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EnterpriseWorks Graduate Autonomic Materials Raises $3 Million

Autonomic Materials Inc. (AMI), a deep-tech startup graduate from the EnterpriseWorks incubator, announced Monday that the company has raised $3 million in a fully subscribed financing round. The round was led by Burwell Management Company and Camino Real Capital Partners along with participation from other venture capitalists. AMI uses self-healing technology to create chemistry coatings that minimize the effects of corrosion. The company’s innovations are designed to protect metal assets, the people interacting with those assets, and the environment. AMI CEO Dr. Gerald Wilson said the funds will be used to “accelerate sales of the company’s branded high-performance and ultra-low VOC coatings portfolio.” Dr. Wilson is also an Enterpreneur-in-Residence at EnterpriseWorks, where he counsels and mentors aspiring faculty and graduate student founders. AMI continues to grow its operations in Champaign, working to improve sales of existing product as well develop new applications that eliminate corrosion in environmentally friendly ways. In 2017, AMI raised $3 million in a funding round led by Solvey. This funding was used to scale up the company’s first self-healing paint product. Read the full news release here.

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EnterpriseWorks Graduate Starfire Industries Announces Transformative Expansion

Starfire Industries Announces Expansion in Champaign, New Facility to Support Deep Technology Manufacturing and Research & Development  Starfire’s new 194,000 square foot facility will create 22 full-time deep tech jobs (News-Gazette Story) CHAMPAIGN – May 20, 2022 – Today Starfire Industries, LLC announced an expansion to establish a new manufacturing facility in Champaign, Illinois, located at 3310 N. Duncan Road. The $9.4 million project accommodates growth to a 194,000 square foot facility to increase manufacturing and research & development capabilities. The project will create at least 22 full time-jobs and retain 20 full-time jobs, as well as support 12 engineering co-op and part-time professional jobs. “Technology investments over the past 12 years in compact particle accelerators and high-power plasma sources have resulted in game-changing innovations”, says Starfire President/CEO Brian Jurczyk. “Our team is making significant impacts across the semiconductor, nuclear, aerospace, medical, environmental, energy, mining, automotive, and security industries. Starfire reached the point where it needed to scale; finding the right location for expansion was critical. The former Patterson building is a unique space with a combination of office, engineering, manufacturing, and distribution that will support Starfire’s growth for years to come. We are excited to make this place our home and stay within the robust Champaign-Urbana deep technology ecosystem.” The Starfire team in summer 2021. Photo credit: University of Illinois Research Park Starfire Industries, recently named one of the top-10 worldwide non-destructive testing companies by Manufacturing Outlook Magazine, specializes in portable high-energy particle accelerators for diagnostic imaging, environmental sensing, active interrogation, and even oncology therapeutic treatments. This is accomplished using a process that combines physics, math, chemistry, and biology to create a strategy for inspecting, examining, and testing materials for flaws, defects, and more. Starfire’s patented Centurion® system is being used for the rapid detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater and soil samples and quantification at the ppt level to meet stringent EPA and EU standards. Starfire is a multi-disciplinary deep technology company leveraging technical depth in many fields. The team consists of several PhDs in nuclear, plasma, radiological and electrical engineering, as well as engineers from electrical, mechanical, aerospace and material science. Starfire’s patented IMPULSE® product has revolutionized thin-film coatings by providing precision engineering of materials at the atomic scale. Their technology is used in the manufacture of photovoltaic, superconductor, fuel cell and battery storage systems—as well as coatings on full-length nuclear fuel rods to increase strength, corrosion resistance and accident tolerance under an SBIR project with the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and Westinghouse. “The new facility will give us the space for a pilot in-line production system to process the long and difficult to handle nuclear fuel cladding”, says Starfire VP/CTO Robert Stubbers. “The combination of engineering, processing, QA/QC testing and distribution space is advantageous.” Starfire develops solutions to solve challenging problems, moving ideas from the whiteboard to production. They work with a variety of federal and international organizations on innovative research & development and with a broad spectrum of global companies on products and services to meet their demanding applications. “Starfire Industries is truly a homegrown success story, and one we’re proud to celebrate,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, executive director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “This story is a testament to what’s possible in Champaign County and the state of Illinois. Under Brian’s leadership, the company has grown from a startup to a large-scale manufacturing facility. We’re grateful for their continued investment in our community and we look forward to supporting their growth.” “We are so delighted that the Starfire team chose to stay in Champaign and continue to grow their company where it began,” stated City of Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen. Since graduating from the EnterpriseWorks startup incubator at University of Illinois Research Park in 2009, Starfire Industries has grown from concept research & development to manufacturing plasma sources, neutron generators and high-voltage power supplies for a range of industries. They will soon move from their existing Champaign location, a 14,000 square foot facility in University of Illinois Research Park, to an impressive 194,000 square foot technology center. The 3310 N. Duncan Road expansion will enable greater on-site collaborative partnerships, direct services to end-users under strategic supplier agreements, manufacturing and global distribution. “Starfire is a stellar example of the deep tech innovation that emerges from scientists at the University of Illinois and that remains in Champaign County for the tech and engineering talent needed to fuel its continued growth,” said Laura Appenzeller, UI Research Park Executive Director. “We are so grateful to have launched their small business at the Research Park and thank the founders for their perseverance, innovation, and dedication to their employees.” The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2023. About Starfire Industries, LLC:  Founded by Brian Jurczyk, PhD MBA, and Robert Stubbers, PhD, Starfire Industries LLC is a “deep technology” company focused on nuclear and plasma technologies for demanding applications. Starfire produces the nGen® and Centurion® ultra-compact particle accelerators used for medical therapy, environmental sensing, nuclear security, and non-destructive imaging.  Starfire produces the IMPULSE® and RADION™ pulsed power plasma sources and systems used for nuclear fuel fabrication, superconductor coatings, semiconductor EUV lithography, lightweight electric vehicle assembly, high-temperature aerospace materials, and thin-film deposition and etching applications. Their industry-changing solutions are designed, manufactured, and delivered from their headquarters in Champaign, Illinois to end-users across six continents and Earth orbit. Learn more at https://www.starfireindustries.com/.

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Inprentus Makes Final Four in ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’ Contest

EnterpriseWorks graduate company Inprentus Inc. made it to the final four of Makers Madness, a bracket-style tournament that celebrates the work and diversity of the manufacturing sector in Illinois presented by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Although Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck was awarded the title of the ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’, Inprentus was also feted by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker during a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield. The contest highlights innovative products from across the state. 450 products were entered into the contest this year, and over 200,000 votes were cast by the public to nominate the ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’.  Inprentus makes custom blazed diffraction gratings. These highly precise gratings are utilized in x-ray and ultraviolet experiments at various scientific research institutions. They are also used in optical components for semiconductor manufacturing, augmented and virtual reality glasses, and in materials, chemistry, and life sciences research. Inprentus competed against General Mills’ Fruit by the Foot, the Rivian Automotive electric truck, and Ingersoll Machine Tools’ components for the Orion spacecraft capsule in the final four of the bracket-style tournament. Following its graduation from EnterpriseWorks, Inprentus opened a corporate headquarters in Champaign. It designs and manufactures diffraction gratings sold to Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, and government laboratories around the world. Inprentus was started in 2012 by University of Illinois physics professor Peter Abbamonte. The company was created with the mission to advance the manufacturing of precision optics using proprietary nano-scale contact-mode lithography techniques. To read the full article, click here.

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Mesh++ raises $4.9M to bring internet connectivity to rural and underserved communities

Mesh++, a startup that graduated from EnterpriseWorks, announced this week it has raised $4.9 million to bring internet connectivity to rural and underserved communities.  Founder Danny Gardner started the company while he was a senior at the University of Illinois, and leveraged many of the resources available through the University of Illinois ecosystem. The company is now based in Chicago. Mesh++ routers are shared connectivity. Once plugged in, they look for other nearby routers to connect with and share internet connectivity across the mesh network.  Mesh++ teamed up with investors Lateral Capital, Anorak Ventures, First Leaf Capital, SOSV, GAN Ventures, TechNexus, and Illinois Ventures to raise the $4.9 million to connect the world more than ever. Fundraising with customers and distributors to connect people and get the product out there has opened doors for Mesh++ to ensure that every home in the U.S. has internet connections.  As Mesh++ works with its customers and distributors to raise money, it is continuing to grow throughout the U.S. and become more well-known.  “The fundraising marks a major shift in the company, from a pure R&D-driven company over the past few years, and towards focusing more on sales, and turning the company into a more mature organization,” says Mesh++’s CEO Danny Gardner. “The fundraising unlocks us being able to partner with customers and distributors to connect as many people as possible, and to get the product out there.” Mesh++ continues to serve its market of rural communities with little to no internet access, giving them internet connectivity with the help of raised money to bring this mission to life.

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EnterpriseWorks Graduate SNOOZ Launches New Product on Kickstarter

EnterpriseWorks startup SNOOZ recently launched a Kickstarter page new product Breez: White Noise Sleep Fan. Breez is a powerful two-in-one bedroom fan and a white noise machine, created following the success of SNOOZ’s White Noise Machine. Breez has two fans, the primary fan that directs air around the acoustic hub to cool you off, and the sound impeller fan that can be adjusted to provide the perfect amount of fan sound for your bedroom. To see a full breakdown of the SNOOZ sleep conditioner’s features, check out the Kickstarter page here. SNOOZ is a consumer electronics company that creates products for home and hospitality use. Its primary focus is in optimizing the interaction between air movement and sound generation, and building devices that produce sound masking for sleep or privacy, and are energy efficient. SNOOZ was founded by Eli Lazar and Matthew Snyder in 2015. Lazar is a mechanical engineering alumnus from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The company graduated from the EnterpriseWorks startup incubator in 2019. More information about SNOOZ on its website.

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EnterpriseWorks Graduate APriori Raises $30 Million Series D Investment

EnterpriseWorks graduate aPriori announced that the company has recently completed a Series D investment round of $30 million, co-led by Bruce Clarke of PBJ Capital and Gaurav Tewari of Omega Venture Partners. This investment brings the valuation for the company to $280 million. aPriori is the leading provider of digital manufacturing software that brings product design, sourcing teams, and supplier teams closer together to close the gap between design and production. By leveraging the digital twin with digital factories, aPriori automatically generates design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for cost (DTC) insights, helping manufacturers collaborate across the product development process to make better design, sourcing, and manufacturing decisions that yield higher value products in less time.  Read more on the Business Wire website.

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EnterpriseWorks Graduate IntelinAir Raises $20 Million in Series B Funding

EnterpriseWorks graduate IntelinAir, a startup that collects data-driven insights on crop performance, has announced $20 million in Series B funding. The company graduated from EnterpriseWorks in 2019 and maintains an office in Champaign in addition to Indiana, California, and Canada. The IntelinAir team developed technology that surveys land and alerts farmers of various operational issues that affect crop yield. “IntelinAir’s AGMRI crop health and intelligence platform leverages modern artificial intelligence technology to monitor and proactively alert to issues before they become yield-stealing and loss-generating problems for our farmers,” said IntelinAir’s CEO and Co-Founder Al Eisaian. Naira Hovakimyan, the co-founder and chief scientist of IntelinAir, is a professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois. IntelinAir plans to use the funding to expand commercial operations, invest in their flagship crop intelligence product, and deepen their partnerships with other agriculture companies. IntelinAir has experienced continual success from being ranked in the Inc 5000 in 2020 to being named one of seven ag-tech startups to watch by Agriculture.com in 2018.

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Innovations @ Research Park Podcast Episode 5: Insights from a Startup Journey & Empowering Other Entrepreneurs

The University of Illinois Research Park launched a new episode of the Innovations @ Research Park podcast featuring Gerald Wilson, President and CEO of the Research Park startup Autonomic Materials. Wilson joined the show to describe the evolution of the company and offer advice to other entrepreneurs. Autonomic Materials products utilize self-healing technology for improved corrosion resistance. The startup graduated from the EnterpriseWorks Incubator in 2012. Wilson described the resources at EnterpriseWorks as “absolutely critical for getting us to this point”. He noted the seed funding and lab space as exceptionally helpful resources. Wilson remains connected to Research Park through the Entrepreneur-in-Residenece program. He talks about his involvement in the program during the episode. Later in the episode, Wilson describes important lessons that he’s learned during his involvement in startup building. Listen to the full episode to learn more about entrepreneurship and Autonomic Materials. Episode 4 of the podcast can be accessed here. 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). To listen to the podcast, visit iTunes Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to download your podcasts.

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EnterpriseWorks Graduate Runtime Verification Raises $5.3 Million to Advance Blockchain Security

EnterpriseWorks graduate Runtime Verification, a startup that uses runtime verification-based techniques to conduct security audits on virtual machines and smart contracts, has raised $5.3 million in funding to advance blockchain security. These funds raised will be used to accelerate the development of tooling intended to enhance the safety, reliability, and correctness of computing systems for blockchain and embedded systems, as well as to expand Runtime Verification’s global presence. “I am very pleased that our investors have embraced our unique language-parametric approach, built over more than 20 years within the K Framework. The generality of our approach allows our tools to be easily configured to work with different programming languages and different blockchains,” said the company’s founder Grigore Rosu. “The fact that five blockchains joined our investment round through their funds, based on research from their development teams who witnessed our technology, is a testament to the universality and strength of our K-powered technology.” Runtime Verification expects to grow its team significantly over the course of the next year, with plans to release new security tools and products. Read more here.

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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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