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Leading innovation, generating solutions

The breadth, scope and excellence of our research programs make Ohio State a leading force of innovation and change – locally, nationally and globally. Ohio State is one of only a few universities in the U.S. that, in a single location, houses 15 different colleges, including seven health sciences colleges and a college of agriculture. 

At Ohio State, we have all of the tools that are needed—the creative minds, the expertise, the experience and the world-class facilities—to discover innovative solutions to complex problems.

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Buckeye Executive Network

Entrepreneurs wanted.

Experienced entrepreneurs who have a desire to help advance Ohio State technologies can do so by becoming a member of the Buckeye Executive Network.

Learn more about the Buckeye Executive Network

Central Ohio Ecosystem

Startups formed with Ohio State technology benefit from becoming part of the central Ohio entrepreneurial
ecosystem.

  • In 2017, Columbus ranked third on the Kauffman Foundation’s annual index of growth entrepreneurship — a measure of how hospitable a city is for high-growth startups — ahead of San Jose and San Francisco. That year, the Kauffman Foundation also named Columbus the top metropolitan area for scaling young companies.
  • VentureOhio notes that more venture capital funding is flowing through Ohio than at any other point in the state’s history. In 2016, $470 million was invested in 210 startups, a 46 percent increase over the previous two years. Cited by Venture Beat magazine, Columbus was also one of the few U.S. cities to see its total number of startups raising their first round of venture capital financing grow over the past seven years.

According to Forbes and Venture Beat, a solid base in research and producing talent in Columbus has helped the city to grow in startup activity. Other key factors include:

  • Location: nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population is within a day’s drive of Columbus.
  • Access to corporate partners: Columbus has a large Fortune 1000 base, and many corporations are signing on to be startups’ first customers while also investing in them.
  • Low operating costs: according to KPMG and EY, Columbus’ tax climate was ranked as one of the top three most business-friendly environments in the U.S. In comparison to traditional entrepreneurial hubs like New York City, Boston and Silicon Valley, Columbus offers comparatively low operating costs for businesses.

Featured Startups

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3Bar Biologics Inc.
Agriculture, Food Science & Nutrition
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Nikola Labs, Inc.
Robotics, Sensors & Advanced Manufacturing
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Spirosure Inc.
Medical Devices, Diagnostics & Imaging
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Contact Us

Senior Director, New Ventures

Cheryl Turnbull


LinkedIn Profile

New Ventures Analyst

Katherine Schulhaus


New Ventures Analyst

Lauren Morowit


Director, New Ventures

Zachary Ellis, Jr.


LinkedIn Profile

News & Events

  • Smart Cities, Smart Data

    September 13, 2019

    The Smart Columbus Operating System is commonly referred to as the “heartbeat” of Smart Columbus, as it is the city’s integrated, holistic approach to data in our...

  • Ohio State joins statewide initiative to boost university technology commercialization

    September 9, 2019

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