Wearable Tech Patents at US Universities Attract Investor Interest and Regulatory Approval

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 9, 2025 — Similar to the manner in which US defense has embraced technology developed by startups in this space, the higher education system, especially research institutes, are becoming hubs to develop some of the most path-breaking innovations in wearable devices.

Giving a fillip to this segment of wellness and health products, the Department of Health and Human Services had earlier this year endorsed the use of wearable tech in the US.

Besides its inclusion in America’s public health discourse, devices developed at universities and research institutes are attracting both regulatory validation as well as investor interest.

In a blog post issued on August 6, Georgia Tech said it had logged its strongest year ever in research commercialization, breaking multiple records for invention disclosures, issued patents, and licensed technologies, which are clear indicators of the Institute’s expanding role in delivering research-driven innovation to the marketplace.

Notably, the global remote monitoring wearable market was valued at $23.26 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $90.54 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15.9 percent during the forecast period 2025–2033.

Market surveys reveal that strategic partnerships and favorable reimbursement policies are key growth enablers for the wearable tech segment.

Availing the benefit of incentives and leveraging vital partnerships, Omer Inan, a Georgia Tech researcher and faculty member, has launched multiple companies with the support of the Institute’s commercialization resources.

Cardiosense is a medical AI company that leverages sensors to provide better management of cardiovascular disease. Having recently achieved FDA 510(k) clearance, its latest device, CardioTag, is the first multimodal, wearable sensor that simultaneously captures three cardio signals to provide non-invasive solutions for heart health.

For fiscal year 2025, Georgia Tech has reported more than 460 new invention disclosures, a 30 percent increase over the previous year and the highest ever recorded by the Institute.

There have been 70 invention disclosures for the Georgia Tech Research Institute, marking a 70 percent increase year over year.

According to the most recent rankings from the National Academy of Inventors, Georgia Tech is in the top 15 public universities for U.S. utility patents filed.

Know More about Top 100 Worldwide Universities List

Annual Top 100 List: Published annually by the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI, since 2013, the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list ranks the top 100 universities granted utility patents during the calendar year. The Top 100 Worldwide Universities list highlights the vital role patents play in translating university research and innovation, as well as the important role academic institutions play in the innovation ecosystem. The Top 100 Worldwide Universities list is compiled using calendar-year data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

For 2024, the top five institutes feature two US-based universities, with The Regents of the University of California at the second position holding 540 patents and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the third position with 295 patents.

More About NAI: The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising US and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,600 individual inventor members and fellows spanning more than 260 institutions. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and to enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation.

Regulatory Framework: Recently, the FDA sent wearable fitness tracker Whoop a warning letter over its Blood Pressure Insights feature as the agency claimed that Whoop is marketing an unauthorized medical device intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent a disease.

In response, Whoop said its BPI feature only uses blood pressure information to offer performance and wellness insights, and that the FDA is “overstepping its authority.”

How Vital are Internal Venture Funds

A growing demand for personalized healthcare and chronic disease management is a growth driver for the wearable tech market.

As per Stephen Susalka, CEO of AUTM, the US association of technology transfer offices, a number of universities in the US are establishing internal venture funds to develop technologies emerging from university labs. “That is a neat approach that is ever more important right now in that it’s not reliant on federal funding.”

According to GCV research, only about a third of US research universities have investment funds, a comparatively smaller portion than in other regions such as Europe, Australia, and Japan.

However, US academic institutions are increasingly setting up funds either internally or partnering with third-party VC funds. Last week, US early-stage venture capital firm The House Fund launched a fund to invest in University of California, Berkeley research in artificial intelligence as a direct result of the federal cuts.

Georgia Tech had registered its strongest year ever in research commercialization, breaking multiple records for invention disclosures, issued patents, and licensed technologies.

Inputs from Saqib Malik

Editing by David Ryder