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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

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    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Oracle Biosciences Awarded $1 Million for Cancer Research

    A Carle physician has received a $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study a diagnostic test that could help identify the often deadly triple negative breast cancer earlier. Dr. Partha Ray, a Carle surgical oncologist, will focus on the FOXC1 gene, a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for basal-like breast cancer, a particularly deadly form of triple negative breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute awarded the grant to Oracle Biosciences LLC, Dr. Partha Ray’s biotech company, which has laboratory facilities at EnterpriseWorks incubator at the Research Park. 

    Oracle Biosciences Awarded $1 Million for Cancer Research Read Post »

    Events News

    Mobile Day 2014: Registration is Open

    The Research Park is excited to announce that registration is open for the third annual Mobile Development Day, to take place on January 31, 2014 at the iHotel and Conference Center in Champaign. With an expected attendance of over 200 participants and 25 speakers, Mobile Development Day provides an opportunity for attendees to share information and network with peers about mobile development taking place in the entrepreneurial, corporate, and educational milieus in the University of Illinois, the Champaign-Urbana region, and beyond. Topics include, but are not limited to: mobile technical development; mobile design; mobile entrepreneurship; coroporate, academic, or community mobile development; business of mobile app development; Android vs. iOS; mobile development education and careers; apps vs. websites. Thank you to John Deere for its generous sponsorship of this event.

    Mobile Day 2014: Registration is Open Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks News

    Imaging Startup Phi Optics Closes Seed Funding Round

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Phi Optics, Inc., a company that develops imaging solutions for life sciences and bio-pharma researchers, has secured $250,000 in seed funding from venture capital funds. The seed series was led by Champaign-based Serra Ventures and includes New Jersey-based Newport Holdings LP and Champaign-based Illinois Ventures LLC. The funding will support development of optical microscopes designed for faster and more sensitive imaging of live cells and tissues using Phi Optics patented technology, Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI). Phi Optics also has received a Phase 1 SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The SBIR funds were used toward a feasibility study for translating QPI technology from university lab to commercial product. Phi Optics also has developed strategic partnerships with Agilent Technologies and Carl Zeiss Microscopy. “Phi Optics products empower bio-pharma and life sciences academia researchers to explore deeper, discover more, and ultimately cure better,” said Dr. Gabriel Popescu, Co-Founder and CEO of Phi Optics, Inc. About Phi Optics: Phi Optics designs and manufactures devices based on Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI), a label free and quantitative imaging technology with nanoscale sensitivity. QPI-enabled devices have applications in life sciences, diagnostic pathology, and nanotechnology markets. Founded by Drs. Gabriel Popescu and Catalin Chiritescu, Phi Optics is commercializing technology initially developed in Prof. Popescu’s laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The company is a graduate of the NSF Innovation Corps program (March 2012 cohort) and is located in the EnterpriseWorks incubator in the University of Illinois Research Park. For more information visit the Phi Optics website. About University of Illinois Research Park: The Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides an environment where technology-based businesses can work with faculty and students to take advantage of opportunities for collaborative research. Located on campus, the Research Park is home to more than 90 companies, employing 1,400 people in high-technology careers. Major corporate operations in the Research Park include: ADM, Abbott Laboratories, Anheuser Busch InBev, Caterpillar, Citrix, Deere & Company, Dow, Littelfuse, Neustar, Raytheon, Riverbed, Sony, State Farm, and Yahoo. The Research Park is also home to 30+ startup companies that are commercializing technology. For more information, visit the Research Park website.

    Imaging Startup Phi Optics Closes Seed Funding Round Read Post »

    News Partnerships & Acquisitions

    First University of Illinois I-Corps Site Cohort Starts Aug. 29

    The Daily Illini splashed news about the University of Illinois’ first NSF I-Corps Site program cohort across its front page on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The program launches on August 29 with six teams in place, who will meet four times in eight weeks. Research Park director Laura Frerichs described the program as a “bootcamp process” for aspiring entrepreneurs. Teams for the second cohort, which starts in October, are already being recruited. For more information visit our NSF I-Corps Site information page. 

    First University of Illinois I-Corps Site Cohort Starts Aug. 29 Read Post »

    Investments News Research Park

    Fourth Street Extension Opens Opportunities For Research Park Expansion

    The Fourth Street Extension road project opened to traffic on Thursday, Aug. 22, just in time for move-in day at the University of Illinois, extending Fourth Street from St. Mary’s Road to Windsor Road. A traffic light at Windsor and Fourth is now operational. From the News-Gazette article: “Research Park Director Laura Frerichs said the new roads will provide access to 30 to 40 years’ worth of developable land. The park has had about one new building per year since it opened in 2001. ‘We want to continue that progress,’ Frerichs said. The project includes the extension of Hazelwood and Gerty drives to the east to meet the new Fourth Street. Everything should be open by Sept. 6, according to the city of Champaign.

    Fourth Street Extension Opens Opportunities For Research Park Expansion Read Post »

    News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Research Park Honors Most Outstanding Interns of 2013

    Five outstanding interns working for companies in the Research Park, all students at the University of Illinois, were honored Aug 1. More than 400 highly-skilled student interns work for Research Park tenants, gaining valuable experience while making real contributions to internal corporate research and development programs. The 2013 winners are: Most Advanced Marketing/Business Development Intern: Megan Broom, senior in speech and hearing science, IMO (Intelligent Medical Objects, Inc.) Megan recommended new processes which will be implemented at the corporate level. Best Entrepreneurial Leadership in a Startup: Yuyan Hua, graduate student in Materials Science and Engineering, Serionix “Diligent and aggressive,” in less than three months Yuyan helped Serionix progress on a project that has resulted in a minimal viable product being ready for customer evaluation. Best Tech Innovation in the Research Park: Josh Eckhardt, senior in Computer Science, Caterpillar Josh’s technical contribution to a web-based optimization tool is now being applied, and in just one manufacturing facility shows an initial cost reduction of $1 to 2 million. Most Valuable Graduate Student in the Research Park: Dan Zhou, doctoral student in Food Science and Human Nutrition, Abbott Dan translated scientific evidence into talking points and other information that can be used to educate policymakers on key Abbott Nutrition health policy issues. Most Valuable Undergraduate Student in the Research Park: Daniel Loeblich, junior in Chemical Engineering, Dioxide Materials Daniel’s work has accelerated company efforts to bring its CO2 sensor to market and made other important contributions to patent-pending fabrications. Finalists in each category are: Most Valuable Graduate Student in the Research Park:Julie Honneger, Agricultural and Biological Engineering graduate student, Waterborne Environmental; Shuai Wang, Educational Psychology graduate student, State Farm Research and Development Center Most Valuable Undergraduate Student in the Research Park: Sam Rappeport, Materials Science and Engineering undergraduate, Serionix; Bryan Plummer, Computer Science undergraduate, State Farm Research and Development Center Best Tech Innovation in the Research Park: Cristina Abad, doctoral student in Computer Science, Yahoo!; Brian Doherty, Computer Science undergraduate, IMO Best Entrepreneurial Leadership in a Startup: Siddhant Morakhia, General Engineering undergraduate, BioAnalytics Most Advanced Marketing/Business Development Intern: Michelle Kwak, Industrial Design undergraduate, John Deere Technology Innovation Center

    Research Park Honors Most Outstanding Interns of 2013 Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards

    EnterpriseWorks Graduate aPriori Secures An Additional $6 Million in Funding

          aPriori, graduate of EnterpriseWorks, raises additional venture capital funding. Important milestones for the company in FY 2013 include: Revenues grew 84% year over year Bookings grew 48% year over year International revenues grew 367% year over year Existing customers renewed at a rate of 90% – for the 5th consecutive year New customers in all geographies drove a 62% expansion of the customer base.      

    EnterpriseWorks Graduate aPriori Secures An Additional $6 Million in Funding Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News

    EnterpriseWorks Named a College-Town Incubator to Watch by Inc. Magazine

    An article in the June 2013 issue of Inc. magazine declares EnterpriseWorks, the technology business incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park, as one of three college-town incubators worth watching. The article highlights some of the incubator’s strengths, including entrepreneur counseling and support. It also mentions that EnterpriseWorks clients and graduates have raised more than $550 million in outside capital. The article calls out one of EnterpriseWorks tenants, IntelliWheels, “a company that has created a patent-pending gear system for manual wheelchairs, was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health and has raised more than $500,000 in funding.” The other college town incubators featured are Arizona State University’s Furnace Technology Transfer Accelerator and the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator out of the University of South Carolina. This isn’t the first time that EnterpriseWorks has received recognition from the Inc. “family”. In 2011, Inc.com named EnterpriseWorks one of 10 Start-up Incubators to Watch in the U.S.

    EnterpriseWorks Named a College-Town Incubator to Watch by Inc. Magazine Read Post »

    Community News Research Park

    New Name, Strong Ties: State Farm Center Neighbors State Farm Research and Development Center in Research Park

    With the announcement today that State Farm has acquired the naming rights to the building formerly known as the Assembly Hall, what Illini fans may not know is that State Farm already has a significant presence along First Street in Champaign. The State Farm Research and Development Center, located in Research Park at 2001 S. First St., is a place where State Farm staff and University of Illinois students guide and support company programs with high-level research. SFRDC employs 28 full-time staff as well as more than 70 student interns per semester. Students work part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer, creating a year-round work environment. The work at the Research Center primarily supports three State Farm departments: Property & Casualty Actuarial; Systems; and Strategic Resources. Students conduct research and projects including mobile application development, information systems, pricing and financial analysis, competitor analysis, and knowledge management. More than 500 students have gone through the internship program since the Center opened in 2005; some are hired into the company upon graduation. The program continues to grow, as State Farm has expanded its building footprint four times, most recently in 2012. Media coverage of the name change that mentions Research Park and/or the SFRDC: The News-Gazette The Daily Illini

    New Name, Strong Ties: State Farm Center Neighbors State Farm Research and Development Center in Research Park Read Post »

    Features Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards

    Oso Technologies Product Inspires Letterman “Top Ten” and Conan

    The “Top Ten List” segment from David Letterman’s Late Night show on Feb. 7 was inspired by Oso Technologies’ PlantLink system. Its product was also mentioned on Conan, CBS This Morning, and Drudge Report the week of Feb. 4. Top Ten Things House Plants Have To Say Thursday, February 7, 2013 10. “Watching you eat salad is creepy” 9. “Please ask the dog to stop ‘watering’ me” 8. “I had the most amazing photosynthesis last weekend” 7. “Your wife is sleeping with the UPS guy” 6. “I’m not going back on tour with Led Zeppelin” (Oh, I’m sorry, that’s what Robert Plant has to say) 5. “I absorb the CO2 you exhale–maybe try a breath mint” 4. “I’d like to thank the people of Colorado and Washington for legalizing me” 3. “For the love of God, put on some pants” 2. “With my ass in the dirt all day, I feel like the 49ers defense–Hey-o!” 1. “Your cactus is a real prick”  

    Oso Technologies Product Inspires Letterman “Top Ten” and Conan Read Post »