Vanderbilt's Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization set new records in FY26, reaching all-time highs for invention disclosures and licensing transactions while generating $21.5 million in licensing revenue.

The year also brought 63 U.S. patents, 15 new companies built on Vanderbilt technologies, and continued growth in Vanderbilt's innovation pipeline, with more than 50 potential ventures moving through various stages of development.

When Jan Schlueter stepped away from DARVIS, Nashville’s innovation community connected him with Vanderbilt professors Nilanjan Sarkar and Keivan Stassun, and SANDI, a proven driving simulator designed to help neurodivergent individuals build driver readiness. Today, Schlueter and Sarkar’s company, Neurodiverse Technologies, is building a Platform for Independence, starting with driving, expanding to job interviews, and asking of every barrier: Can technology help reduce it?

The Center for Corporate Partnerships (CCP) serves as Vanderbilt’s central navigation for companies seeking to engage with the university, connecting corporate partners with resources and opportunities across Vanderbilt. CCP and CTTC’s Industry Collaborations team work together to strengthen industry relationships, expand research collaborations, and create opportunities for deeper engagement across the university.

Do you have an idea for a new therapeutic product born from novel biological insights? Is there a clear vision for how that discovery could translate into a new product?

CTTC's New Venture Development team is seeking promising therapeutic opportunities with potential for investor engagement. Vanderbilt researchers interested in exploring whether their innovations may be a fit for investor engagement are encouraged to contact the New Venture Development team to learn more.

From life sciences and engineering to physical sciences and beyond, these opportunities can help diversify your research, generate IP, and amplify your impact.

Upcoming Industry Deadlines

09/04: Kimberly-Clark: Film-free Breathable Barrier Materials for Absorbent Products

09/10: Pfizer-SMFM Quality Improvement Grant: Optimizing Maternal RSV Immunization Delivery

09/17: Improving Shared Decision Making in Hemophilia: Visiting Professorship Program – 2026, Semester 2

09/18: American Egg Board: Protein Processing and Fractionation Technologies

09/18: J&J Innovation: Expanding Access to Immunology Clinical Trials QuickFire Challenge

09/24: Pfizer Quality Improvement Request for Proposals: Implementing Shared Decision Making in Hemophilia Patient Care

Need help applying? The Industry Collaborations team can help Vanderbilt researchers navigate these opportunities and the proposal process.

Vanderbilt is now eligible for LaunchTN's Technology Maturation Grant, offering up to $100,000 to advance university-developed technologies toward commercialization. Eligible projects must involve a Tennessee-based startup collaborating with Vanderbilt IP.

Application Deadline:    September 9, 2026

• Licenses & Options*: 49
• MTAs: 147
• CDAs: 13
• Invention Disclosures: 44
• U.S. Patents Issued: 14

*includes end-user software and materials licenses along with conventional technology licenses