Research Impact
UNC North Carolina Business Startups
At Carolina, the research, discoveries, and creative activity of our faculty and students translate into new businesses and jobs for North Carolina. A major force in the state’s economy, UNC–Chapel Hill drives economic prosperity by attracting the best and brightest minds to the University and providing an environment that inspires creativity and discovery. Carolina invests heavily to create a culture of entrepreneurship and a support network on campus that propels research and innovation into viable startup businesses. Today more than 300 UNC startup companies located in North Carolina provide jobs to nearly 9,000 state residents. These companies employ 72,000 worldwide and bring $10.5 billion in revenue back to the state each year.
UNC Startup Stats
- There are 454 active startups connected with UNC-Chapel Hill. Of that total, 376 are headquartered across 16 North Carolina counties.
- UNC startups employ 8,902 people in North Carolina.
- 35 UNC startups manufacture products in North Carolina.
- Of the $11.2 billion in annual revenue generated by UNC startups, 94 percent is earned by Carolina startups headquartered in North Carolina.
- Out of all companies that got their start at the University, 79 percent are still active (454 out of 575).
At Carolina, the research, discoveries, and creative activity of our faculty and students translate into new businesses and jobs. Today over 200 UNC-CH Research startups call North Carolina home, providing jobs to more than 7,000 state residents.
UNC Research startups are nurtured, incubated, and accelerated through departments and offices across the university. Through the support of Innovate Carolina’s network, UNC-Chapel Hill startups are well positioned for success as they move through their innovation journey. With a mission to create an environment where innovators thrive, Carolina provides the right resources and connections startups need to nurture their ideas. To further cultivate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the community, Carolina also provides connections to incubators, accelerators, business services and campus innovation programs, including the 1789 Venture Lab, Launch Chapel Hill, KickStart Venture Services and Technology Commercialization Carolina.
Carolina also partners with the startup investor community through the Carolina Angel Network, Carolina Research Ventures Fund and Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network.
Annual Research Startups by Category, 2017
Independently Launched UNC Startups are new businesses created by faculty and students that arise directly or indirectly from their work and experience at Carolina.
UNC-Assisted Startups are businesses created by UNC faculty, staff, and students who received direct institutional support through UNC business-plan competitions, entrepreneurship programs and courses, hands-on business mentoring, and incubators and accelerators for startup ventures.
UNC Technology-Transfer Startups are businesses created by UNC faculty who license intellectual property created from their scientific discoveries and research.
3rd Rock Sunblock Inc.
Founded in 2003
3rd Rock Sunblock is a pH balanced, alkaline suncare product made entirely and only from food-grade edible ingredients, safe and free from synthetic components and toxic substances.
3rdTech Inc.
Founded in 2000
3rdTech develops advanced 2-D imaging and 3-D computer graphics products for law enforcement and security applications.
410 Medical Inc.
Founded in 2013
410 Medical develops simple tools that help health care providers improve the care of critically ill patients.
908 Devices Inc.
Founded in 2012
908 Devices is bringing the powerful capabilities of mass spectrometry out of the confines of centralized laboratories. 908 Devices’ products range from rugged, handheld chemical detection tools to compact, dedicated analyzers for researchers, serving a range of industries including safety and security, life science research, biotechnology, food safety and clinical diagnostics.
Academic Benchmarking Consortium LLC
Founded in 2014
ABC Insights provides a benchmarking platform for finance executives within higher education to allow member universities to easily perform comparative analyses against peer institutions and to share best practices.
ACRIS Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Founded in 2013
ACRIS Pharmaceuticals is a private biopharmaceutical firm that licenses and develops promising life-science technologies for unmet clinical needs.
AgBiome, LLC
Founded in 2013
AgBiome, a Durham, NC-based biotechnology company, works with agribusiness-industry leaders to develop products that use microbes to control soil-borne diseases of greenhouse crops and major row crops.
Algynomics, Inc.
Founded in 2005
Algynomics develops therapeutics for chronic pain and related conditions, using technologies that identify new drug targets, treatments, and diagnostic responses.
Allotropica Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 2008
Chapel Hill-based Allotropica Technologies offers a proprietary manufacturing process for the high-volume, low-cost fabrication of graphene (carbon), with an initial market focus on electrodes for ultracapacitors. Allotropica’s unique, high-value, enabling component can readily be incorporated into existing manufacturing processes of established ultracapacitors.
AlphaVax, LLC
Founded in 1998
AlphaVax develops vaccine technology with applications in infectious disease, cancer, and biodefense threats.
Altis BioSystems LLC
Founded in 2015
Altis BioSystems is developing microengineered devices for recapitulating organ level function.
Altometrics, Inc.
Founded in 2010
Altometrics develops tools to effectively manage the performance of software applications that run over networks. The core technology, which enables fast, efficient analysis of vast amounts of archived and current data, was invented by a UNC PhD candidate.
AngleFix Tech, LLC
Founded in 2005
AngleFix Tech develops screw technology for orthopedic plates.
Aquagenx, LLC
Founded in 2012
Aquagenx provides microbial water-quality testing products that detect potential health risks such as E. coli bacteria.
Arcato Laboratories, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Arcato Laboratories develops and commercializes oral health-care products. The company offers OraWax, an over-the-counter anesthetic for the treatment of oral discomfort caused by braces.
Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc.
Founded in 2001
Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio) develops protein- and cellular-based therapies using a proprietary technology platform called Biological Nano Particles (BNP).
Athena’s Compass
Athena’s Compass delivers exciting and impactful learning experiences to empower and equip youth with the skills needed to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Attagene, Inc.
Founded in 2001
Attagene is a biotechnology company located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. Its mission is to accelerate drug discovery and development by providing innovative tools for examining signal transduction. The company’s research team includes scientists with academic and industrial background with expertise in signal transduction, functional genomics, gene discovery, and disease models.
Augment Medical, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Augment Medical is developing a flexible, low-cost, and easy-to-use communication platform for hospitals and was founded by students studying at the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering of North Carolina State University and UNC–Chapel Hill.
AuthentiForm Technologies, LLC
Founded in 2009
AuthentiForm Technologies is a privately held company in Chapel Hill that focuses on developing methods to unequivocally establish product authenticity.
AviFluVax LLC
Founded in 2006
AviFluVax LLC is an emerging veterinary vaccine company, developing oral feed-based veterinary vaccines.
Bamboo Therapeutics Inc
Founded in 2014
Bamboo was formed to advance the work of Dr. Richard Jude Samulski, the Director of the Gene Therapy Center at the University of North Carolina (UNC), from the laboratory into human clinical trials where it could meet the requirements for drug approval. Dr. Samulski is a pioneer in the field of gene therapy. Over thirty (30) years ago, Dr. Samulski was the first person to realize the potential to use the adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vehicle to replace a defective gene with a healthy gene. Since that time, he has re-engineered the naturally occurring virus to target delivery to certain tissues, de-target other tissues, and improve its safety. This has resulted in over twenty (20) patents related to the use of AAV for therapeutic uses. Dr. Samulski continues to lead innovation in the field of vector optimization and AAV re-engineering.
BioDeptronix LLC
Founded in 2011
BioDeptronix develops instruments to sense and monitor toxic chemicals and gases in outdoor and indoor air, as well as in lab-created air samples, using changes in the metabolism and gene expression of human cells.
BioFluidica, LLC
Founded in 2013
BioFluidica manufactures laboratory instruments and instrumentation systems.
BioRxn LLC
Founded in 2009
BioRxn develops NMR-based metabolomic technology including bioreactor and artificial liver systems for non-invasive monitoring of metabolic biomarkers. BioRxn also provides conventional metabolomic services.
Bivarus, LLC
Founded in 2010
Bivarus was created in response to frustration among health-care professionals with current patient satisfaction tools and their lack of scientific precision and actionable findings. In response, the company has created a platform to generate precise findings around the quality of a patient’s experience with health care and to provide sound data for improving care.
BlackInkMetrics, LLC
Founded in 2014
BlackInkMetrics powers GradingHelp, an app designed to automate and customize repetitive feedback on student papers.
Blue Current Inc
Founded in 2014
Blue Current is developing novel materials for improved battery performance.
Capio BioSciences Inc
Founded in 2015
Capio Biosciences is a biotech startup with the central goal of improving cancer management, diagnosis, treatment and surveillance.
Capture Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Founded in 2009
Capture Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing oral and topical formulations of DTPA prodrugs as radionuclide decorporation agents.
Carbon3D, Inc.
Founded in 2013
Carbon3D, founded by UNC researcher Joseph DeSimone, is developing a new 3-D-printing technology invented by DeSimone and colleagues that can fabricate objects significantly faster than current state-of-the-art 3-D printers.
CardioEphEx LLC
Founded in 2015
Cardio EphEx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery of drug candidates to treat cardiovascular disease, with a particular focus on developing therapeutic strategies for indiviuals with heart failure.
Cell Microsystems, Inc.
Founded in 2010
Cell Microsystems develops bioscience research tools for use in analytical research laboratories. Its first product line is currently in use for cell sorting and cell separation.
CertiRx, Inc.
Founded in 2011
CertiRx Corporation, based in Durham, NC, develops and commercializes platform technology for authentication and verification of high-value products and important documents. It serves the pharmaceutical, agriculture and food, document security, luxury goods, manufacturing, and electronics industries.
Chaperone Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2009
Chaperone is an early-phase pharmaceutical company uniquely poised to develop novel drugs to mitigate neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS through the enhancement of the body’s natural protein folding mechanisms.
Chatham Therapeutics, LLC
Founded in 2010
Chatham Therapeutics is a private, clinical biotechnology business developing gene therapy-mediated cures for hemophilia. As of April 2014, Chatham Therapeutics operates as a subsidiary of Baxter International, Inc.
ChemoGLO, LLC
Founded in 2011
ChemoGLO develops technologies that detect and remove hazardous-drug contamination in hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories through its ChemoGLO Wipe Kit and the Hazardous Drug Clean (HDClean) towelette cleaning system.
Cirrus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Founded in 1997
Cirrus Pharmaceuticals assists biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in dosage-form development projects through research and product creation.
Clave BioDesign, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Chapel Hill-based Clave BioDesign develops technologies that enable less toxic and more specific targeting of tumor cells using cell-specific peptides.
Clinical Sensors, Inc.
Founded in 2009
Clinical Sensors develops diagnostic tests and sensors for use in the early detection of sepsis to diagnose infection in intensive care units and assessing prognosis upon treatment.
Clinipace, Inc.
Founded in 2004
Clinipace Worldwide provides digital contract research solutions for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. The company also operates a cloud-based application that serves as a technology foundation to various Clinipace clinical-development service teams. The company is based in Morrisville, NC, with additional offices and operations around the world.
Clutch Inc.
Founded in 2014
Clutch Lotion is an antiperspirant hand lotion that keeps your hands fresh, clean, and sweat-free all day.
CMP Pharma, Inc.
Founded in 1975
CMP Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of branded and generic prescription, nonprescription, and skin-care pharmaceutical drugs to hospital, long-term care, and retail markets. The company is based in Farmville, NC.
Combs Lab, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Combs Lab develops drug therapies for diabetes, including a noninsulin oral medication for type 1 diabetes.
Compression Kinetics Inc.
Founded in 2014
Compression Kinetics, Inc. designs and develops medical devices. It creates compression sleeves that utilizes shape memory alloy to create a pressure wave. The device increases circulation throughout the human body, decreases peripheral edema, and prevents blood clots.
Contour Surgical Inc.
Founded in 2015
Contour Surgical is developing a novel surgical tissue retractor for cardiothoracic procedures.
Cortical Metrics LLC
Founded in 2007
Cortical Metrics is an R&D company that develops noninvasive, biologically based technologies to quantitatively measure brain health.
Counter Tools, Inc.
Founded in 2012
Counter Tools is a not-for-profit business that provides training, software tools, and technical assistance to public health and disease-prevention organizations.
Couragen Biopharmaceutics, LLC
Founded in 2012
Couragen Biopharmaceutics is a biotechnology company developing gene-therapy and protein-therapy products for preclinical and clinical use for genetic and chronic disease treatment.
DarPharma Inc.
Founded in 2000
DarPharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company that develops drugs to treat neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s.
DeltaSphere, Inc.
Founded in 2000
DeltaSphere develops advanced 2-D imaging and 3-D computer graphics products for law enforcement and security firms. It specializes in creating accurate, photorealistic representations of the real world. The company’s integrated hardware and software solutions are widely used to capture and present 2-D and 3-D visual crime-scene reconstruction.
dReiniger LLC
Founded in 2014
dReiniger is a research and development firm specializing in technologies that prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The company’s flagship product, the dReiniger Tuniclave, is a locker that disinfects lab coats in under five minutes and tracks compliance on a coat-by-coat basis, making it fast and easy for medical professionals to reduce the threat of a major infection vector – their clothes.
Dualogics LLC
Founded in 2015
Dualogics is a biotechnology company using proprietary technology to develop bispecific antibodies with superior properties to those generated using other methods.
Effipharma
Founded in 2007
Effipharma develops novel therapeutics for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia.
Empiric Systems LLC
Founded in 2001
Empiric Systems provides web-based radiology information, picture archiving and communication, and billing-system software solutions to medical imaging facilities. Based in Morrisville, NC, Empiric Systems has operated since 2008 as a subsidiary of Fujifilm Medical Systems USA.
ENCI Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2009
ENCI develops therapeutics to treat breast cancer by testing and refining antibodies.
Entegrion, Inc.
Founded in 2004
Entegrion develops biological and medical-device technologies to enhance the safety and availability of the human blood supply. The company also provides blood-supply-related contract R&D services to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Envisia Therapeutics Inc.
Founded in 2013
Envisia Therapeutics, formed by Liquidia Technologies in 2013, is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of novel ocular therapies. Envisia is leveraging the unique and powerful properties of the PRINT platform to develop therapies for a variety of ocular conditions, the most advanced of which is ENV515, for the treatment of glaucoma.
Enzerna Biosciences, LLC
Founded in 2014
Enzerna is a molecular engineering reagent and custom-service company that has licensed proprietary technologies from UNC to create novel sequence specific RNA restriction enzymes that find applications in life science research and therapeutics.
Epicypher, Inc.
Founded in 2012
EpiCypher develops and manufactures novel tools and reagents for epigenetics drug development and chromatin biology research. EpiCypher is led by a successful entrepreneur and investor and the founders of EpiCypher are renowned chromatin researchers. The Company’s expertise and unique insight into epigenetics benefits customers in ways that other companies can not duplicate.
Epidemico Inc.
Founded in 2007
Booz Allen Epidemico is a platform for monitoring health topics derived from online conversations across media sources. The platform provides custom portfolios by topic, including disease outbreaks, drug safety, product and brand sentiment, patient experience, food safety, and more. This health vigilance product blends leading edge technologies to deliver accessible, high-quality, and actionable insights. Booz Allen Epidemico was developed by a team of industry-recognized and mission-driven epidemiologists, health leaders, scientists, and engineers.
Epizyme Inc.
Founded in 2007
Epizyme is a clinical stage epigenetics company that is developing small molecule inhibitors of histone methyltransferases for multiple oncology indications.
Eppin Pharma Inc.
Founded in 2014
Eppin Pharma is developing an oral, non-hormonal male contraceptive.
Ercole BioTech
Founded in 2001
Ercole developed oligonucleotide-based RNA therapeutics that directed alternative splicing of mRNA. These splice-switching drugs represent a new class of drug with the potential to modify gene-encoded proteins and their production. Ercole Biotech was acquired by AVI BioPharma in 2008 and AVI BioPharma changed its name to Sarepta Therapeutics in 2012.
Falcon Therapeutics Inc.
Founded in 2015
Falcon Therapeutics is developing personalized neural stem-cell therapies to treat brain tumors called glioblastoma.
Feelin DNA
Founded in 2017
Feelin DNA bridges the gap between STEM topics and the visually impaired community by building 3D models designed to fit the needs of students with multi-sensory and interactive features.
FHI 360, Inc.
Founded in 1973
Durham, NC-based FHI 360 provides technical and consulting assistance to communities, institutions, and governments wrestling with public health and development challenges. It employs 400 people in its North Carolina headquarters and more than 4,000 worldwide, with annual revenues approaching $700 million.
Flexcell International Corporation, Inc.
Founded in 2005
Flexcell International, based in Hillsborough, NC, specializes in equipment for scientific research in mechanobiology and tissue engineering.
G-1 Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2009
G-1 Therapeutics develops and commercializes small-molecule therapeutic agents to protect bone marrow from radiation or chemotherapy damage.
GeneCentric Diagnostics, Inc.
Founded in 2011
GeneCentric Diagnostics develops molecular diagnostic assays to enable oncologists and their patients to make informed, individualized treatment decisions.
Global Vaccines, Inc.
Founded in 2002
Global Vaccines is a not-for-profit company that develops vaccines against diseases such as HIV/AIDS, polio, dengue fever, malaria, and viral diarrhea (rotavirus), common in developing countries.
Glycan Therapeutics, LLC
Founded in 2012
Glycan Therapeutics develops therapies for thrombosis and tools to aid researchers in glycobiology, the study of sugar chains.
GreenChar Solutions Ltd
Founded in 2013
Producing affordable and smokeless charcoal briquettes made from recycled agricultural wastes, GreenChar is saving lives and curbing deforestation in Kenya. Ninety percent of Kenyans use charcoal or firewood to cook – GreenChar provides a green solution.
Health Decisions, Inc.
Founded in 1989
Durham, NC-based Health Decisions provides clinical-research services that include project management, medical writing, data management, biostatistics, quality management, and regulatory compliance services. It also provides strategic consulting and clinical services.
HealthSpan Dx, LLC
Founded in 2013
HealthSpan Dx is an early-stage laboratory-services company developing a diagnostic blood test that will enable physicians selecting treatments and therapies to maximize patient outcomes. The company was founded based on technology developed in the laboratory of UNC researcher Norman Sharpless in the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UNC School of Medicine.
Helodex Biometrics Corporation
Founded in 2013
Helodex Biometrics Corporation (HBC) is developing software for identifying individuals and their relations from DNA sequence obtained from emerging sequencing technologies.
Hibernaid Inc.
Founded in 2009
Hibernaid, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to development of medications to treat acute brain injury and other ischemia-reperfusion injuries.
HopeCare, Inc.
Founded in 2012
HopeCare offers consultation services to hospitals and practitioners to assist in navigating the multifaceted communication challenges inherent in end-of-life health-care decision making.
IdentiZyme Defense Technologies Inc.
Founded in 2010
A bio-technical comany, IdentiZyme Defense provides reliable, rapid, cost-effective solutions for chemical agent detection, identification, and protection.
Imagine Optix, Inc.
Founded in 2008
ImagineOptix provides breakthrough optical components for bright low-power mobile/wearable displays, pico- to theater-sized projection, optical instrumentation, high-resolution imaging, and flat-lens arrays.
IMMvention Inc.
Founded in 2014
IMMvention is developing semaphorin-like therapeutic proteins for autoimmune disorders.
ImpactStory
Founded in 2012
Impact story is an open-source Web service that helps publishers and researchers tell the full story of their research impact.
Impulsonic, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Impulsonic uses high-performance computer graphics techniques and the latest research in acoustics simulation to develop high-performance and accurate acoustics-simulation algorithms for architects, acoustics consultants, and government and national defense applications.
Incara Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Founded in 1996
Renaissance Cell Technologies developed a liver progenitor cell therapy for treatment of liver failure. The company name was changed to Incara Pharmaceuticals and was later sold to Vesta Therapeutics.
Initos Pharma
Founded in 2014
Initos Pharmaceuticals has identified small molecules that enhance the pharmacological effects of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics.
Innatrix Inc.
Founded in 2014
Innatrix Inc. is a small biological product manufacturer in Chapel Hill, NC.
InnerOptic Technology, Inc.
Founded in 2002
InnerOptic develops real-time medical visualization systems for use in minimally invasive image-guided surgical procedures.
Innocrin Pharmaceuticals
Founded in 2004
Innocrin is a precision therapeutics company, developing inhibitors for cancer treatment. Their developments have high commercial potential to treat non-oncologic syndromes as well.
Innovation Research & Training
Founded in 1999
iRT is a behavioral sciences research company that conducts translational scientific studies and training.
Inspire Pharmaceuticals
Founded in 1995
Inspire Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical business focused on researching, developing, and commercializing prescription pharmaceutical products for ophthalmic and pulmonary diseases. Inspire was acquired by Merck & Co. for $430 million in 2011.
Iris Biomed LLC
Founded in 2015
IRIS BioMed is developing a wavelength-encodable compound that delivers therapeutic agents to diseased sites with spatial and temporal precision. Potential applications include cancer, auto-immune diseases and vascular disorders.
IntraHealth International, Inc.
Founded in 2003
IntraHealth International is a global business that improves health-care services in developing countries by strengthening the health-care workforce and the systems supporting it. It also supports family planning and reproductive health; efforts to improve maternal, newborn, and child health; and the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Based in Chapel Hill, IntraHealth operates active field programs in more than 20 countries.
Invitrox, Inc.
Founded in 2007
Invitrox develops specialty disease diagnostics and therapeutics to detect early signs of cellular damage.
Ipas, Inc.
Founded in 1973
Ipas is a business dedicated to ending preventable deaths and disabilities from unsafe abortions. It works through local, national, and global partnerships to ensure that women around the world are able to obtain safe and comprehensive reproductive care, including counseling and contraception.
Ironwood Material Science Inc.
Founded in 2009
Ironwood Material Science, a joint venture by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, develops novel materials that can be used as bone cement and artificial bone in both dental and orthopedic applications.
Katharos, Inc.
Founded in 2009
Katharos is commercializing a medical device for selective blood-phosphate adsorption that will improve hemodialysis patient quality of life, reduce mortality rates, and lower the cost of health care.
Keona Health, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Keona Health, a health-care software company based in Chapel Hill, improves patient communications through cloud and web-based patient communication solutions that collect and store information from phone calls on websites accessible to patients, nurses, and physicians.
KindHeart, Inc.
Founded in 2010
KindHeart is a medical-simulation company specializing in surgery simulation systems using proprietary, animated-animal organ systems.
KinoDyn, Inc.
Founded in 2013
KinoDyn is a Chapel Hill-based cancer drug-discovery company focused seeking solutions to challenging cancers, including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), pancreatic cancer, drug-resistant leukemias, and glioblastoma.
KL Medical, LLC
Founded in 2010
Kryosphere, Inc.
Founded in 2007
Durham, NC-based Kryosphere stores and manages active research samples and archived collections through its biorepository. It also provides logistical and management services to academic, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, governmental, and health-care industries worldwide.
KXTbio, Inc.
Founded in 2012
KXTbio is a biotechnology company commercializing novel small-molecule therapeutics focused on protein-to-protein interactions.
Liquidia Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 2004
Liquidia Technologies develops precision-engineered particle-based vaccines and therapeutics that have the potential to dramatically improve the quality of human life. The ability to modify nanoparticle attributes allows Liquidia to develop more optimized safe and effective vaccines and therapies for a wide variety of diseases. Liquidia was founded on the discoveries of Joseph DeSimone and colleagues at UNC–Chapel Hill.
LotusBioEFx, LLC
Founded in 2010
LotusBioEFx develops performance-enhancing technology through materials, surface, and device engineering, particularly at the micro- and nano-scale. Successful applications include extended-use medical devices such as electrocardiogram clips.
LQ3 Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Founded in 2013
LQ3 Pharmaceuticals, based in Morrisville, NC, researches and develops novel therapies for various oral health conditions.
Lucerno Dynamics LLC
Founded in 2011
Lucerno develops, manufactures, and markets systems to detect and quantify the presence of radiolabeled biomarkers.
Lung Banks of America, Inc.
Founded in 2008
Lung Banks of America helps patients with end-stage lung disease secure lung transplants from non-heart-beating donors. Developed from research in the Egan lab at UNC, Lung Banks of America seeks to increase the pool of transplantable lungs available to patients by 20- to 30-fold.
MapJoy LLC
Founded in 2014
MapJoy is a North Carolina-based tech startup that creates innovative 3D design software for Real Estate and Real Estate eCommerce. MapJoy’s 3D design web platform provides new means of visualization, collaboration, and sharing amongst content creators, designers, and consumers.
Medical Product Analytics LLC
Founded in 2007
Medical Product Analytics is a medical consultant group dedicated to helping businesses evaluate the commercial potential of new medical products and technologies.
Meryx, Inc.
Founded in 2013
A spinout business from the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Meryx is working with the National Cancer Institute to develop a novel therapeutic treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Micell Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 2001
Micell Technologies is a biomedical company that enhances the performance of cardiovascular medical devices with innovative drug-delivery systems.
Mission3
Founded in 2015
Mission3 is an organization which is focused on educational innovation, faculty development, and technology to enhance medical education and delivery.
Molecular Orthopaedics Inc.
Founded in 2006
Molecular Orthopaedics develops gene therapies for osteoarthritis, with applications in human and animal health.
Morphormics Inc.
Founded in 2001
Molecular Orthopaedics develops gene therapies for osteoarthritis, with applications in human and animal health.
Mucommune LLC
Founded in 2015
Mucommune is focused on harnessing lgG-mucin interactions to reinforce mucosal health against microbial infections.
Mycosearch Inc.
Founded in 1979
Mycosearch develops and produces fungal extracts for drug research.
NanoBiologiX Inc.
Founded in 2013
NanoBiologiX develops targeted chemotherapeutics to treat cancer using nanotechnology.
NanoCor Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2006
NanoCor Therapeutics is a biotechnology company founded to commercially develop a minimal-invasive treatment for chronic heart failure.
NC Fisher Research, LLC
Founded in 2011
NC Fisher Research provides grant strategy and preparation services to small biomedical research businesses with a specialization in immunology. The company’s services include assistance with small-business biomedical research-grant strategy and preparation, including SBIR/STTR grants, with an immunology specialization.
Ndimo, Inc.
Founded in 2004
Ndimo is developing a software tool for multidimensional velocity measurement in ultrasonic imaging. The technology will be applied to enhanced cardiovascular disease diagnosis.
NeuroGate Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2011
NeuroGate Therapeutics develops novel, patentable compounds for the treatment of neuropathic pain and epilepsy.
NeuroNano Pharma
Founded in 2011
NeuroNano (NNP) uses patented and patent pending polymer formulations to deliver proteins to the brain. Its first efforts focus on the delivery of leptin for the treatment of obesity and BDNF for the treatment of Rett’s Syndrome.
NeuroVice LLC
Founded in 2016
PATI is a tongue protector ergonomically designed to safely and effectively prevent tongue biting and drooling during a seizure. It is housed in a kit that includes a wristband.
New Mind Education, LLC
Founded in 2010
New Mind Education is a Raleigh, NC-based business that provides enhanced language and academic programs that prepare students for academic and future success in a global environment.
New Paradigm Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2012
New Paradigm Therapeutics is a UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine spinout company that develops therapies for treatment of patients with severe osteoporosis.
NextRay, Inc.
Founded in 2007
NextRay offers a new medical imaging technology called Diffraction Enhanced Imaging, which produces images superior to those produced by current x-ray imaging while exposing the patient to less than 1 percent of the radiation dosage.
Novametics, Inc.
Founded in 2011
Novametics develops and commercializes innovative blood-coagulation diagnostic products.
Novan, Inc.
Founded in 2006
Novan develops innovative, first-in-class therapies that have therapeutic potential in applications related to immune-system response, wound healing, and blood pressure regulation.
Novocor
Founded in 2013
Raleigh, NC-based Novocor Medical Systems has developed HypoCore, a chilling device used by EMS personnel and first responders to induce therapeutic hypothermia in patients suffering from cardiac arrest, traumatic brain injury, heat stroke, and severe concussions.
Novoclem Therapeutics
Founded in 2015
Novoclem, previously Know Bio, a spin-off of Novan, works to develop cystic fibrosis treatments including a nitric oxide technology.
Nutrigene Sciences LLC
Founded in 2014
Nutrigene Sciences offers genetic testing and gene-guided medical foods for multiple medical conditions including fatty liver disease and male infertility.
Oriel Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 2007
Oriel Therapeutics, based in Morrisville, NC, develops respiratory products as generic alternatives to patented drugs for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As of June 1, 2010, Oriel Therapeutics operates as a subsidiary of Sandoz, Inc.
Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Founded in 1993
Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc. is developing the next generation of anti-infective products through discovery and development of small molecule oral drugs for the treatment of HIV and other major human viral diseases.
Parion Sciences, Inc.
Founded in 2001
Parion Sciences develops therapies to treat defects of the innate mucosal defense system in respiratory and ophthalmology diseases.
Path BioAnalytics Inc.
Founded in 2014
Path BioAnalytics develops cloud-based, software-enabled drug development tools for R&D and clinical trial enhancement. Assays include high-throughput organoid-based assays for CFTR and ENaC modulator response, sputum and bronchial alveolar lavage viscoelasticity, and measurement of mucolytic agent effectiveness.
Persever8
Founded in 2014
Persever8 uses technical training and life skills education to cultivate the potential of people with autism to obtain fulfilling jobs and live meaningful, independent lives.
PharmatrophiX, Inc.
Founded in 2009
PharmatrophiX is a biotechnology company that develops drugs to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
PhoenixSongs Biologicals Inc.
Founded in 2009
PhoenixSongs is a global life science company dedicated to developing and providing novel cell-derived model systems for research and drug discovery.
Plex Diagnostics Inc.
Founded in 2013
PleX Diagnostics is a clinical diagnostic development firm focused on cost-effective, multiplexed oncology diagnostics.
Polyglot Systems Inc.
Founded in 2010
Polyglot’s software is designed to improve patient understanding, thereby improving health, reducing costs and increasing patient satisfaction.
Premirr Plastics LLC
Founded in 2015
Premirr Plastics has developed a catalyst system for recycling PET plastic, commonly found in water bottles and other commercial products, in an eco-friendly manner.
Premitec, Inc.
Founded in 1999
Premitec is a biomedical research and development company that develops advanced technology platforms for biocompatible packaging schemes, flexible implantable devices, and high-density interconnects between components within biomedical devices.
Project Lazarus
Founded in 2007
Project Lazarus is a public health oriented non-profit organization established in 2008 in response to extremely high drug overdose death rates in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Protodia, Inc.
Founded in 2012
ProtoDia is a cancer diagnostic startup.
Pulvinar Neuro LLC
Founded in 2016
Pulvinar Neuro conducts high-quality non-invasive brain stimulation research.
Qualiber, Inc.
Founded in 2012
Qualiber is a nanomedicine company with an innovative drug-delivery technology platform to enable targeted delivery of siRNA, small-molecule therapeutic agents, and genes for the treatment of cancer and liver diseases.
Qualyst Transporter Solutions, LLC
Founded in 2012
Qualyst is a biotechnology company providing drug transponders used in cell-based research.
Quintiles Transnational Holdings, Inc.
Founded in 1982
Quintiles, a global contract-research organization, provides clinical-trials and research services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. Headquartered in Durham, NC, it has supported the development and commercialization of the world’s top 50 best-selling drugs. Founded by UNC biostatistician Dennis Gillings, Quintiles is the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services. It employs more than 27,000 people worldwide, including over 2,000 in North Carolina.
Qura Therapeutics LLC
Founded in 2015
Complementing the newly dedicated HIV Cure Center, Qura Therapeutics is a unique partnership between UNC-Chapel Hill and GSK that manages intellectual property, commercialization, manufacturing, and governance.
Realtromins, Inc.
Founded in 2007
Realtromins develops advanced medical devices that provide an early warning to track vital changes in critically ill or hospitalized patients, identifying high-risk individuals to facilitate immediate changes in medical management, improve patient safety and outcomes, and reduce health-care costs.
Redbud Labs Inc.
Founded in 2010
Redbud Labs develops technologies to measure fluid viscosity and cell membrane rigidity for biomedical instruments designed to diagnose clotting disorders and cancer metastasis.
Regado Biosciences
Founded in 2002
Regado Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of aptamer-based, antidote-controlled therapeutics. It provides REG1 that is used in patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome who undergo coronary revascularization procedures – including coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention.
Renovion Inc.
Founded in 2013
Renovion is a pre-clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a therapy for chronic inflammatory airway diseases.
Rethink H2O LLC
Founded in 2012
RethinkH2O helps water-intense industries such as automobile and textile manufacturers, hospitals, and the hospitality industry identify and address their unique water costs, challenges, and opportunities.
Reveris Therapeutics
Founded in 2014
Reveris is a pre-clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for triple negative breast cancer.
Rhexis Surgical Instruments Inc.
Founded in 2011
Rhexis Surgical Instruments created the AutoRhexis, a device for precise cutting of tissue in cataract surgery.
Rho, Inc.
Founded in 1984
Chapel Hill-based Rho is a contract-research organization that provides clinical research services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies, and to academic and government organizations.
Ribometrix, LLC
Founded in 2014
Ribometrix has developed a proprietary platform for discovering and characterizing the interactions of small molecule drugs that target RNA.
RTI International, Inc.
Founded in 1958
RTI International, one of the world’s leading research institutes, provides research and technical services to businesses and governments in more than 75 countries in a wide range of fields including health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, energy and the environment, laboratory testing, and chemical analysis. Founded jointly through the efforts of UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, and Duke University, it currently employs more than 3,700 people around the world.
Sandbar Oyster Company Inc.
Founded in 2014
Sandbar Oyster Company has developed substrates that improve the colonization of oysters. The result is improved native oyster production, habitat restoration and shoreline protection.
Sanitation Creations, LLC
Founded in 2012
Sanitation Creations offers environmentally friendly, hygienic sanitation solutions that are odorless, waterless, and economical, targeted for use in developing countries.
Science Learning Resources Inc.
Founded in 2000
Science Learning Resources develops original technology and content to bring real world science to the virtual world of the Internet. The company was formed in 2001 to spin-out science education resources and curricula developed by Dr. Gary Duncan at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Science Policy Action Network Inc.
Founded in 2015
The Science Policy Action Network encourages scientific outreach by motivating scientific advocacy, providing representation on behalf of the scientific enterprise, and improving STEM education within the state of North Carolina.
Scientists With Stories
Founded in 2014
Scientists with Stories was founded by five PhD students at Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill to address the gap between science and society. In 2013, the venture was incubated by the UNC Morehead Planetarium as a media and graduate education program.
Senaptec LLC
Founded in 2013
Senaptec provides state-of-the-art technologies, products, and programs designed to assess, analyze, and improve vision and sensorimotor skills with applications for sports, military, and health industries.
SeqQuest LLC
Founded in 2016
SeqQuest is a visualization software company for DNA and RNA sequencing data.
SIRSvision LLC
Founded in 2013
SIRSvision creates Simultaneous Image Refraction System (SIRS) technology, which improves the refraction eye exam by making it faster, more accurate, and less confusing.
Size Me Up, Inc.
Founded in 2012
Size Me Up offers a web-based application called SizeWand that enables uses to identify their correct clothing size for online garment purchases.
Sono Health and Wellness LLC
Founded in 2013
Sono Health and Wellness is an education company developing online health courses for middle and high school students.
SonoVol, LLC
SonoVol develops hardware and software that provides tomographic imagery quickly and at reduced costs to researchers as an alternative to expensive MR or CT scans.
Spirovation, Inc.
Founded in 2013
Spirovation is specialty contract research organization affiliated with the Marsico Lung Institute at UNC. It seeks to drive breakthrough drug developments in respiratory medicine by providing leading scientific expertise and the broadest array of translational medicine capabilities available in respiratory research.
Spyryx Biosciences
Founded in 2014
Spyryx develops therapies for treatment of cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Symberix, LLC
Founded in 2013
Symberix is a life-science firm that develops drugs to modulate bacterial factors in the human microbiome that impact disease, including nonlethal, selective, and potent therapeutics to alleviate the toxicity of chemotherapies and long-term use of NSAIDs.
Synereca Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Founded in 2009
Synereca Pharmaceuticals is developing orally active drugs that restore or potentiate the effectiveness of existing antibiotics. The company’s initial program focuses on inhibiting RecA, a key enzyme in bacterial DNA repair as well as in the development and transmission of antibiotic resistance.
Syzygy Optics, LLC
Founded in 2010
Syzygy designs and manufactures high-performance diffraction gratings for instrument builders, offering modeling and design services, design-review support, and custom gratings. Customers include national observatories, large telescope projects, and major universities.
TARGET PharmaSolutions Inc.
Founded in 2015
TARGET PharmaSolutions was formed in February 2015, based on the success of HCV-TARGET, a case study of the model in Hepatitis C.
Targeted Reading Intervention
Founded in 2015
The Targeted Reading Intervention (TRI) is a professional development intervention designed for elementary students who require additional reading instruction and their classroom teachers. Via remote webcam, trained coaches with reading expertise provide one-on-one, ongoing support to build capacity in reading instruction with teachers.
Terra Dotta LLC
Founded in 2001
Terra Dotta offers products and services in higher education software.
TerraHub, LLC
Founded in 2013
TerraHub is a mapping service that provides compatible tools that help customers build, visualize, and analyze maps and map-based data in real time.
TheraLogics, Inc.
Founded in 2004
TheraLogics develops biopharmaceuticals to control and treat inflammatory diseases through the use of a major biological molecule, the protein NF-kB. Diseases targeted by the company include chronic inflammatory arthritis, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease.
Tom & Jenny’s
Founded in 2013
Tom and Jenny’s is a candy company that uses all-natural, plant-based sweeteners proven to reduce cavity-causing bacteria by up to 70 percent.
UltraLinq Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
Founded in 2009
UltraLinq Healthcare Solutions provides web-based ultrasound and image management systems for evaluating, sharing, and archiving ultrasound imaging exams and reports. It serves physicians, imaging technologists, and health-care administrators and is jointly based in Raleigh, NC, and New York, NY.
Valor Water Analytics
Founded in 2013
Valor Water Analytics combines world-class analytics and deep experience in the water sector to provide utilities with solutions-oriented analytics to inform financial and water resource decision-making. Valor was founded in 2013 based on a set of analytical methodologies developed at the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Vascular Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Founded in 2010
Vascular Pharmaceuticals develops and commercializes therapeutic products to treat secondary complications of diabetes.
Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Founded in 2005
Viamet Pharmaceuticals discovers and develops small-molecule compounds that target metalloenzymes in infectious disease, oncology, and crop protection.
Virtual Kinetics Corp
Founded in 2016
Virtual Kinetics offers an easy-to-use app that allows physical therapists to make the most of their clinical skills and knowledge to better support their patient’s recovery.
Wildcat Nanoglo LLC
Founded in 2013
Wildcat Nanoglo specializes in the translational development of carrier-mediated agents (CMA) — vehicles for the administration of nutrients and pharmacuetical drugs — applying technologies that assess the movement of such nutrients and drugs in the body.
X-In 8 Biologicals
Founded in 2009
X-In 8 Biologicals develops technologies to prevent and treat tissue damage caused by the return of blood supply to tissue following a period of lack of oxygen due to events such as organ transplant, myocardial infarction, or stroke.
XinNano Materials Inc
Founded in 2008
XinNano Materials, a joint venture of Xintek, Inc. and TECO Nanotech Col, Ltd., is a world leader in producing high quality carbon nanotubes for field emission, thermal and electrical conducting applications. XinNano Materials has also developed carbon nanotube ink that can be easily applied to substrates to produce transparent conducting film and anti-static film used for touch panel, flexible display and EMI shielding applications.
XinVivo
Founded in 2015
XinVivo, Inc., a medical device company specializing in state of the art dental X-ray imaging systems.
XinRay Systems, LLC
Founded in 2011
XinRay Systems develops and manufactures multibeam x-ray sources and systems for diagnostic medical imaging, homeland security, and industrial inspection. XinRay Systems is wholly owned by Xintek, Inc.
Xintek, Inc.
Founded in 2007
Xintek develops and manufactures nanomaterial-based field emission technologies and products for information display, diagnostic medical imaging, and homeland security.
Xona Microfluidics LLC
Founded in 2008
XONA MICROFLUIDICS offers a wide selection of Neuron Device product arrays fabricated out of an optically transparent and biologically inert polymer. Xona’s Neuron Devices allow axons and dendrites to be fluidically isolated from cell bodies.
ZeroPoint Dynamics LLC
Founded in 2014
ZeroPoint Dynamics develops computer and network security products that rapidly analyze e-mail, documents, and web content to prevent data breaches and loss.