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Purdue Research Foundation (PRF)
Purdue Research Foundation was established in 1930 as a private nonprofit to advance Purdue University. Brian Edelman holds the president role while Mitchell...
Purdue Research Foundation (PRF)
Purdue Research Foundation was established in 1930 as a private nonprofit to advance Purdue University. Brian Edelman holds the president role while Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. serves as board chairman and Mung Chiang sits on the board. The foundation's activities center on asset management that directly benefits the university rather than external family wealth. The foundation allocates across private equity, real estate, and venture investments. Confirmed holdings include direct ownership of the 400-acre Discovery Park District, the 725-acre Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, and multiple student housing projects such as Aspire at Discovery Park District. It also maintains positions in startups including Insignum AgTech, Novosteo Inc., and Phytoption LLC through Purdue Innovates Ventures and the Foundry Investment Fund. Geographic activity remains concentrated in Indiana with additional exposure through the Purdue Research Park of Indianapolis and Northwest Indiana. The foundation reports 2,724 million USD in assets. It maintains relationships with service providers including Cambridge Associates for investment advice and Ice Miller LLP for legal counsel. Recent events include organization of the Purdue Day of Giving in April 2025 and sponsorship of the Purdue Fintech Conference in September 2024. PRF operates through a hybrid structure that combines endowment stewardship, real estate development, and venture incubation under one entity tied directly to Purdue University governance.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1930
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
West Lafayette
Corporate office
Kurz Purdue Technology Center, 1281 Win Hentschel Blvd., West Lafayette, IN 47906
Principals
Brian Edelman
President
Mitchell E. Daniels Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Mung Chiang
Board Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Purdue Research Foundation?
Brian Edelman serves as president. The board includes Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. as chairman and Mung Chiang as a member (Altss research).
Does Purdue Research Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The foundation makes direct investments in real estate and holds limited partner positions in startups through Purdue Innovates Ventures and the Foundry Investment Fund (Altss research).
What investment stages does Purdue Research Foundation typically target?
Activity spans early-stage seed and startup investments as well as growth and expansion rounds through its venture vehicles (Altss research).
Where does the underlying support for Purdue Research Foundation come from?
PRF exists to support Purdue University as its primary beneficiary and asset manager (Altss research).
How is Purdue Research Foundation related to Purdue University?
PRF serves as the primary supporting organization and asset manager for the university with shared board members including the university president (Altss research).
Does Purdue Research Foundation maintain philanthropic structures?
It oversees related foundations including the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and the Low Institute for Therapeutics (Altss research).
What geographic footprint does Purdue Research Foundation cover?
Core operations and assets are located in Indiana with research parks in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Northwest Indiana, and Southeast Indiana (Altss research).
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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