Illini Entrepreneur Center: New Challenge Grant Awards to Companies
The Illini Entrepreneurship Center Network (IECN) housed at EnterpriseWorks serves East Central Illinois small businesses with support to help them grow & succeed with consulting, training, and grants. The IECN with financial support from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), offers a matching award program targeted to high-growth companies in the region.
The following companies received competitive award funding in April and May 2010:
Aptimmune Biologics, Inc.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) vaccine for swine based on a proprietary cell line known as ZMAC that has been under development for the last decade in the UIUC lab of the company founder. Learn more about Aptimune Biologics, Inc. on their startup graduate page.
Cazoodle
Cazoodle is a startup company at the Research Park, which is developing large-scale information integration technologies to produce actionable data from unstructured HTML content in both the surface and the deep Web. The company was founded in 2006 by Professor Kevin Chang and currently has a search tool/site for Apartment Search that has become revenue-positive since launching and attracts approximately 200,000 visitors monthly.
IllinoisRocStar
IllinoisRocstar performs computational analyses for U.S. government agencies and industries, employing first-principles based physics for high-fidelity numerical analysis of fluid flows, combustion, materials, structures, and their interactions in complex changing geometries.
Isotech Labs
lsotech Labs provides testing techniques related to stable isotope analysis and applies it to oil and gas exploration. Stable isotope analysis provides the user the ability to distinguish molecular differences between otherwise chemically identical substances. Over the years, with its ties to the Oil & Gas industry, lsotech has not only distinguished itself as a leader in serving this niche for exploration services, it has developed new products such as the lsoTube sample collection container that has become the de facto industry standard for sampling. Isotech was on the lnc. 2500 fastest growing companies for two years running and recently expanded its facility in northern Champaign.
Nuvixa
Nuvixa is focused on delivering a platform for revolutionary and compelling user experiences involving presence. Nuvixa’s platform will enable users to experience exciting new applications where video and audio are integrated into the user interface, where remote video collaborations are fluidly integrated into applications for productivity, education, and entertainment.
Savings Every Week
Saving Every Week is a web-based service that allows people to find the best prices for things that they buy frequently at local grocery stores. Jeff Roloff started his first business, Central Data, while finishing up high school. The business was financed through three rounds of venture capital totaling over $3 million. Roloff has worked in technology positions at Horizon Hobby and Human Kinetics. He started working full-time on Saving Every Week in October 2009.
Unity in Action Magazine
New publication for the African-American community in East Central Illinois to provide information on building stronger families. Company founder completed the social entrepreneurship program at the University of Illinois. The publication won the Social Entrepreneur award at the Champaign County Innovation Celebration in 2010.