existing companies, and it is often considered the model for technology transfer. Stanford's Office of Technology Licensing is responsible for commercializing university research, intellectual property, and university-developed projects. The university is described as having a strong venture culture in which students are encouraged, and often funded, to launch their own companies. Companies founded by Stanford alumni generate more than $2.7 trillion in annual revenue and have created some 5.4 million jobs since the 1930s. When combined, these companies would form the tenth-largest economy in the world.
Some notable companies closely associated with Stanford and their connections include:
Hewlett-Packard, 1939: co-founders William R. Hewlett (B.S, PhD) and David Packard (M.S)
Silicon Graphics, 1981: co-founders James H. Clark (Associate Professor) and several of his graduate students
Sun Microsystems, 1982: co-founders Vinod Khosla (M.B.A), Andy Bechtolsheim (PhD) and Scott McNealy (M.B.A)
Cisco, 1984: co-founders …
