScan (turbine monitoring), Revie (CSF1R inhibitors), Lithium-Sulfur battery materials, In-Motion (Cerebral Palsy detection), and various health monitoring technologies. TTO also tracks 73 established spin-off companies including Kahoot!, Blueye (underwater drones), Eelume (autonomous underwater vehicles), SentiSystems (sensor fusion), Solution Seeker (AI optimization), Mazemap (indoor navigation), and others spanning EdTech, healthtech, energy, and maritime sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Technology Transfer and Commercialization Service End-to-end commercialization service offering idea evaluation, patent protection, proof-of-concept funding, business development, prototyping, market analysis, spin-off company establishment, and license negotiations for NTNU and HMN researchers and staff.
- PRECAST A validated multi-gene expression (mRNA) based test that differentiates aggressive from indolent prostate cancer, quantifying risk of disease progression over 5 and 10 years. Available for licensing.
- Aldera Biocompatible di-block-polymer based nanocarrier enabling improved cancer diagnostics and treatment through systemic delivery with prospective capture of daughter radionuclides. Available for licensing.
- EDGE-Tx Precision gene therapy platform selectively delivering therapeutic genes to vulnerable neurons of the entorhinal cortex for Alzheimer's disease treatment, with modular design for adaptation across gene therapies. Available for licensing.
- Mini10k Next-generation miniaturized two-photon microscope with 1mm field of view, designed to be carried on freely moving animals during live experiments, enabling imaging of approximately 20 times more neurons than existing miniscopes. Available for licensing.
- FR-PRO Wound rotor induction machine controlled as specialized electromechanical frequency transformer providing physical inertia to renewable energy systems for grid frequency stability. Available for licensing.
- Betatide Novel synthetic cell-penetrating peptide drug attacking bacteria to reduce antibiotic resistance, targeting skin, lung, and prosthetic joint infections. First generation patent granted in several countries. Available for licensing.
- Revie Novel small molecule CSF1R inhibitors with high selectivity for treating neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases, and combinatory cancer treatment. Patents pending. Available for licensing.
- PROVIZ Fully-automated analysis pipeline for MRI images that pre-processes and analyzes captured data resulting in a decision support system for radiologists detecting prostate cancer. Available for licensing.
- In-Motion AI-based medical tool for early prediction of Cerebral Palsy in infants using video analysis of spontaneous movement patterns combined with General Movement Assessment (GMA) and machine learning, validated with NPV of 97% and PPV of 67%. Available for licensing.
- SentiBoard Reconfigurable sensor timing board for autonomous systems with sub-1ms timing accuracy, providing precise sensor synchronization for drones, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. Available for licensing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 73 spin-off companies established with multiple successful exits
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NTNU
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NTNU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability11 records
Feature1 record
NTNU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- 4SubseacorePartner in updating the Flexible Pipe Handbook for offshore operations, collaborating with NTNU, SINTEF, and leading operators to align with API 17B/J revision (2024)
- SINTEFcoreResearch institution partner in Flexible Pipe Handbook update and multiple technology development projects including Eelume autonomous underwater robots
- Kongsberg GruppencoreStrategic partner in Eelume slangerobot (snake robot) development for subsea inspection and intervention, combining NTNU research with Kongsberg's industry expertise
- Statoil (now Equinor)corePartner in developing Eelume autonomous underwater robots for offshore asset maintenance and inspection operations
- Spark* @NTNUsupportingStudent innovation organization providing mentorship and funding (Pengesprøyten) for student entrepreneurs, with TTO contributing commercialization expertise when needed
- Leading Offshore OperatorssupportingFour leading operators partnering in Flexible Pipe Handbook update to incorporate decade of research advances in fatigue modelling, corrosion, and lifetime extension
- Helse Midt-Norge RHF (Central Norway Regional Health Authority)coreCo-owner of NTNU Technology Transfer AS, responsible for commercializing healthcare innovations from hospitals including St. Olavs, Helse Møre og Romsdal, and others
- Lead Discovery Center (Dortmund)supportingCollaborating with NTNU to optimize and refine Revie small molecule inhibitors into lead drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NTNU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oxford University Innovation: Oxford University's technology transfer and commercialization office, providing IP protection, licensing, and spin-out formation services across life sciences, physical sciences, and digital — directly comparable as a major European university TTO with a similar mandate.
- Cambridge Enterprise: University of Cambridge's commercialization arm responsible for technology transfer, licensing, and spin-out creation across research disciplines — a leading UK peer operating an equivalent IP-to-company pipeline with similar portfolio scale.
- MIT Technology Licensing Office: MIT's dedicated office for licensing inventions and commercializing research from one of the world's most prolific university inventor pools — directly comparable as a research-intensive university TTO with global licensee reach.
- Stanford Office of Technology Licensing: Stanford's TTO managing invention disclosures, patent prosecution, and licensing for Stanford University research — a benchmark peer for university IP commercialization and spin-out equity management.
- Karolinska Institutet Innovations: Nordic university-affiliated commercialization vehicle focused on life science research from Karolinska Institutet — closely comparable given its Swedish base and dual focus on academic research commercialization and licensing.
- KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD): KU Leuven's technology transfer office handling IP, licensing, and spin-off creation across engineering, life sciences, and humanities — directly comparable as a continental European university TTO with broad research base.
- Imperial College Innovations: Imperial College London's enterprise division responsible for commercialization, licensing, and spin-out formation from research in engineering, medicine, and science — comparable as a research-intensive UK TTO.
- Max Planck Innovation: Technology transfer office of Germany's Max Planck Society, focused on licensing and spin-out creation from basic research across physical and life sciences — a large-scale European research-to-market peer with similar IP-to-spin-out mandate.
Broad incumbents
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied research organization with extensive IP licensing and spin-off activity across engineering and applied sciences — broader in scope than a single-university TTO but overlapping heavily in licensing and applied-research commercialization.
Regional players
- Inventures (Norwegian TTO ecosystem partner): Norwegian early-stage investor and commercialization partner active alongside NTNU TTO in funding and developing university spin-offs — adjacent as a regional ecosystem player rather than a direct TTO competitor.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NTNU social profiles
Digital presenceNTNU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NTNU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
NTNU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NTNU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NTNU
What does NTNU do?
NTNU Technology Transfer AS (TTO) is a technology transfer office that commercializes research innovations from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Helse Midt-Norge RHF. It secures, manages, develops, markets and sells rights to inventions and intellectual property through idea evaluation, patent protection, proof-of-concept funding, business development, prototyping, market analysis, spin-off company creation, and license negotiations.
Is NTNU a public or private company?
NTNU is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was NTNU founded?
NTNU was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NTNU based?
NTNU is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does NTNU make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Licensing Royalties are the primary driver. The others are spin-off Company Equity and government Funding Support.
Who are NTNU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oxford University Innovation, Cambridge Enterprise, MIT Technology Licensing Office, Stanford Office of Technology Licensing, Karolinska Institutet Innovations, KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD), Imperial College Innovations and Max Planck Innovation. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is listed as a broad incumbent. Inventures (Norwegian TTO ecosystem partner) is listed as a regional player.
Does NTNU have an API?
No public API is recorded for NTNU.
What industry is NTNU in?
NTNU's product category is Technology Transfer and Research Commercialization Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAG, IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis. Its NAICS code is 5417.