Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Knoxville Business News Tennessee Mountain Scenery Background
October 11, 2022 | Tom Ballard

Georgia Research Alliance reports $37 raised in venture capital for every $1 it invested

Does investing in inventions from research universities produce results? The answer is “yes,” at least in terms of a recent announcement from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA).

Since 2003, every $1 the State of Georgia invests in university start-ups through GRA has produced $37 in outside venture capital investment.

The data, updated through the end of 2021, summarize the results of 226 start-ups and projects that are now in the GRA portfolio. That’s more than $2 billion in venture capital that has flowed to a portfolio of Georgia start-up enterprises formed around university inventions.

Other significant accomplishments include:

  • Eighty-eight percent of the 226 companies were still in business four years after launch, compared to the national average of 44 percent in the same time period.
  • The companies employ 1,710professionals.
  • The companies also generated more than $153 million in revenue over the year and attracted more than $37 million in public and private grants.

GRA’s investments take place at a very early stage, a point at which university researchers have shown a proof of concept and need to demonstrate market viability. Six out of 10 projects receiving GRA investment go on to become start-up companies.



Like what you've read?

Forward to a friend!

Don’t Miss Out on the Southeast’s Latest Entrepreneurial, Business, & Tech News!

Sign-up to get the Teknovation Newsletter in your inbox each morning!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


No, thanks!