Georgia Tech’s research environment serves as an incubator for both leading-edge research and economic development.  Connecting faculty, graduate students, application and economic development experts, and professional staff, Georgia Tech provides several programs to identify, develop, and commercialize innovative research with market potential. In fact, Georgia Tech’s groundbreaking energy research has given rise to several successful startup companies, including:  

• Suniva, a high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar cell manufacturer.
• Climate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN), a hurricane, tropical storm, and wind energy forecasting tool.
• Plum Combustion, a low-emissions combustion technology company.
• Urjanet, a utility data management company.
• ViaCycle, a bicycle-sharing technology and services application.
• RideCell, an automated fleet management system.

It is through the assistance of Georgia Tech entities such as the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), Georgia Tech’s primary business organization, that the establishment of such startups has been possible.

Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute embodies Georgia Tech's innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and focus on engineering, science, and technology. It supports mutually beneficial partnerships with public and private sectors and is dedicated to helping scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs assess and translate their discoveries into commercial successes.

EI2 is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive university-based program of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization, and economic development. When compared to counterparts at other universities, EI2 is unique because it brings all its areas of expertise into a single organization and connects clients to more than one program or service to meet individual needs.

EI2’s programs include:

• Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) ATDC is a startup incubator that helps technology entrepreneurs in Georgia launch and grow successful companies. It was recently named by Forbes magazine as one of the "Top 12 Business Incubators Changing the World."
• VentureLab helps create companies based on Georgia Tech research and ideas. Since 2001, VentureLab has launched more than 175 companies that have attracted more than $700 million in funding.