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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    Media Mentions

    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News

    EarthSense One of 8 Ag Tech Start-ups Worth Watching in 2019

    EarthSense, a company that develops ultra-compact autonomous robots for crop breeders, agronomists, and growers, has been featured in Successful Farming’s 8 Ag Tech start-ups worth watching in 2019. The company was founded by University of Illinois entrepreneurs, Chinmay Soman and Girish Chowdhary. Their headlining agricultural robot, TerraSentia, provides field phenotyping from the ground level up. The creation of TerraSentia was inspired by the recognition of the fact that most of the important events on a field start under the canopy. The start-up sold out of its 2018 Early Adopter Program, where they sold 25 robots. In the feature, Soman talks about the three key problems that EarthSense aims to tackle, which include promoting the creation of the more sustainable next generation crop varieties and resolving issues posed by herbicide-resistant weeds with the use of robots performing mechanical weeding. Read more on the feature here.  

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    Media Mentions News Research Park

    Agrinews Reviews AgTech at the Research Park

    Agrinews wrote all about the University of Illinois Research Park in one of their latest articles. The agriculturally-focused site covered all of the aspects of the Research Park, from the growing number of industries it houses to the increasing workforce of full-time and student employees. They reviewed the park’s history, from its time as farmland to what it is now–a tech hub housing startups and corporate centers that create innovative products every day. Research Park Associate Director Laura Bleill was quoted with some words about agricultural tech at the park, saying “Corporations are located at the research park because they have access to student talent of kids who have grown up on farms and are familiar with farm tech […] they are doing projects related to data analytics, mobile app developments or augmented reality.” The Association of University Research Parks caught wind of the story by Agrinews and also shared it on their platforms. If you want to read about the AURP and see who is included in their network, click here. If you want to see the original story by Agrinews, click here.

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    EnterpriseWorks Features Media Mentions News

    The 21st Broadcasts Live From Enterpriseworks

    Illinois Public Media made a very special trip to the Research Park on Tuesday, September 25 to broadcast their radio show, The 21st, live from the EnterpriseWorks incubator. The broadcast discussed startup culture in the Champaign-Urbana area, focusing on promising innovation from student entrepreneurs and startups within the incubator. Host Niala Boodhoo spent the morning at the EnterpriseWorks incubator speaking with Director Laura Frerichs. Frerichs said the Research Park “is a hotbed of startup activity. There’s so much science happening at the University and ample opportunity to bring that to the market through the ingenuity of students, faculty, alumni that see an opportunity for new products and new technologies that can truly be disruptive.” They talked all about the startup workforce in Champaign-Urbana and how it contributes to technological growth. Boodhoo also spent some time speaking with Research Park startup owners and iVenture entrepreneurs about their companies. She began with EarthSense founder Chinmay Soman and later interviewed Petronics co-founders Michael Friedman and Dave Cohen about the future of their businesses. She also spoke with iVenture participants Teresa Yang of PhantomCor and Kendall Furbee of Cut To The Case about their experience as student entrepreneurs. To listen to “this very special 21st, live from EnterpriseWorks at the Research Park,” access the entire broadcast online here.

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    Media Mentions News Research Park

    Statement Regarding the Sale of Research Park Buildings

    STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND UIRP, LLC REGARDING THE SALE OF RESEARCH PARK BUILDINGS The Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been successfully developed as a public-private partnership with Fox/Atkins Development LLC since 2001. The Research Park has reached record employment and occupancy rates as a reflection of the vibrant technology community that includes a mix corporate innovation centers, startup companies, and university partnerships. The overall Research Park currently includes 16 buildings, more than 120 companies, and 2,100 employees. Fox/Atkins has identified a buyer for some of the buildings in the Research Park. The land will remain University property and the overall management remains under the leadership of the University of Illinois Research Park, LLC, whose sole member is the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The new owner of the buildings will retain Champaign, IL based FDC LLC, the leasing and property management company of Fox/Atkins Development, to provide all the tenant services and leasing for the buildings being acquired. The leadership of the University and the UIRP,LLC has been very involved in this potential purchase to ensure as much of seamless transition as possible. The overall Research Park operations will remain led by a full-time team of University of Illinois employees that will continue the programming, marketing, company relationships, and planning responsibilities of the Research Park. The purchase does not impact the operations of EnterpriseWorks incubator, the iHotel and Conference Center, and buildings with other private ownership. The purchase has the opportunity to bring new investment to the Research Park and is a reflection of the positive performance of the overall real estate development. The current development agreement with Fox/Atkins Development remains in place through 2021. The UIRP LLC has not yet provided formal consent for the new buyer, a Chicago-based institutional manager of real estate investment funds, to receive a transfer of the ground lease agreements. The due diligence process is underway. The University of Illinois is enthusiastic to continue the growth of the Research Park as an economic development priority. MEDIA COVERAGE: UI Research Park developer selling majority stake to invest in expansion, News-Gazette

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    Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    UI Chancellor Jones praises the Research Park as “wildly successful”

    In an event Tuesday, May 22 at the I Hotel and Conference Center, UI Chancellor Robert Jones presented and answered questions on the university’s plans to expand private-public investment in research and entrpreneurial programs. He assured the approximately 100 community leaders present that the UI Research Park will continue to have a major role in future public-private research partnerships. Promising to expand the UI Research Park, he called the park already “wildly successful.” Director of the Research Park, Laura Frerichs, attended the event and live-tweeted the Chancellor’s speech: “Our Research Park is the most important and visible innovation hub in IL, it’s the most transformative university research park model in the US.” The talent pool from Chicago is not the only ingredient the Champaign-Urbana innovation community can look forward to. Chancellor Jones highlighted that the UI incoming freshman class may break the record number of 7,592 enrolled in 2016. Additionally, 32 students have been enrolled in the soon-to-be-opened Carle Illinois College of Medicine which he expects will “revolutionize health care, how medicine is taught and how medicine is practiced.” When discussing the impending implementation of a future business and community advisory council to the UI, the chancellor stated that “A great university must start on the shoulders of a great community.” He confirmed the motivation behind the council by acknowledging “We’re investing in the community, but we need to do more.” “We must work together. The university must make a difference in the world, and that difference has to start here in Urbana-Champaign.” Read more about the meeting in the News-Gazette.

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    Graduates Media Mentions News Research Park

    Three Research Park Alums make the Crain’s 20 In Their 20’s List

    Research Park alums took over the Crain’s 20 In Their 20’s List. Three companies that spent time in the Research Park were  Dan Klein with Tiesta Tea, Ashley Moy with Cast21, and Lucas Frye with Amber Agriculture all made the list for their outstanding development in innovation and technology. Klein and Moy were both graduates from the EnterpriseWorks incubator here at the University of Illinois Research Park and Frye spent a year in the Research Park Developing his company. Tiesta Tea started its journey in the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park. Klein shared with Crain’s that the idea for his company came when he was in a teahouse in Prague and “couldn’t understand why the fruity, flavor-packed loose-leaf varietal he was sipping wasn’t widely available in the U.S.” From there his company hasn’t stopped growing and is expecting a revenue of around $8 million this year. Cast21 was another company that began its journey in the EnterpriseWorks incubator. Moy’s company started as a senior design project. The idea for Cast21 was based off of the experiences of Moy’s cofounder, Jason Troutner. Troutner had spent a lot of time in uncomfortable and impractical casts due to injuries and he and Moy wanted to change that experience for those in the future. The team created a cast that was breathable, waterproof, and more accessible. The cast has a web-like design that can be moulded to the wearer’s hand and allows them to do more with the cast on, like take a shower easily. Moy plans on putting the cast through medical testing and hopes the cast will make it to market later this year. Although Lucas Frye and Amber Agriculture only spent a year at the Research Park, they left their mark on Champaign-Urbana and took home the 2016 Cozad New Venture competition prize. Frye grew up in a very small farming town and used that to his advantage to create a device that measures moisture for grain, one of the most important elements in successfully achieving a good crop. Read more about the companies in Crain’s article here.  

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates Media Mentions News

    Tiesta Tea Recognized on Inc’s 2018 30 Under 30 Rising Stars

    Read the full list on Inc.  Tiesta Tea began its journey as a startup in the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the Research Park, founded by Dan Klein and Patrick Tannous in 2010. The company sells affordable loose leaf tea to American consumers in a variety of fun and delicious flavors. Today, they have been recognized as one of Inc.’s 30 Under 30 Rising stars. The company is now based in Chicago, where it has products in 6,500 stores nationwide, including household names such as Target, Costco, and Whole Foods. By the end of 2018, the company is expected to reach $8 Million in revenue, which is up from $4.4 Million in 2017. Research Park residents can find Tiesta Tea in the kitchen at the EnterpriseWorks incubator.

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    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News

    Aptimmune Named Number Three of Seven Ag Tech Start-ups to Watch in 2018

    EnterpriseWorks startup, Aptimmune Biologics, was recently recognized as one of seven Ag Tech start-ups to watch in 2018 by Agriculture.com. Aptimmune focuses on developing revolutionary swine vaccines and the prevention of the diseases, porcine reprodutive, respiratory syndrome virus ({PRRSV), and influenza. In November, Aptimmune launched the industry’s first inactivated mucosal influenza A virus vaccine in swine. Recently, the company raised $6 Million Series B Funding from various investors and has moved its headquarters to St. Louis. To see a complete list of Ag Tech startups to watch click here. Visit Aptimmune’s website here.

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    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News

    IntelinAir named One of Seven Ag Tech Start-Ups to Watch in 2018

    EnterpriseWorks startup, IntelinAir was recently named one of seven Ag Tech start-ups to watch in 2018 by Agriculture.com. IntelinAir was founded in 2015 to help farmers make more cost-effecient and smart decisions based on aerial imagery, and is based both in Champaign, Illinois at the Research Park and in San Jose, California. The company’s AgMRI platform, which was just unveiled in the last year, is described on their website as “the leading aerial analytics solution for agriculture.” Since releasing this platform, the company has quickly soared to the top of aerial monitoring and analytics companies, having monitored nearly 2 million acres in 2017. Visit IntelinAir’s website to learn more about them here.

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    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News

    Agrible and IntelinAir Named in the Most Prominent Remote Sensing Companies

    AgFunder News highlights 20 remote sensing startups, sorted by their main sources of data such as satellites, drones, airplanes, and ground-based sensors. EnterpriseWorks graduate Agrible is named one of the most prominent players that rely on a combination of drone/airplane-based imagery. Agrible focuses on providing innovative science that farmers and ag companies can use easily every day to improve their production with cloud-based delivery systems, their core offering being the Morning Farm Report. EnterpriseWorks startup IntelinAir is recognized as one of the most prominent players that rely on either drone or airplane-based data. IntelinAir’s provides farmers in-season insights through aerial imagery analytics powered by traditional computer vision, modern machine learning methodologies and agronomic science.

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