Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Wistar Institute
#11 in Institutes and Centers
11Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
11
21
Rank in
Research Capabilities
34
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
7
Rank in
Market Translation
Philadelphia, PA
The Wistar Institute, ranked 11th among biomedical institutes in the Cure Innovation Index, is an independent biomedical institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its market translation standing ranks among the strongest in its category; research capabilities place in the upper tier as well. Entrepreneurial readiness is more modest by comparison. The institute operates an incubator and accelerator, supports faculty-led clinical trials, and holds a Clinical and Translational Science Award, giving it a profile that connects basic discovery with applied and translational biomedical work.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Wistar Institute ranked below average for Research Capabilities, a measure of the foundational infrastructure and resources that enable an institution to conduct high-quality, innovative science. Out of the factors in this category, Wistar Institute fared best in Cutting Edge Science.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Wistar Institute ranked below average for Entrepreneurial Readiness, a measure of whether the institution has built a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and whether faculty are engaged in and incentivized toward commercial activity. Out of the factors in this category, Wistar Institute fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Wistar Institute ranked above average for Market Translation, a measure of how effectively a research institution moves scientific discovery out of the lab and into real-world clinical and commercial applications. Out of the factors in this category, Wistar Institute fared best in TTO Efficiency.
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Cure Innovation Index Methodology
From a pool of more than 6,000 institutions, the top 303 were ranked using two dozen indicators — from scientific foundation and lab infrastructure to patents, products, and partnerships — drawn from more than a dozen federal and commercial databases, an original audit of all institutions, and surveys of more than 3,300+ scientists, industry leaders, and biomedical experts.
Insights From the Cure Innovation Index
Explore by Category
Innovation isn't a single moment — it's an entire ecosystem. The Index evaluates institutions across two dozen indicators, grouped in three core domains that reveal the full picture of what it takes to turn groundbreaking science into real-world impact.
