Auburn University – the Pride of Alabama Innovation
The Princeton Review and the National Academy of Inventors each rank Auburn #1 for university entrepreneurship programs in the State of Alabama
From intellectual property to commercial success, Auburn University students and faculty are taking entrepreneurship in Alabama to unparalleled heights.
The number of patents awarded to students, researchers and faculty is often used as a measure of a university’s entrepreneurship program’s success. And that’s reasonable on the surface. After all, intellectual property can form a critical, legally protected platform for a whole host of innovative, commercially viable new products, processes and business models that have never been imagined. And Auburn meets those high-water marks.
When it comes to intellectual property, Auburn leads all other universities in the State of Alabama. Based on the number of utility patents awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2024, the National Academy of Inventor’s annual assessment of the most innovative entrepreneurship programs in the U.S ranked Auburn the top university in the state.
And while patents filed and awarded by Auburn typically come primarily from the Colleges of Engineering, Agriculture and Business – as one would expect – the breadth and depth of intellectual property created, protected and commercially leveraged by Auburn students and faculty arises from colleges virtually across the entire Auburn campus.
Student Experience-based
But what truly sets entrepreneurship at Auburn University apart from the rest is its focus on student experience; and it is an exceptional experience indeed. For those current or incoming students (and faculty) interested in starting a business or developing a much-needed entrepreneurial way of thinking, Auburn University has an ecosystem that is the envy of so many other higher education institutions across the state, the nation and the world.
Auburn is where the strategically integrated, intricately intertwined and collaborative efforts of the Harbert College of Business, The Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship, the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, the Intellectual Property Exchange and the New Venture Accelerator come together. “Where Collaboration Begins” is much more than a slogan, it is a way of life.
And driving that collaboration is exactly how Auburn recently earned the Princeton Review’s distinction of being the leading university in the State of Alabama when it comes to entrepreneurship offerings, student engagement and commercial success.
One has to believe that the Princeton Review’s methodology – the gold standard – incorporates the fact that entrepreneurship at Auburn isn’t just a path for business students or engineering students. It is a campus-wide engagement story in which nine of the twelve colleges on Auburn’s campus are actively involved in all that the Auburn entrepreneurship ecosystem has to offer. In fact, it has often been said that entrepreneurship at Auburn is hands-down, one of the clearest, brightly shining examples of the level of cross-campus collaboration that makes Auburn such a special place to live, learn and grow.
So, what makes Auburn University entrepreneurship stand out? A short list includes the following:
- Comprehensive Curriculum: A robust curriculum that covers the full spectrum of entrepreneurship, including ideation, business planning, funding, scaling, and managing startups. Students can also take electives in digital entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, franchising, and even classes outside the Harbert College of Business to help hone their entrepreneurship mindsets.
2. Ties to Innovation & Research: A strong focus on innovation. Backing by resources like the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation creates an ecosystem where students & faculty can connect with cutting-edge research to develop new business ideas.
3. Entrepreneurial Support: Access to mentorship, networking opportunities, and entrepreneurial events. The Tiger Cage business idea pitch competition is a flagship initiative, offering students the chance to present their ideas to potential investors and compete for over $100,000 in seed capital.
4. Experiential Learning: Emphasis on hands-on experience. Through internships, real-world consulting projects, and opportunities to work with small businesses, students apply classroom knowledge in practical settings.
5. Cross-Disciplinary Opportunities: Allow students to collaborate across different disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach fosters creativity and innovation, equipping students to tackle diverse business and innovation challenges.
6. Alumni and Industry Connections: A large network of successful alumni entrepreneurs who actively support current students. These Auburn Family members serve as class speakers, mentors, professional network contacts and in many other roles to assist students in pursuing their entrepreneurial ventures.
7. A Kick Start Fund: An expanding pool of early-stage startup funding. The Auburn University Kickstart Fund functions similarly to an angel investor but provides no-strings-attached grants to the Auburn entrepreneurs without any equity position or incurring any other ownership incumbrance typically imposed by early equity investors.
8. Student Internships: An opportunity to expand critical and valuable skills while helping students and faculty launch startups. NVA internships in graphic design, industrial design, marketing and more are designed to give promising, talented Auburn students the kind of real-world experience they can leverage when seeking full-time employment post-graduation.
What Constitutes Success?
As proud as we are of the number of patents awarded to Auburn students and faculty, we are even more pleased that the long legacy of Auburn inventions and new ideas continues to lay the foundation for promising start-ups, emerging new companies and industry-leading multinational enterprises across Alabama, the nation, and the world.
Digital Athlete was the winner of the inaugural SEC Pitch Competition featuring businesses led by student-athletes.
At Auburn, entrepreneurial success is assessed using a broad range of factors, but the primary gauge of our progress from year to year is the number and quality of companies formed, launched and/or operating as viable, independent new businesses.
We also evaluate the ability of our companies to raise seed capital and subsequent rounds of funding if/as needed, with note that teams mentored by the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at the NVA have gone on to raise over $125 million in A, B, and C rounds of funding over the past few years.
Startups of Distinction
The comprehensive, approach to all-things entrepreneurship-related at Auburn appears to be working – a few Auburn University startup businesses of note include:
NanoPrintek is the world’s first “dry multi-material printer” that transforms the 3D printing of functional materials and devices for electronics, energy, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and defense applications.
Of recent note, NanoPrintek founder Masoud Mahjouri-Samani and his team recently rode the Vomit Comet to take advanced additive manufacturing capabilities to unprecedented new heights in a much-anticipated zero-gravity test bed demonstration with NASA.
After two days of parabolic flight sessions designed to test the capabilities of their unique, self-contained, dry-nanoparticle additive manufacturing system in a zero-gravity environment, the results were in:
✅ 100% success
✅ Zero gravity? No problem
✅ Auburn innovation, launched
“Our machine worked flawlessly in zero gravity with no issue whatsoever,” reported Masoud. “Proving that capability was Mission Objective Number One – and they accomplished that in flying colors. They tested and documented a one hundred percent success rate – one hundred percent! They couldn’t be more pleased to see their expectations confirmed.
Read more here: Mission Accomplished in Zero Gravity NASA Demonstration
VivoSphere is pioneering advancements in drug discovery and toxicity testing through cutting-edge tissue engineering technologies. Specializing in human 3D disease models, they create physiologically relevant environments that enhance the accuracy and predictability of in vitro studies.
Co-Founder Elizabeth Lipke, the George E. and Dorothy Stafford Uthlaut Endowed Professor in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Department of Chemical Engineering, is a co-principal investigator on a one-year, $350,000 Phase I National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research grant, “VivoSpheres: Tissue-Engineered Spheroidal Models for High-Throughput Screening.”
XO Armor Technologies delivers advanced 3D-printed injury care for rehab centers, clinics, orthopedics, and athletic programs. Their in-house solution empowers staff—athletic trainers, therapists, and clinicians—to print personalized, custom-fit orthoses on demand, without waiting on suppliers.
Yellow Card has grown to become largest crypto company on the African continent as well as the first – and still the only – licensed pan-African cryptocurrency exchange.
The company has facilitated more than $2 billion in transactions for roughly 1.75 million customers while growing their team to more than 200 employees across 25 countries, and currently supports the exchange of local fiat currencies in 17 African markets – with more markets coming on board soon.
Archangel Industries is an emerging provider of customized equipment for war fighters in any combat situation imaginable, designed for peak mission performance and above all – to make sure every dedicated individual who defends our country makes it home safely.
To learn more about the remarkable founder and her story, click HERE
Vulcan Line Tools is at the forefront of innovation in the electric utility and telecom sectors. Their mission is to empower companies with cutting-edge tools and insights that enhance safety and operational efficiency. With a passionate team of experts, they strive to provide tailored solutions that address the unique challenges of infrastructure development and maintenance.
Room2Room Movers provides a simple, affordable, and efficient moving service to college students while employing and mentoring young individuals as they serve students and families during their college careers and beyond.
In March 2020, COVID-19 forced Auburn University students to evacuate campus during spring break, leaving their belongings stranded in dorms. Their founder, Brooks Fuller, packed and shipped these items to students nationwide.
Driven by a simple non-compensated desire to assist peers, Brooks and his family’s act of kindness evolved into a successful college moving service at Auburn University which has now expanded to the University of Mississippi, with more college campus expansion coming soon.
To learn more about Room2Rooms business expansion efforts click HERE.
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At Auburn University, our approach to all-things related to entrepreneurship appear to be working – and getting us noticed. To be sure, supporting our entrepreneurs is a privilege. Behind every business plan is a person brave enough to try and who is willing to risk failure for something they believe in. To that the greatest reward we get from our efforts is not in some ranking, but instead in the joy we feel when we get to witness dreams take flight.
To learn more about Auburn University’s entrepreneurship offerings contact:
Franz Lohrke, Lowder Eminent Scholar, Management and Entrepreneurship
Joshua Sahib, Director, The Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship
Lakami Baker, Russell Foundation Associate Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies
Ward Swift, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, New Venture Accelerator