Raghupathy Sivakumar, Vice president of commercialization, Georgia Tech

March 2026 — In an interview with Focus:, Raghupathy Sivakumar, vice president of commercialization at Georgia Tech, discussed the university’s record year in research innovation, its growing culture of entrepreneurship, and Atlanta’s rise as a national tech hub. “If Georgia Tech reaches 1,000 startups annually, Metro Atlanta could become the fastest-growing entrepreneurial hub in the world.”

What have been the most significant changes in commercialization activity at Georgia Tech over the past year, and how have those influenced your team’s priorities?

We had a record-breaking year for commercialization at Georgia Tech. Stepping back, our mission is to develop leaders who advance the human condition and create technology that benefits society. We take that mission seriously and focus on how to deliver impact through the leaders we develop.

We’ve invested heavily in student entrepreneurship efforts, helping students better understand entrepreneurship and launch their own companies. At the same time, Georgia Tech is one of the largest research universities in the world, with $1.47 billion in research awards last year. That means there’s a tremendous amount of innovation coming out of our labs, and we’re focused on taking those technologies to market.

Last year was our best ever in commercialization metrics. We had 464 invention disclosures, roughly one new invention reported every day, 122 patents granted, 140 startups launched, and 66 technologies licensed into the real world. In short, it was a record-breaking year for commercialization at Georgia Tech.

How has the broader landscape for academic commercialization evolved?

Across academia, the emphasis on commercialization and entrepreneurship is at an all-time high. Universities are realizing they can’t outsource impact to others. They must become better custodians of how their research and talent translate into real-world outcomes.

At Georgia Tech, our Office of Commercialization is relatively new, only five years old, yet we were one of the first universities to consolidate all commercialization and entrepreneurship activities under one roof. Since then, many others have followed suit.

This growing focus also reflects a larger accountability issue. Most universities in the U.S. receive federal research grants, meaning taxpayer dollars fund much of the research. It’s therefore essential for universities to show how that funding leads to tangible impact through commercialization and entrepreneurship. The current environment of greater scrutiny on higher education has only amplified the importance of demonstrating this value.

How are faculty and students approaching commercialization today, and what does that say about the future of entrepreneurship on campus?

Both students and faculty are deeply engaged in entrepreneurship and commercialization, but students tend to be even more enthusiastic. They view entrepreneurship as a way to deliver meaningful impact to society. Last year, through our entrepreneurship programs, we engaged with more than 5,000 students.

One major driver of this interest is the accelerating pace of global change. The cycles of technology adoption have shortened dramatically — what once took years now happens in months. ChatGPT, for instance, reached 100 million users in just three months. Because the world is changing so rapidly, we see entrepreneurial confidence as a core skill for our students.

We want students to graduate not only with technical expertise but also with the confidence to adapt, identify problems, and find creative solutions in a fast-moving world. That’s the essence of entrepreneurial confidence. It’s not just about launching startups, but about preparing students to thrive in dynamic environments.

Faculty are also recognizing that while academic research is essential, its impact grows exponentially when paired with commercialization. We’re working hard to provide clear pathways for faculty who want to bring their innovations to market.

Where is investor interest currently strongest when it comes to university-led projects and early-stage technologies?

Georgia Tech is primarily a technology and engineering university, so much of what we see is influenced by that. Artificial intelligence is at the center of investor attention. Roughly half of the startups we launched last year incorporated AI in some form.

AI is a horizontal technology as it applies across sectors, from aerospace to healthcare, supply chain, and cybersecurity. It’s clearly our top area of focus. Georgia Tech also happens to produce more AI engineers than any other institution in the country, so there’s a natural synergy between the technologies being developed here and the market demand for AI talent and ventures.

We’re in a strong position to meet that demand and continue driving innovation in this space.

What barriers still make it difficult for research breakthroughs to move from lab to market, and where is there room for improvement?

There are definitely multiple gaps between research and market. When we break it down, we see challenges in six main areas.

First, culture. Even though academia has embraced entrepreneurship more than ever, not all faculty members are fully on board. It takes time to shift culture, and we’re working hard to make commercialization a more natural part of academic life.

Second, technology readiness. When research concludes in a lab, it’s rarely market-ready. Advancing a technology to that point is expensive and too risky for venture capital, so we rely heavily on non-dilutive funding from federal and state governments. Given today’s funding challenges, we’re rethinking how to support that progression, including deeper partnerships with industry.

Third, intellectual property. Historically, universities have been overly protective of their IP, holding on to patents too tightly. We’re becoming more open, making it easier for students and faculty to access and build on university-owned IP.

Fourth, volume. Entrepreneurship naturally has a high failure rate, so scale matters. We want to reach 1,000 startups a year from Georgia Tech, we’re at 140 now. That’s a gap we’re determined to close.

Fifth, scaling mechanisms. Launching startups isn’t enough; they need support to grow into sustainable, high-impact companies. We’re investing in the systems and mentorship that enable ventures to scale effectively.

Finally, the playbook. Academia still lacks a clear, replicable model for how commercialization should happen. Every university is figuring it out in its own way. That uncertainty is both challenging and exciting. For me, it’s more exciting than scary, because it means we’re still in the process of defining what success looks like.

What differentiates Atlanta from other major U.S. innovation hubs, and where is the city gaining the most momentum in commercialization and tech transfer?

Atlanta’s biggest strength lies in its universities. The metro area has 57 colleges and universities, an extraordinary resource for talent and research. Thousands of graduates enter the workforce every year, many from institutions conducting cutting-edge research.

We also have three R1 universities: Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Emory, all within a few miles of each other. Together, they generate billions of dollars in research that fuels new technologies ready for commercialization.

Atlanta’s quality of life is another advantage. The cost of living is reasonable, the weather is great, and the city’s connectivity through one of the world’s largest airports makes it easy to access national and global markets.

Finally, diversity. Atlanta attracts people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, which leads to a diversity of ideas, a critical ingredient for entrepreneurship.

What are your top priorities for Georgia Tech’s commercialization efforts over the next three to five years?

Our main goal is to reach 1,000 startups a year. If we achieve that, Georgia Tech will become the largest entrepreneurial campus in the world.

That requires alignment across the university which means that every faculty member and student needs to see commercialization and entrepreneurship as central to their mission. It also means raising more resources to support innovation and scaling our engagement with the broader community.

As a public institution, we serve not only our campus but also Metro Atlanta and the entire state of Georgia. So, when we say we want to grow entrepreneurship, it’s not just about our own ecosystem. It’s about helping Atlanta and Georgia thrive as leading centers for innovation.

If Georgia Tech reaches 1,000 startups annually, Metro Atlanta could become the fastest-growing entrepreneurial hub in the world. Our broader goal is for Georgia to become the number one startup state in the nation.

Want more? Read the Focus: Atlanta report.