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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    Nora Lozar

    News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Laura Frerichs Receives Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence Award

    Research Park Director Laura Frerichs is one of six academic professionals honored with a 2015 Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence award. The award was presented by Chancellor Phyllis Wise at a reception on April 2. The program honors the accomplishments and contributions of academic professionals, who perform a range of vital functions for the campus community. They provide critical support for administration, research laboratories and educational programs, and offer important outreach programs throughout the state. Recipients are selected for work, personal and professional contributions.

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    News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Inprentus Receives Investment From Serra Capital II

    CHAMPAIGN, IL March 19, 2015 — Serra Capital II announced its investment in Research Park startup, Inprentus. This investment marks Serra Capital II’s 22nd investment. A subset of Serra Ventures, LLC, Serra Capital II focuses on investments in IT, materials and agricultural technology, and devices and instrumentation. About Inprentus, Inc.Inprentus, Inc., manufactures ultrahigh precision diffraction gratings for x-ray applications. Our technology is a novel, dual-atomic-force microscope-based mechanical lithography method that allows high-precision patterning with nanometer precision over areas of ~10 cm squared or greater, and is particularly well suited to fabricating diffractive optics. Our initial customer base is synchrotron light source facilities, but we intend to branch into lab-based chemical analysis, EUV lithography, etc., on a longer time scale. About Serra Ventures, LLCSerra Ventures, LLC offers professional advisory services in business strategy, capital formation, business development and organization development. The firm specializes in serving high technology enterprises, managing over $20M in micro-venture capital. Serra has invested in over 40 companies, many of which have ties to the University of Illinois. The firm’s partners are Tim Hoerr, Dennis Beard, Rob Schultz and David Hodge. Collectively, they bring decades of experience in starting, operating, financing, and exiting technology companies. They serve as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and have conducted over 500 EIR consultations. Serra is the preferred provider of strategic services through the I-Start program.

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    News Research Park

    Carle-Illinois College of Medicine’s Connection to Research Park Cited

    The University of Illinois Board of Trustees recently voted unanimously to establish the College of Medicine at Illinois, the nation’s first college of medicine focused, from the beginning, on the intersection of engineering and medicine. The college will be a partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Carle Health System, and will integrate the university’s assets in engineering, technology, and supercomputing. Research Park played a role in developing a case for the College. In  January 2014, the Research Park commissioned a study on strategies for technology sector economic impact in Champaign-Urbana. “The College of Medicine grew from recommendations in a 2014 economic development study conducted by the Research Park,” wrote Chancellor Phyllis Wise in her blog post on the topic. (See the Cluster Report HERE). The report was cited in several media outlets, including The-News-Gazette and USA TODAY College. Biotech continues to grow as a theme in the Research Park, with the recent opening of Fortune 500 firm Abbvie as well as the significant cluster of medical-related startups at the EnterpriseWorks incubator. This community is poised to grow once the College of Medicine is established.  

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    Community Media Mentions News Research Park

    Research Park Part of Network Behind #CUatSXSW

    Champaign-Urbana is coming to SXSW! We invite University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumni who are attending SXSW Interactive – or live in the Austin metro — to attend our VIP Reception for the #CUatSXSW event. If you are otherwise affiliated with the University of Illinois or the Champaign-Urbana community, we welcome you as well. When: Saturday, March 14, 2015 from 4-7pm.Where: Licha’s Cantina, 1306 E 6th St, Austin, TX.  The Pygmalion Festival, in partnership with ELLNORA: The Guitar Festival presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois Research Park, and others will be taking their show to Austin, TX and staging a party with one of Champaign-Urbana’s most popular and influential exports: HUM. HUM, who have remained culturally relevant and loved almost 25 years into their existence, will be headlining the showcase featuring a lineup comprised of current bands residing in and touring from Champaign-Urbana, IL. They include Common Loon, The Dirty Feathers, Wicked Walls, and DJ Belly. Event partners include The Pygmalion Festival, ELLNORA: The Guitar Festival presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Research Park at UIUC, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, Grainger, Polyvinyl Records, Barham Benefit Group, and Singleton Law Firm. The party officially kick-offs the “You’re Welcome” campaign which has been created to reveal to the world what residents and alumni of the small Midwestern cities already know: Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois holds a truly unique influence on the world. From air conditioning to the LED to the web browser, this community has a history of innovation and has become a burgeoning tech hub.

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    News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Research Park Companies Win Big at Innovation Celebration

    CHAMPAIGN, IL March 3, 2015 — The annual Innovation Celebration was held on Tuesday in Champaign. Three Research Park companies came away with some hardware and a lot of pride. Cathy Singer, site manager at Yahoo!, won the Entrepreneurial Excellence Management Award; Agrible, of the EnterpriseWorks incubator, won the New Venture Award; and Rithmio, also of the EnterpriseWorks incubator, won the Student Startup Award. For more information on the event, read this article from the News-Gazette. About Yahoo!Here at the Research Park, the Yahoo! staff focuses on two major projects both involving cloud computing. As a Hadoop Center of Excellence, a team of engineers works on Hadoop, an open-source software framework that allows massive data processing distributed across thousands of nodes and petabytes worth of data. Another team works on a data pipeline project that handles, aggregates and processes data generated from clicks on Yahoo!’s advertising platforms. About AgribleAgrible is a big data technology and data products company, focused on providing innovative science that farmers and ag companies can use easily every day to improve their production with cloud-based delivery systems. Products are currently sold to independent growers, soil test laboratories, crop consultants, insurance agents, commodities companies, traders, and major ag chemical companies developing seed technologies and new production methods. About RithmioRithmio provides gesture recognition software as a platform for motion-sensing devices. Established in September 2013 at the University of Illinois, Rithmio has grown to a 7-person team with offices in Chicago and Champaign, IL. Rithmio’s gesture recognition software works with motion-sensing devices such as wearables, smartphones or connected sports equipment to learn, track and analyze motion. Brands leverage Rithmios platform to create personalized and accurate gesture-based products.

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    News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

    Caterpillar Celebrates Grand Opening of Data Innovation Lab

    URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Caterpillar Inc. today announced the grand opening of its first data innovation lab, located in Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The lab brings together resources from key fields for the company’s research and development (R&D) efforts, including engineering, computer science, operations research and statistics, to drive innovative development through data analysis. Today’s announcement builds upon work underway at Caterpillar’s existing simulation center, also located on the Urbana-Champaign campus, which operates in conjunction with the University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Work at the new data innovation lab will focus on exploration of emerging and disruptive data-based technologies, as well as advanced analytics technologies, demonstrated through proof of concept projects. “We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our data innovation lab here at the University of Illinois and look forward to further collaboration with our university partners and researchers,” said Gwenne Henricks, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Product  Development & Global Technology for Caterpillar. “By examining the world of data analytics, we can uncover hidden insights on how our customers use our products and services, and deliver that feedback to our product and customer support teams to drive better solutions and further our R&D efforts.” “Caterpillar has been a tremendous partner with the U of I – ours is a strategic relationship that helps drive success at our respective institutions,” said University of Illinois Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. Peter Schiffer. “The Research Park is a natural fit for a tech-focused company like Caterpillar, and this new innovation lab will leverage Illinois strengths in computing and data analysis in exciting ways.” The new lab also expands upon the existing recruitment efforts with the university to engage future science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent through additional research and development opportunities, and is a key component of the company’s innovation strategy. As work at the data innovation lab evolves, more information will be made available about the various activities that take place there. For more information on Caterpillar’s efforts, please view the following video: http://youtu.be/QfVIJD0Vd0Y. News CoverageWILL radio: Caterpillar Opens New Data Analysis Lab At U Of I Research ParkWAND TV: Caterpillar announces opening of data innovation lab About Caterpillar: For nearly 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2013 sales and revenues of $55.656 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three product segments – Resource Industries, Construction Industries and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

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    EnterpriseWorks News Partnerships & Acquisitions

    Revolution Medicines Receives 45 Million to Research Fungal Disease Treatment

    REVOLUTION Medicines, located in the EnterpriseWorks incubator, has received a $45 million dollar investment from Third Rock Venture, a financing investment firm.  Although the initial goal is to find treatment for fungal disease, the hope is to find other disease treatments in the future as well. REVOLUTION is the leading antifungal program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus and has signed a license agreement stating exclusive rights to develop certain technology at the University. “Illinois has just created really powerful resources to allow that to happen, and so we’ve definitely benefited from that tremendously.” –Martin Burke, Head of REVOLUTION Company Overview:  REVOLUTION Medicines will develop a platform to rapidly open chemical space hereto inaccessible for drug development while enabling PhD chemists to focus on the utility of the molecules rather than the synthesis of the molecules.

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    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards

    Governor Rauner Visits EnterpriseWorks

    CHAMPAIGN, IL Feb 15, 2015 — Governor Rauner visited EnterpriseWorks for the launch of Uber service in Champaign-Urbana. He spoke about his new Innovate Illinois Advisory Council and helping support the growth of technology companies throughout Illinois. Following his remarks, he toured EnterpriseWorks and talked with incubator companies. Links to Media Coverage:News Gazette (Online)Northwest HeraldWILLWAND

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    News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

    Ameren Innovation Center Opens at the University of Illinois Research Park

    Media Coverage: News-Gazette Ameren opens center in research parkSt. Louis Post-Dispatch Ameren opens Innovation Center at University of Illinois  CHAMPAIGN, IL (Feb. 10, 2015) – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced today that Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), a St. Louis-based Fortune 500 energy company, has opened an Innovation Center on campus. Ameren is the first major energy company to open an office at the University of Illinois Research Park. The Ameren Innovation Center will collaborate with university students and faculty and other companies across multiple industries at the Research Park. The goal is to foster an exploratory environment that focuses on innovations to help Ameren better meet the future needs of its customers. “By establishing an innovative and collaborative work center at a world-class research university with access to top students and faculty, we can better leverage information technology to seize business opportunities and improve our customer satisfaction,” said Mary Heger, vice president of Information Technology and Ameren Services Center and chief information officer, Ameren Services. “We also hope to develop a talent pipeline to help us continue to build a skilled workforce. This is important as we transition to smart grid technologies and explore future new energy services that may be wanted and needed by our customers.” The Center is hiring for several positions and eventually plans to employ up to 12 students. Undergraduate and graduate students across disciplines will work on a part-time basis on projects ranging from data analytics and mobile applications to projects that focus on the needs of the utility of the future. Some of these projects will leverage Ameren Illinois’ Technology Application Center in Champaign, an on-grid testing facility for smart grid technologies that opened in August 2013. A full-time Ameren site manager will supervise the students and serve as liaison between the Innovation Center and the University of Illinois. “The Ameren Innovation Center will give our students the opportunity to work on smart energy solutions for the Midwest and beyond,” said Chancellor Phyllis Wise. “Such real-world experiences are examples of the transformative educational opportunities at Illinois that grow from our leadership in engineering, computing and energy.” The Research Park, located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign, provides an opportunity for technology-based businesses to collaborate with students and faculty. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Engineering is among the highest ranked in the nation, and is a highly sought after as a partner for pursuing information security for the energy industry. About Ameren St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric delivery and transmission service as well as natural gas delivery service while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of 10,300 megawatts, and natural gas delivery service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp. For more information, visit Ameren.com.

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    EnterpriseWorks News

    Petronics Talks About Success and Innovation

    CHAMPAIGN, IL Feb 9, 2015 — Petronics, a startup company within EnterpriseWorks, was recently highlighted in the News-Gazette. In the article, the three founders (Michael Friedman, Dave Cohen, and David Jun,) who are past and current doctoral students at the Univeristy of Illinois, speak about their success with their Kickstarter campaign as well as future developments. “A robot that could interact meaningfully with pets would be a step toward building one that could interact with humans — something they feel is still far down the road.” Read the whole article here. Company OverviewPetronics makes high-tech health and entertainment products for house pets. Our first product is Mousr, an artificially intelligent robotic mouse that can see and react to a cat’s movement, just like real prey. Interested in learning more from co-founders, Dave Cohen and David Jun? Visit the link.

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