Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Old Dominion University
#191 in Universities
191Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
191
202
Rank in
Research Capabilities
138
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
237
Rank in
Market Translation
Norfolk, VA
Old Dominion University ranks 191st overall in the Cure Innovation Index. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the university's strongest area is entrepreneurial readiness, where it places in the middle of the field among universities; research capabilities and market translation activity fall in the lower tier. The university offers biomedical entrepreneurship training and operates an incubator and accelerator. Its overall profile reflects a university that has invested in commercialization infrastructure while its research base and translational output remain at earlier stages of development.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Old Dominion University 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, Old Dominion University fared best in Cutting Edge Science.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Old Dominion University 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, Old Dominion University fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Old Dominion University ranked below 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, Old Dominion University fared best in Industry Reputation.
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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.
