EnterpriseWorks

EnterpriseWorks startup HabiTerre has won $75,000 in the Arch Grants startup competition. HabiTerre monitors, measures, and analyzes global and local resource levels and provide actionable insights for optimal management of land and water. It was founded at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Arch Grants is a St. Louis nonprofit that annually awards $75,000 equity-free grants to startups. It awarded 23 companies in 2022.  Co-founder Dr. Kaiyu Guan, CEO Nick Reinke, Senior Modeling Scientist Bin Ping and Chief Engineer Yizhi Huang represented HabiTerre at the Arch Grants gala on Friday, Nov. 18. As part of the Arch Grants award, each company will commit to operating their business from St. Louis for at least one year; HabiTerre plans to continue its presence at EnterpirseWorks.

EnterpriseWorks cybersecurity startup Identomat was recognized as the top IT startup at the Georgian IT Innovations Conference earlier this month. Identomat has built an AI-powered Know Your Customer and identity verification for traditional & Blockchain spaces. GITI is an annual event held in Tlibisi, Georgia which focuses on digital transformation, GovTech, FinTech, Information, and Cybersecurity. It has become a flagship event  in the Central and East Europe, Baltic States, Caucasus, and Middle Asia region. More than 500 participants from over 20 countries attend. Identomat was founded in Georgia. Its US headquarters is located in Champaign at the EnterpriseWorks incubator. Find out more information about Identomat here.

Hypercell Technologies, an EnterpriseWorks startup developing technologies to control infectious disease in production animals that can put human health at risk, was selected as one of the 45  outstanding startups in the Rabobank’s FoodBytes! food and innovation platform. “The 45 startups selected to participate in the FoodBytes! by Rabobank ag and innovation program in 2022 provide a neat snapshot into trending topics in food and agriculture, from personalized nutrition and upcycling to robotics and farm biologics,” wrote Food Navigator USA. Rabobank’s FoodBytes! is a platform that discovers the best and brightest emerging companies that are addressing the world’s biggest food challenges. The program manages to bring together the most promising startups, corporations and investors to create more sustainable solutions for the agricultural industry. Hypercell is developing molecular diagnostics and biotherapeutic treatments  to reduce the risk of another pandemic. Hypercell was selected for the FoodBytes! Program for its innovative way of developing technology that optimizes farming production decisions. The 45 startups are selected based on a variety of themes and criteria including meeting new consumer demands, developing technologies that optimize food production decisions and reimagining workplace conditions and operations.  The chosen companies participated in programming with access to industry executives, mentorship and relationship building with potential corporate partners and investors.

AgTools, a dashboard platform for agribusiness operators, was proclaimed a winner of the Radicle Inclusion Challenge Presented by Nutrien, and received a $250,000 investment. AgTools is a startup at the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park. Nutrien partnered with Radicle Growth to provide a platform for innovative and inclusive entrepreneurs who are creating a more sustainable food and ag industry. This year, the Radicle Challenge focused on diversity and inclusion. “Winning this competition is the culmination of a long road of trying to explain the complexity of the world markets impacting any local farmer and how they have to manage their farm beyond the obvious,” said AgTools CEO Martha Montoya. “Knowing the global variables impacting their commodity is crucial for their longevity. Truly rewarding.” With over 130 entrepreneurs from 40 countries, AgTools was successful in receiving the funding after pitching its development of a SaaS-based data platform for materials to provide volume and price insights to an array of customers. Along with the funding, the company will be provided with access to deep industry expertise and a global network of executives, advancing their pathway to success. Read the full news release here.

Lav Varshney, a computer science professor at Illinois and co-founder of EnterpriseWorks startup Kocree, has been selected to serve as a White House Fellow as part of the 2022-23 class. Kocree is a music creation platform that uses artificial intelligence to allow users to cut melodies, rhythms, and arrangements to create a unique musical  piece. In addition to Kocree, Varshney also serves as the Chief Scientific Officer of EnterpriseWorks startup Ensaras, which uses AI to optimize wastewater treatment. Varshney will be working at the National Security Council, Deputy Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government. Fellows spend a year working with senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking Administration officials, and leave the Administration equipped to serve as better leaders in their communities. Fellowships are awarded on a non-partisan basis.

Dr. Kaiyu Guan, co-founder of EnterpriseWorks startup HabiTerre and the Blue Waters associate professor in ecohydrology and remote sensing, was honored as the Illinois Innovation Network’s Innovator of the Year in the Computing & Data category. The awards recognize individuals from the IIN’s 15 hubs who have made key advances in research, technology commercialization and education. HabiTerre provides 360° in-depth intelligence for every plot of farmland across the globe, together with unprecedented field-scale insights for businesses in the broader agricultural industry. The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) announced recipients of its second-annual innovation awards Wednesday at the Illinois State Fair’s Tech Prairie STEAM Expo. The awards were presented to faculty, staff or scientists from IIN hubs in four of the IIN’s key subject areas: computing and data, environment and water, food and agriculture, and health and wellness. The IIN also presented awards for an open category of innovation and to a student innovator from IIN hubs. “It is our honor to celebrate these innovators and their discoveries,” said Jay Walsh, vice president for economic development and innovation for the University of Illinois System, which coordinates the IIN. “They all are shining examples of the fantastic research and discovery happening across our state.” For more on this honor, see the full story HERE.