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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks

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    2020 Research Park Year in Review

    In 2020, Research Park accomplished several milestones despite the numerous adaptions. Research Park offered several programming opportunities for small businesses, launched Illinois Reboot, and received a FAST Center grant to aid the impacts of the pandemic. Here is a glimpse of the 2020 Year in Review:  In a virtual environment, Cargill Innovation Lab, Genective, and the Verizon 5G Innovation Hub expanded into the Research Park community. The I-Hotel and Conference Center expansion, the greenhouse for the RIPE project, and the mixed-use building on 1907 S. Fourth St. completed construction during the fall as well.  After the initial lockdown of COVID-19 in March, Research Park offered over 59 hours of programming engaging 243 companies ranging from EnterpriseWorks graduates to current tenants.  In August, Research Park launched the COVID-19 Technology Acceleration Program. This program offered technical assistance, EDA Cares Act funding, and business development assistance. The EDA University Center received over $300,000 from the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance program to assist companies impacted by the effects of COVID-19.  Several startups including EarthSense and Serionix transformed their technology to suit the consequences of COVID-19 such as beginning to create high-tech face masks.  Overall, Research Park reached several milestones in 2020 including securing the Illinois FAST Center grant from the U.S. SBA and the addition of two new staff members. Click to view: 2020 Year in Review View previous Year in Reviews: 2018 Year in Review 2019 Year in Review

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    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards

    Epivara Awarded 2021 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize

    Champaign, Illinois (March 10, 2021) – Epivara, a company developing more humane, natural sterilization methods for livestock and companion animals, is the recipient of the 2021 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize. The award, generously funded by University of Illinois alumni and their families, rewards University of Illinois entrepreneurs focusing on agricultural innovations. The Research Park together with the Moore family presented the award to Epivara Co-Founder Dr. Jay Ko and Director of Science Dr. Rex Hess during the Agriculture Technology Innovation Summit. The event was held on Zoom webinar with more than 900 participants from around the world. “We found a major problem in agriculture, which is surgical removal of gonads from healthy animals,” said Ko, a faculty member in the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, reflecting on the origins of the company. “We thought, let’s do something to make it more humane and at the same time, economical.” “Now we have funding coming from many different sources and we are using the funds to test our products in pigs at university farms, and some other species. It’s an exciting moment, me as a basic scientist reaching a place where we have a product that can impact industry.” The company’s scientists work out of a lab and office at EnterpriseWorks, the technology incubator in the Research Park. The Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund was established in 2016 with a generous gift to EnterpriseWorks, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s technology incubator. Its goal is to encourage startup companies engaged in development of new innovative technologies that may lead to increased productivity and/or efficiency in farming, or to create new agricultural opportunities, including new processes, new crops, and new food production systems. Previous winners include Aspiring Universe (2020), TellTail (2019), EarthSense (2018) and Soil Diagnostics (2017). About the Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize The award honors the legacy of Edwin E. Moore (1924), who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and began farming in Will County. Throughout his agricultural career, he and wife, Iva, used innovative farming practices for both crop production and livestock management. Two of their four children became farmers, Edwin and Thomas (1953, College of Agriculture), and continued use of innovative farm practices. Subsequent generations of Edwin Moore’s family have continued to pursue farming and ag related careers capturing the same innovative spirit. About the Research Park at the University of Illinois The Research Park at the University of Illinois at 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. 

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    EnterpriseWorks Features Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EarthSense Co-Founder Featured by BBC

    Girish Chowdhary, co-founder of EnterpriseWorks startup EarthSense, was featured in a BBC article for his expertise in the field of agricultural robotics. Chowdhary explains that largely autonomous farms are just over the horizon, as many emerging technologies, such as robots that can monitor the health of crops, are being put to use in research fields. “A farm is going to need different kinds of robots,” says Chowdhary. “Some of them are going to be very small…others are going to be big, perhaps even as big as the combine harvester. There will be an autonomous system that is co-ordinating this team of robots, telling them what they need to do in order to get different tasks done.” In addition to robots, Chowardly predicts that drones will be increasingly utilized in the agricultural domain. “Drones are really good at covering a lot of space… they can go somewhere and spray something, or take a picture, really quickly,” says Chowdhary. EarthSense is creating dramatic new possibilities for crop breeders, plant protection products developers, crop scientists, and field agronomists. TerraSentia, their first robot, improves the quantity, accuracy, cost, and speed of in-field plant trait data collection, specifically for under canopy plants. EarthSense machine vision and machine learning-based analytics seamlessly convert field data to specific, actionable information about plant-traits.

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    EnterpriseWorks Features Graduates News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Graduate Aptimmune Featured in APLU’s University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase

    EnterpriseWorks graduate Aptimmune Biologics was featured as a successful university-related startup at The Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase in December. Aptimmune specializes in developing autogenous mucosal vaccines for viral diseases that are costly to the swine industry. Founded by Dr. Federico Zuckermann, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign veterinary medicine faculty member, the company graduated from EnterpriseWorks in 2018 and is now based in St. Louis. A video about Aptimmune’s technology and impact that was created and shown at the APLU event can be viewed here.  The third annual University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase was held virtually on Dec. 7-11. The showcase spotlighted 22 startup companies from across the nation that have created products and services using federally funded, university-based research.

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates Investments News Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Graduate Network Perception Raises $2.7 Million Seed Round

    EnterpriseWorks graduate Network Perception, a Chicago-based provider of a software solution for cyber- compliance and network security in the electrical utility industry, announced this week it has raised $2.73 million in seed funding. The round was led by Champaign-based Serra Ventures, Okapi Ventures, and Energy Foundry, with participation from Early Light Ventures, SaaS Ventures, Illinois Ventures (the venture capital arm of the University of Illinois), and Service Provider Capital. Jeff Bocan from Okapi Venture and Rob Schultz from Serra Ventures joined the NP Board of Directors. “We are very excited to welcome Okapi as new investors. Having their financial and strategic support both validates the market opportunity for our business and fuels our momentum to grow as a company,” said Robin Berthier, CEO and co-founder of Network Perception. The company intends to use the funds to scale its activity in the electric utility sector and beyond. Founded in 2014, Network Perception supplies critical infrastructure industries with a pioneering risk visualization technology empowering their cybersecurity and compliance teams. Network Perception was based at EnterpriseWorks in the University of Illinois Research Park from its founding until it moved its headquarters to Chicago. The company’s technology is based on research originally developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Hear about the history and future of Network Perception in this Startup Cafe presentation by CEO and co-founder Robin Berthier from Oct. 29, 2020.

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates News Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Graduate Serionix creates performance face mask

    Serionix, an EnterpriseWorks graduate, created an athletic performance face mask with MERV-13 equivalent nanofiber inserts. These inserts are able to trap small particles, including viruses.  The masks are not only effective, but they’re specifically built for performance athletic use. The masks are comfortable, breathable, and it’s easier to project your voice compared to other masks. Seronix says they’ve received great feedback from multiple athletes ranging from skiers, sprinters, and strongman competitors. Serionix plans to integrate their Colorfil technology with their facemasks in the future. The Colorfil technology can quickly soak up toxic chemicals and filters odors. The masks also change color from vibrant pink to dull yellow to show when the filter expires. The Serionix team is also working with NASA to use its lightweight Colorfil technology on NASA’s spaceships and spacesuits. Serionix is now seeking city approval for a significant expansion in downtown Urbana in order to grow its engineering, assembly, and warehouse operations. Serionix has partnered with Body n’ Sole and Champaign Outdoors, so you can purchase a mask in store or online by visiting their website. Read the full article by WCIA here.

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    EnterpriseWorks News Research Park

    New oversight for FAST Partnership Program

    Alex Gorsuch has joined the EnterpriseWorks staff as a Visiting Associate Director for Entrepreneurship. In this position, he manages the US Small Business Administration Federal And State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program in Illinois. The FAST program funds training programs and workshops, individual mentoring, grant preparation assistance, and technical assistance to technology startups locally and across the state with the support of SBIR/STTR federal award programs. Since its founding in 2003, EnterpriseWorks has helped R&D focused startups and small businesses to receive 471 SBIR/STTR awards totaling over $154 million. The University of Illinois Research Park is one of the 24 recipients nationwide for the SBA FAST Grant. Learn more about the FAST Partnership program here. Gorsuch is no stranger to EnterpriseWorks, having served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and a part of the iCorps teaching team. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Gorsuch is a multidisciplinary engineer, serial entrepreneur, startup mentor. Currently, Alex is the VP of electrical and systems engineering at Pivotal Biotech, Chief Technology Officer at Ascent Integrated Tech and H-Trap One, Chief Executive Officer of MagPi Innovations, and mentor to numerous startups.

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    EnterpriseWorks Features Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Startup Aspiring Universe founder’s study Highlighted By Forbes

    Kaiyu Guan, founder of EnterpriseWorks startup Aspiring Universe, was a principal investigator to the University of Illinois report, Redefining drought in the US corn belt. This report was featured in a Forbes article.  Stating the climate is now trending warmer and drier, global food security is now increasingly dependent on crops’ ability to withstand droughts, and producers aren’t focused on the right metrics when measuring crop-relevant droughts.  Kaiyu Guan said, “Plants have to balance water supply and demand. Both are extremely critical, but people overlook the demand of the equation, especially in the U.S. Corn Belt. If you only consider rainfall and soil moisture, that’s mostly describing the supply side. Of course, if you have low soil moisture, plants will be stressed by how much water they get. However, the demand side from the atmosphere can also severely stress plants. We need to pay more attention to that drought signal.” Aspiring Universe (ASP) is a farming financial risk modeling company. ASP helps financial institutes, public agencies, and individual producers to quantify, manage, and reduce financial risks in the farming-related business.  They aim to monitor and model every crop field’s financial risks in the United States and worldwide. ASP has developed revolutionary approaches to rate historical and real-time financial risks for each crop field and each farmer, by integrating advancing technology in three domains: satellite/corp modeling, artificial intelligence, and agricultural finance modeling.

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    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Startup EarthSense wins AURP 2020 Innovation Award

    https://youtu.be/HuejQac0t84?si=MUmKrE5mHaEkmtr- EnterpriseWorks startup EarthSense won the 2020 Innovation Award from the Association of University Research Parks.  Each year, the Innovation Award is awarded to a business located in a research park, science park or innovation district.  The award recognizes a company which has developed a product or service through a substantial technology breakthrough or has potential for a significant positive impact on the economic, health or welfare status of a broad spectrum of humanity. 2020 has been a busy year for EarthSense, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign spinout that integrates autonomous robotics, machine-learning, and management. Its first product, the TerraSentia robot, uses a number of sensors to collect data on crop health, as well as machine learning-based analytics to convert this data into actionable insights for farmers. In January, John Deere invited EarthSense to be a Startup Collaborator for 2020. The Startup Collaborator Program “enhances and deepens collaborative relationships with startup companies” whose technology could add value for John Deere customers.  In May, EarthSense was selected to be part of the cohort for the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2); selected companies share a focus on developing technologies that support the agricultural sector while reducing environmental impact. While its focus remains agtech, EarthSense has long recognized that its technologies could have wide-ranging impact and applications. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EarthSense is working to adapt its autonomous robots for cleaning in hospitals and public spaces. By reducing the need for sanitary workers, EarthSense’s robotic cleaning units can help lower the community transmission rates of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. In June, this effort received “RAPID” funding from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to accelerate technology development in hopes of deploying these sanitization robots as soon as possible. “We felt driven to respond to this staggering crisis by accelerating our plan to create products beyond agriculture,” said Girish Chowdhary, co-founder and CTO of EarthSense, Director of the Distributed Autonomous Systems Laboratory, and Donald Biggar Willet Faculty Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “The world needs to mobilize all possible resources to help healthcare professionals treat the unprecedented spike in people needing critical medical care. Autonomously sanitizing high-touch surfaces without “baking the whole room” will significantly improve our ability to help control COVID-19,” said EarthSense co-founder and CEO Chinmay Soman. About EarthSense EarthSense was founded when University of Illinois engineering professor Girish Chowdhary and then postdoc Chinmay Soman partnered to apply their autonomous robotics research to agriculture. The company received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to develop its first robot in 2018 and moved into the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park to further advance its technology, where it remains today.  EarthSense received seed venture capital funding from Illinois Ventures, an early-stage technology investment firm focused on research-derived companies from the University of Illinois, which is co-located at EnterpriseWorks at the University of Illinois Research Park. The company leverages 3D printing and local manufacturing in Central IL to produce their robots and deploy the to large corporate agriculture customers around the world.

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    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Startup PSYONIC wins Product of the Year at Fourth Revolution Awards

    EnterpriseWorks startup PSYONIC received the Fourth Revolution Awards’ Product of the Year honors during a virtual ceremony held Oct. 13. PSYONIC was also a finalist in the Rising Star of the Year category along with former EnterpriseWorks startup, Cast21. Former EnterpriseWorks student startup, Mesh++ was awarded Rising Star of the Year. The Fourth Revolution Awards celebrates regional manufacturing for its leadership and innovation as the industry stands on the brink of a new technological revolution. The ceremony culminates in the presentation of eight awards to deserving leaders, companies, and industrial initiatives that have made significant contributions to the Midwest region’s manufacturing ecosystem.  PSYONIC makes advanced bionic limbs that are accessible to all people with amputations. PSYONIC launched the Ability Hand (Patent Pending), its first product, in 2019 which was an advanced bionic hand that was the fastest on the market, easy to control, provided touch feedback, and was robust to impacts. Dr. Aadeel Akhtar, CEO and Founder, received his PhD in Neuroscience and MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cast21 is introducing a medical cast for treating broken bones to increase patient comfort and decrease medical complications. This product is completely waterproof, and its open design allows enables doctors to see the break site and dress accompanying wounds. Ashley S. H. Moy, CEO and Founder, received her BS in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mesh++ brings WiFi everywhere, regardless of preexisting infrastructure. Their efficient routing protocol allows for small, solar-powered routers to support high-speed access without the need for electrical, ethernet, or physical supports. They hope to bring online resources to outdoor spaces around the world. Danny Gardner, CEO and Founder, received his BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcIB5_MhQck&feature=youtu.be&t=2075

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