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    News Partnerships & Acquisitions Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Genective Poised for Commercial Success After Pipeline Delivered Breakthrough Insect Control Results

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. and CHAPPES, France, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Genective, a 100% subsidiary of Limagrain, a French Agri-food conglomerate and world’s fourth largest seeds company, is poised for commercial success after its R&D pipeline for transgenic insect control delivered industry leading breakthrough results. “It’s a very exciting time at Genective,” said Qiaoni Linda Jing, President & CEO. “Through extraordinary team collaboration in the last 5 years, we have made breakthroughs at different stages of our R&D pipeline.  To name a few, we created a whole new class of insect control protein that no one else in the industry has.  Our other lead genes delivered excellent results against Fall Armyworm (FAW) populations that have developed resistance to all currently commercialized solutions.” FAW is a devastating pest originating from the Americas but quickly spread to the rest of the world in the last 10 years causing an estimated 5 billion dollars annually in economic losses.   Jing continued, “I am extremely proud of what my team has achieved and look forward to bringing our novel solutions to the farm fields around the globe through successful commercial partnership with industry partners.” “As an innovation driven company, Limagrain has unwaveringly supported Genective since its inception,” said Fermin Azanza, Global Head of Research for Limagrain Field Seeds and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Genective. “We are very excited the novelty-driven strategy of Genective is bearing fruit.  We will continue standing behind Genective’s innovation and foresee commercialization through partnerships with global players in the agriculture market.” Since relocating its global headquarters from Paris, France to Central Illinois in 2020 amid Covid 19, Genective has emerged as a key contributor to the industry’s agtech innovation landscape. “Genective has been an exemplary member of our innovation community,” said University of Illinois Research Park Executive Director and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Laura Appenzeller. “The fast-growing company not only brought in great talent and high paying jobs but also created a winning culture that is fundamental to its success. The University of Illinois Research Park is committed to supporting Genective’s continued achievements in every possible way as an agtech leader.” With scientific momentum, global and local backing, and a strong foundation for commercialization, Genective is fulfilling its vision of being a globally impactful contributor to agriculture through biotechnology for corn, soy, and cotton. About GenectiveGenective is a 100% subsidiary of Groupe Limagrain, a French Agri-food conglomerate and world’s 4th largest seeds company. Genective is dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of transgenic traits for corn, soy, and cotton. About LimagrainLimagrain is a global company with deep local roots. The parent company is an agricultural cooperative based in the Limagne-Val d’Allier plain, in the heart of Central France’s Auvergne region, while Limagrain is an international seed and agri-food group with some 9,600 employees working in 53 countries. The company breeds, produces, and sells high value-added field and vegetable seeds, drawing on a long history of expertise in plant improvement. Uniquely, Limagrain also has agri-food chain businesses, in France and internationally, to transform the produce of the Cooperative’s 1,300 farmer members. The world faces escalating climatic, environmental and demographic challenges, and the company’s various businesses help address its food and farming issues. As the 4th largest seed company in the world, Limagrain achieved sales of 2.522 billion euros in 2023-2024, with additional sales of 729 million euros from activities carried out in collaboration with strategic partners. www.limagrain.com About University of Illinois Research Park The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Park is an innovation hub for technology commercialization with a unique environment that cultivates startups and increases capabilities for established companies. Located on campus, Research Park has more than 120 companies and growing, employing over 2,100 people in high-technology careers.  Media ContactsGenective: Erin Yarling, erin.yarling@genective.comGroupe Limagrain: Michelle Cornu, michelle.cornu@limagrain.comUniversity of Illinois Research Park: Laura Bleill, lwbleill@illinois.edu SOURCE Genective

    Genective Poised for Commercial Success After Pipeline Delivered Breakthrough Insect Control Results Read Post »

    Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Synchrony Emerges as 2025 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament Champion

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 14th Annual Research Park Table Tennis Tournament took place on Tuesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 18, 2025.  A Research Park favorite, the Table Tennis Tournament brought together 64 participants from companies across Research Park. Players took part in two intense days of round robin matches and bracket play in three categories: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Champions were crowned in each bracket, points were awarded to top-placing players, and the top-scoring company won the coveted Golden Paddle. The Synchrony Emerging Technology Center emerged as the Golden Paddle champion for the second year in a row, marking a shift from Yahoo!‘s 10-year domination of the tournament. Yahoo! came in second and the AGCO Acceleration Center came in third. In the beginner division, Weston Walker (AGCO Acceleration Center) claimed first place, followed by Kush Patel (Synchrony) in second. Yuxuan Chen (PrairieLearn) and Devin Patel (Synchrony) tied for third place. The intermediate category was led by Jakub Slomczynski (Yahoo!), who took home first place. Charlie Liu (Synchrony) earned second, while Abhjit Kannepalli (Synchrony) and Minjae Jang (COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab) shared third place. The advanced bracket saw Asim Chitre (Synchrony) securing the top spot. Venkatarama Sooriyakumar Ramakrishnan (Yahoo!) finished second, and Neelan Coleman (Yahoo!) and Yong-Bin Kim (Champaign Caterpillar Innovation Center) rounded out the podium in a tie for third. “The atmosphere is really phenomenal,” Tommy Miller, a Research and Development Intern at Mondelēz International, said. “Everybody’s clapping, cheering for the people playing, teammates or not. The game’s really fast-paced and I’ve lost the games I’ve played, but I’m having fun.” The tournament also handed out 10 company and individual superlative awards. Mondelēz International won Team Spirit and Yahoo! and COUNTRY Financial won In It for the Long Run. Kush Patel won Biggest Comeback, Yong-Bin Kim and Yuxuan Chen won Best Sportsmanship, Yuxuan Chen and David Lomiashvili (Identomat) won Early Bird, Roy Taylor won Fan Favorite and Dustin Mayfield-Jones (EnterpriseWorks) won Most Entertaining to Watch. “This is a really good event to know other companies in Research Park because I work for Caterpillar, but other than Fire at Five, there are not many interactions that I can have with other companies like Yahoo or Synchrony,” Kim, a Senior Data Specialist at Caterpillar, said. “When I was playing in this event, I had a lot of good conversations with other players. We had so much fun and I had some great moments, I was laughing, smiling.” More photos from the event can be viewed in the Research Park media gallery and on the Research Park Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages. Learn more about the event on the Research Park Table Tennis Tournament page. To participate in similar events, visit the Research Park calendar.

    Synchrony Emerges as 2025 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament Champion Read Post »

    News Partnerships & Acquisitions Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Capital One and University of Illinois launch ASKS Center

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Capital One and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently announced the launch of the Center for Generative AI Safety, Knowledge Systems and Cybersecurity. A pioneering collaboration between Capital One and the Grainger College of Engineering Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, its mission is to advance the safety, security and trustworthiness of Generative Artificial Intelligence Models across multiple domains, according to a news release from Capital One. The ASKS Center builds on a long legacy of partnership between Capital One and the University of Illinois. Capital One Illinois Digital Campus Lab, the company’s first university-based lab site, opened in 2015 at the University of Illinois Research Park. The Lab focuses on research and experimentation in data science, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other topics relevant to the work of the ASKS Center. It has a mix of full-time employees and student interns who work year-round, serving as a talent pipeline for the company.  As a part of this partnership, Capital One has pledged $3 million over five years to support projects from faculty and PhD students researching GAIMs. This support will be determined by input from faculty and a Center Advisory Board composed of representatives from Capital One and the University of Illinois. “We are delighted to strengthen our customer-centered scientific research initiatives by bringing together top talent from our two organizations,” said Prem Natarajan, PhD, EVP, Chief Scientist and Head of Enterprise AI at Capital One. “With the launch of ASKS, we are doubling down on our mission to find solutions to the most challenging problems in AI while providing a platform for the next generation of AI leaders in the U.S. to gain exposure to solving some of the most pressing industry problems through novel advances in science and technology.” Learn more about the Capital One Illinois Digital Campus Lab on the Research Park website.

    Capital One and University of Illinois launch ASKS Center Read Post »

    Community EnterpriseWorks Events Investments Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards

    Eight Cozad New Venture Challenge Startups Receive Awards from EnterpriseWorks

    Eight student startups who competed in the 2025 Cozad New Venture Challenge received awards from Research Park and EnterpriseWorks. The CNVC is a campus-wide program run by the Technology Entrepreneur Center that provides mentoring to teams through the phases of venture creation, and resources in idea validation, pitching skills, and customer development.  EnterpriseWorks Catapult Award: includes up to $5,000 in professional support services to assist in new venture formation, in addition to student startup tenancy. Catapult recipients are:  Instinfo, a website where attendees can press a single button to get more information about a live presentation in real time Pinata Diagnostics, a startup that is using proximity aptamers for point-of-care ultrasensitive protein detection, allowing for rapid testing for traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and more The Student Startup Tenancy award, which includes access to EnterpriseWorks entrepreneurship resources including professional consulting, co-working space, and more, was awarded to: Earlynosis, an AI-powered wearable biosensor for real-time sepsis detection Sensiboo is building the future of human development with a playtime planning app and wearable device that empowers parents to optimize early brain growth through personalized, enriching, real-world experiences Sprout, the first balloon-expandable RV-PA conduit that will replace right ventricular outflow tracts for congenital heart disease patients Tandemn, a software company that combines idle GPUs into a high-performance network for AI compute YoTally, a startup that is developing a smart stitch counter to prevent miscounting stitches while crocheting   Research Park is proud to be of the sponsors of the newly launched Dr. P. Street College Innovation Prize. The Dr. P Street College Innovation Prize was created to honor the memory of Dr. William Patterson, a beloved member of the University of Illinois innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem who passed away in 2024. This prize recognizes student entrepreneurs using technology and education to empower the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship of under-resourced communities. EnterpriseWorks contributed $2,500 of in-kind business incorporation professional services. Strand Logic is the winner of the inaugural Dr. P Innovation Prize. Strand is revolutionizing Black hair care with innovative technology, automating synthetic hair separation to eliminate prep time.     EnterpriseWorks Student Memberships Available  EnterpriseWorks is pleased to offer student memberships to select Cozad teams who are continuing to work on their businesses and are interested in being part of the broader Champaign-Urbana startup community. Interested teams are encouraged to apply by filling out this form, mentioning participation in CNVC. Past participants of the program include EnterpriseWorks graduates Cast21, DeepWalk, Mesh++, Prenosis, Psyonic, and Serionix, in addition to current EnterpriseWorks startups Natrion and ZiteAI. Learn more about Cozad on the TEC website.

    Eight Cozad New Venture Challenge Startups Receive Awards from EnterpriseWorks Read Post »

    Features News Research Park

    New Podcast Episode: Cara Bognar

    In this Innovations @ Research Park episode, host Tanmay Shah interviews Cara Bognar about her transition from student-athlete at Illinois to founder and CEO of Top Tier Lessons. Inspired by her experiences balancing sports and academics, Cara became interested in startups that create meaningful, flexible opportunities for student-athletes like herself. Top Tier Lessons is a company that connects college student athletes with parents in the community looking for sports lessons. “I was a bio-engineer, I didn’t know I was going to come to college and start a company. I had relatively little experience outside of sports [and] classes—everything you expect a nineteen-twenty-year-old to be doing day to day,” Bognar said during the interview. The Innovations @ Research Park podcast highlights Champaign’s thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture. It is hosted by Tanmay Shah, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus. Subscribe to The Innovations @ Research Park to catch up on the latest innovations and news on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network. Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show or a story we should pursue? Do you want to provide other feedback? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

    New Podcast Episode: Cara Bognar Read Post »

    Community Events News Research Park

    Mondelez International opens Innovation Center at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (April 9, 2025) – Mondelēz International, one of the world’s largest snack companies, has opened an innovation center at the University of Illinois Research Park, its first on a college campus.    Mondelēz FutureLab aims to leverage forward-thinking perspectives from students across multiple disciplines. By leveraging the abilities and unfiltered imagination of students, Mondelēz seeks to identify disruptive concepts, experiment with emerging technologies, and challenge conventional product development processes.   FutureLab provides interns with campus resources, flexible innovation processes, and support to help materialize their innovative ideas, and to test their magical hypotheses.  “By embracing unconventional collaborations, Mondelēz reinforces its position as leading the future of snacking, driving superior innovation that meets the evolving needs of consumers in a rapidly changing world ,” said Marylena Meza, SVP R&D Strategy & Excellence of Mondelēz. “This initiative not only strengthens Mondelēz’s commitment to fostering innovation, it also provides students with invaluable hands-on experience, mentorship, and the chance to see their ideas come to life.”    FutureLab opened with a small team of research and development professional leaders from within the company. When fully occupied, FutureLab will host a team of University of Illinois student interns working year-round.  “Mondelēz is eager to tap into student insights to develop products and experiences that resonate with emerging consumer preferences, and where better to do that than our land grant institution – a state focused on ag and food innovation,” said Dr. Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “With Mondelēz’s Chicago roots, there’s all the more reason to be optimistic about the future of the state’s booming bioeconomy.”   Students will have the opportunity to work on new and evolving research projects that will bring together traditional sciences and other disciplines such as music and arts, leveraging digital approaches. Interns will gain industry experience while making real contributions to internal corporate R&D programs, skills that will benefit students as they move forward in their careers.   The site is led by Michelle Firrell, who has over 17 years of progressive experience in leading scientific and technical teams, shaping research programs, and driving operations for global organizations.  About Mondelēz International Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2024 net revenues of approximately $36.4 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate’s Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on LinkedIn at Mondelēz International: Overview | LinkedIn  About the Research Park at the University of Illinois  The Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a technology hub for startup companies and corporate research and development operations. Within the Research Park there are 120 companies employing students and full-time technology professionals. More information at researchpark.illinois.edu. Follow the company on LinkedIn at UIResearchPark. 

    Mondelez International opens Innovation Center at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Read Post »

    Community Events News

    Nutrien Ag Solutions Opens Innovation Farm in Champaign County

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Nutrien Ag Solutions has opened a cutting-edge Innovation Farm in Champaign County. The farm celebrated its grand opening on March 20, showcasing the latest agricultural technology and sustainability practices. The new 250-acre state-of-the-art facility is designed to serve as a testing ground for advanced farming solutions, offering a hands-on space to explore real-world applications of agtech and data science. It is the newest addition to Nutrien’s Innovation Farm Network, and the fourth of its kind nationwide. The Tolono site is transitioning the company’s operations into the broader Champaign community, from its previous location in the University of Illinois Research Park. Nutrien Ag first entered the Research Park in 2018 after acquiring Agrible, a digital agriculture company specializing in advisory tools and data science for farmers. The EnterpriseWorks graduate’s growth from fewer than 10 employees to nearly 50 in under a year highlighted its growth, development, and outreach potential. Maintaining its presence at Research Park, post-acquisition, Nutrien Ag leveraged the university’s ecosystem and talent pipeline to further its sustainability, data science, and digital agronomy innovations. “We call this ‘research at the speed of farming,” Jeff Tarsi, Nutrien executive vice president and president of global retail, told the News-Gazette. “It’s our ability to do replications to fiscally sound experiments on real farms and in real farm environments to collect the data and allow our growers to replicate it on their own farms.” The Champaign Innovation Farm has a weather studio, a green screen, and media capabilities to deliver localized forecasts to growers through YouTube and social media. The site also has 10-mile panoramic views and can generate regionally relevant forecasts for global markets such as South America and Asia. The multi-purpose site will cover a range of focuses, including equipment testing, agronomic trials, environmental science, and hands-on demonstrations. “I think the whole idea about community, we could do this technology innovation anywhere, but you get the most value out of it when you’re in the same locations as where your products are going to actually provide value,” Kent McDaniel, Cornbelt regional manager, told the News-Gazette. In addition to supporting local farmers, the Champaign Innovation Farm aims to engage the broader community. Nutrien leaders have invited area schools, the Illinois Corn Growers Association, and the Illinois Soybean Growers Association to use the space for education and outreach. This transition marks a new beginning for the company and the broader Champaign County community, building on its legacy of innovation and growth at the Research Park.  Nutrien Ag Solutions In 2018, Nutrien Ag Solutions acquired EnterpriseWorks graduate Agrible. Agrible celebrated its grand opening in 2015. Agrible’s products include Morning Farm Report®, Spray Smart®, Nutrient Engine, and Find My Seed®, which are accompanied by numerous other complementary digital and mobile offerings. Nutrien Ag Solutions is committed to being the leading provider of agricultural inputs in each of its markets. Advancements in technology have allowed for more effective growing methods while minimizing environmental impacts. As they have welcomed more operations and expanded product and service offerings, their reach has extended globally.

    Nutrien Ag Solutions Opens Innovation Farm in Champaign County Read Post »

    Features Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Brunswick Site Manager Jeffrey Reifsnyder named to Boating Industry 40 Under 40

    Jeffrey Reifsnyder, Brunswick Boating Intelligence Design Lab’s site manager and Advanced Technology Director, was recently recognized on the Boating Industry magazine’s 40 Under 40 list.  Reifsnyder joined Brunswick’s Research Park team in January 2024. The BI DesignLab works with Brunswick’s corporate office to further accelerate the company’s progress in modernizing the recreational boating experience with autonomous docking technology, AI-powered virtual agents for marine applications, and more. “At the Lab, we have anywhere from 10 to 30 interns [who] work with us throughout the year,” said Reifsnyder. “It’s an opportunity…to give to the future by investing in the interns. My hope is that I can inspire the next generation…to not just join the industry, but bring passion and innovation to it.” Learn more about the 40 Under 40 Program, which highlights leaders from a diverse array of recreational boating industry segments, on the Boating Industry website.

    Brunswick Site Manager Jeffrey Reifsnyder named to Boating Industry 40 Under 40 Read Post »

    Events Research Park

    10th Annual AgTech Innovation Summit Recap

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Research Park’s 10th Annual AgTech Summit on Thursday, March 6, 2025 fostered conversations surrounding the most pressing AgTech trends, including fintech, computing, and more. Moderators and panelists represented a wide spectrum of AgTech, including leaders from the State of Illinois, the agtech industry, startups, and more.  A major highlight of the Summit was the inaugural Startup World Cup Agriculture & Food Regional. This event brought together 10 innovative startups from seven states for a chance to win the Startup World Cup finale in October. Keep reading for a recap of the AgTech Summit. The event kicked off with opening remarks from our hosts and community leaders. Laura Appenzeller, the Executive Director of the University of Illinois Research Park and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois opened the day by highlighting Champaign-Urbana’s role as the heart of agriculture land and recognizing the history of the AgTech Summit. Then, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones spoke about the importance of radical collaborations in agriculture for the U. of I. The day’s first panel focused on The Circular Bioeconomy: Bioprocessing in all its Applications. Kim Kidwell, Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at the University of Illinois, moderated this discussion, featuring Bühler Group Director of Innovation Thierry Duvanel, L’Oréal Chief Open Innovation/Open Excellence Officer Mohamed Kanji, and Black & Veatch Solutions Manager Jeremy Owen. After The Circular Bioeconomy, the first fireside chat started, spotlighting ADM‘s Chief Commercial Officer of Precision Fermentation, Allyson Fish. Fish sat down with moderator Beth Conerty, the Regional Innovation Officer at IBRL and iFAB.  The program then shifted to the presentation of the Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize, which recognizes a University of Illinois entrepreneur focused on agricultural innovations. This year’s winner was Boston Bioprocess, an EnterpriseWorks startup that offers full-suite fermentation and downstream processing services at benchtop and pilot-scale. “It’s been a real pleasure to see them take over one lab after the next at the incubator, and one hire after the next, building an amazing team and startup company that is thriving,” said Laura Appenzeller. https://youtu.be/PRpUj_62EkE?si=oeid3sgPS7Gycbqp The second panel, The Intersection of AgTech & FinTech was moderated by John Reid, the Executive Director at the Center for Digital Agriculture. The panel covered the intersection between finance and agriculture, featuring HarvestIQ Vice President of Product Strategy Eric Barnard, Farmland Stock Exchange Co-founder and CEO Brian Kearney, Compeer Financial Director of New Markets Mary Morgan and CNH Industrial CX Business Product Owner Jennifer Whisman. After a break for lunch and a University department showcase, Research Park Talent Manager Bryan Goode and the AGCO Acceleration Center’s Business Site Lead Karandeep Singh shared how Research Park participated in HackIllinois‘ annual Hackathon on February 28 to March 2.  That was followed by a fireside chat with Kristin Richards, the Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Laura Appenzeller moderated this discussion about AgTech and government policy, business, and more.  The final panel of the day discussed Pushing the Frontiers of Computing to Solve Grand Challenges in Agriculture. Bayer‘s Head of Data, Systems, and Intelligence for Plant Biotech Mark Moran moderated panelists in a discussion of how computing is applied in the AgTech industry. Panelists included Intersect Illinois SVP, Chief Quantum Officer Preeti Chalsani, John Deere Senior Manager of Data Science Jarai Carter, ACES Gardner Associate Professor of Agricultural Policy Jonathan Coppess and Chicago Biomedical Consortium Executive Director Michelle Hoffmann. Wolf Creek Farm was awarded the 2025 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism. “[Wolf Creek Farm] has taken innovation to heart,” said Alex Lovdahl, award presenter and Director of Insights and Analytics at BRANDT. The farm “seamlessly integrates sustainable growing methods, self-designed equipment and precision agriculture to maximize efficiency and quality.” This award presentation was followed by Startup World Cup‘s Agriculture & Food Regional competition, featuring pitches from the following startups:  AGTECHLOGIC INC. — Developed Agtellio, an AI solution helping farms reduce chemical use by up to 90%, lowering costs and improving yields while providing actionable insights for asset efficiency. Cattle Care — Uses computer vision with existing security cameras to measure employee efficiency on dairy farms, enabling performance-based compensation and improving workforce productivity. EarthSense, Inc. — Creates AI-powered farming robots targeting labor shortages and rising costs, initially serving oil palm companies in Asia that manage over 10 million hectares. Re-Nuble — Converts vegetative food byproducts into biological fertilizers and peat replacements, helping commercial farms reduce costs and mitigate pathogen risks through lab-tested products. Vivid Machines — Offers tractor-mountable AI cameras providing real-time, per-plant fruit predictions, enabling precise tree-level decisions to increase fruit size and reduce labor costs. Earnest Agriculture — Produces Prairie Power, a probiotic seed coating that improves soil health, delivering a proven 6 percent yield increase for row crop farmers with measurable ROI. Oaken — Building asset management software to streamline farmland management and financing, automating payments, lease management, and relationship tracking. Good Agriculture — Provides AI-powered farm business management that automates back-office tasks, saving farmers 5-10 hours weekly while improving profitability. Integrated Dynamics, Inc. — Developing high-selectivity waste-to-value technology using synthetic biology and high-temperature microbes to convert organic waste into commodity chemicals. UfarmX — Africa’s largest farmer data and procurement platform connecting smallholder farmers to agribusinesses and financial institutions, eliminating middlemen and enhancing supply chain efficiency. Congratulations to Champaign-based startup EarthSense for winning the 2025 Startup World Cup Agriculture and Food Regional.  The final fireside chat featured Chris Harbourt, CEO of Frenzy Ag, and Ken Paige, Founder, Chief Science Officer and President of Frenzy Ag. The discussion was moderated by EnterpriseWorks Director of Entrepreneurship Gerald Wilson. The 2025 AgTech Innovation Summit concluded with a Tech Showcase of local startups and area innovators during a networking reception. The AgTech Summit is free thanks to its generous sponsors John Deere, AGCO, the College of ACES, Frenzy Ag, Buhler Group, Cooley, GDM, Intersect Illinois, the Illinois/Champaign County Farm Bureau, the University of Illinois Foundation, Pixo and the NSF I-Corps Hub. The AgTech Summit is hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park with support from the University of Illinois, the College of ACES, and the Office of Corporate Relations.

    10th Annual AgTech Innovation Summit Recap Read Post »

    Graduates News Recognition & Awards

    EarthSense wins Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional competition

    CHAMPAIGN, IL. (March  06, 2025)—A distinguished panel of investors named EarthSense the winner of the inaugural Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional pitch competition, earning the Champaign-based startup the opportunity to compete for a $1 million investment at the Startup World Cup finale in October.   The regional, held at the 10th Annual AgTech Summit in Champaign, was hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park in partnership with Serra Ventures, gener8tor, and Pegasus Tech Ventures.   “This is a huge endorsement of all the impressive work the EarthSense team has been doing, and the amazing pull we’re seeing for our agricultural sustainability solutions from all parts of the world,” said EarthSense CEO Chinmay Soman, who delivered the winning pitch.   Champaign-based EarthSense, an EnterpriseWorks incubator startup graduate with operations at the University of Illinois Research Park, develops AI-powered farming robots and farming-as-a-service solutions to address labor shortages, rising costs, and climate challenges. It has sales in North America, Southeast Asia, and South America.  The Startup World Cup is a global pitch competition that brings together innovative startups across various industries. EarthSense will travel to the Startup World Cup finale in Silicon Valley, thanks to expenses paid courtesy of Serra Ventures.  This year marks the first time the Startup World Cup has included a regional focused exclusively on agriculture and food technology. Ten startups from seven states—Arizona, California, Indiana, Delaware, Illinois, New York, and Georgia—competed in the event, presenting their startups to a panel of distinguished investors.    Judges included:   Karin O’Connor — Venture Partner at Serra Ventures  Alex Russomagno — Senior Manager at AGCO Ventures  Henry Heitzer — Director at Earth Foundry  Nancy Sullivan — CEO & Managing Director at Illinois Ventures  Derick Jiwan — Innovation & Business Development Manager at WinField United   EarthSense integrates robotics and machine learning to improve agricultural efficiency and sustainability. TerraSentia, an autonomous agricultural robot, enhances field data collection with accurate, cost-effective, and high-speed under-canopy plant trait analysis, providing actionable insights for crop breeders and agronomists. The startup has expanded globally while remaining firmly rooted in the Research Park ecosystem.  About the AgTech Summit  The AgTech Innovation Summit brings together leaders in agricultural technology, entrepreneurship, investment, and academia to address pressing agricultural challenges and explore emerging solutions. This interactive conference hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park features dynamic panel discussions, keynote presentations, and valuable networking opportunities. To learn more about the 10th Annual AgTech Innovation Summit, visit the Research Park website.  About the Startup World Cup  The Startup World Cup is a global series of startup competitions and conferences powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures. With over 100 regional events across 60+ countries, the competition culminates in a Grand Finale in Silicon Valley on October 17, 2025, where the top startups from each region will compete for a $1 million investment prize.  For a complete list of regional events, visit: Startup World Cup.  About Pegasus Tech Ventures  Pegasus Tech Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, with over $2 billion in assets under management. Pegasus supports emerging technology companies worldwide by providing both intellectual and financial capital. They also offer a unique Venture Capital-as-a-Service (VCaaS) model for large corporations looking to partner with cutting-edge startups.   Learn more at Pegasus Tech Ventures. 

    EarthSense wins Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional competition Read Post »

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