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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    Recognition & Awards

    EnterpriseWorks Features Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards

    EnterpriseWorks Startups Meet with Venture Investors in Silicon valley

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Crain’s Business Chicago highlighted EnterpriseWorks startups Cache Energy, Natrion Inc., Photon Queue and EarthSense, Inc. as they visited San Francisco for Deep Tech Demo Day, offering the opportunity to pitch to 200+ venture investors. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign also joined startup teams from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University for this collaborative pitch event. Industries represented at the event included quantum, space, energy, materials science and artificial intelligence. The event aptly took place during San Francisco’s Deep Tech Week.  EnterpriseWorks Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Executive Director of the Technology Entrepreneur Center, Jed Taylor, stated “We’re hoping to get our teams in front of venture capitalists and result in some meetings and get some teams funded…If we get one or two of the teams funded, that would be a huge win for us.” Read the full article on Crain’s Chicago Business.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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. 

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    News Recognition & Awards

    Wolf Creek Farm Awarded 2025 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 6, 2025) — Wolf Creek Farm was named the recipient of this year’s Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism, an award that honors a grower/producer/farmer who exemplifies an entrepreneurial spirit and advances innovation through their business practices. Located in Williamsville, Wolf Creek Farm provides wholesale produce purchase options for farm-to-table retailers, truck farmers, farmers market retailers, distributors, and more. Owner Roger Bock is a University of Illinois alumnus and fifth-generation farmer, tool maker, commercial pilot, and Certified Aerial Applicator. “We use the plant science department [at the University of Illinois] to guide us and answer questions about problems we are having with special crops,” said Bock. “Wolf Creek Farm optimizes lesser growing areas by rotating in edible crops.” The farming operation consists of 1200 acres of corn and soybeans and 15 acres of wholesale vegetables and is also optimized with support from University of Illinois Extension. The Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism was established in 2021 in honor of Glen “GB” Brandt, a legendary figure in the field of Illinois agriculture, who passed away in late 2020. The BRANDT Foundation partnered with the University of Illinois to provide the winner with a $10,000 prize. “Mentoring good agriculture practices to youth farm workers is a priority of Wolf Creek Farm,” said Chris Baker, who nominated Wolf Creek Farm for the Brandt Prize. Bock said he plans to use the award’s $10,000 prize to expand the farm’s hoop house space. The award was announced at the 2025 AgTech Innovation Summit, hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park. Previous Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism winners include Andrew and Karlie Bowman (2024), Eric Miller (2023), Matt Riggs, (2022), and Will Glazik (2021). About The BRANDT Foundation  The BRANDT Foundation was established in 2012 as a philanthropic extension of BRANDT, Inc. The Brandt family has always stood with their communities and as their company grew, so did the opportunities to give back. The BRANDT Foundation offers donations, grants, and support to charities, organizations, and communities that reside in the same area of the company; geographically and industry-related. About the AgTech Innovation Summit  Produced by the University of Illinois Research Park, the AgTech Innovation Summit is an interactive conference where participants learn and share knowledge about the current state of AgTech and get a look into the future through dynamic panels, inspiring keynote presentations, and networking opportunities. One of the premier AgTech hubs in the nation, Champaign-Urbana is uniquely positioned to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry for learning, networking, and advancing this sector.

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    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Boston Bioprocess Wins 2025 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 6, 2025) – Boston Bioprocess, a biotechnology services company specializing in precision fermentation process development and scale-up, has been named the 2025 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize winner. The award, generously funded by a family of University of Illinois alumni, rewards University of Illinois entrepreneurs focusing on agricultural innovations. The Research Park and the Moore family together presented the award to Boston Bioprocess CEO and co-founder, Michael Tai, during the 2025 AgTech Innovation Summit at the Illinois Conference Center. The company operates out of offices and labs at EnterpriseWorks, the technology incubator in the Research Park and the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory. Boston Bioprocess helps fermentation-based manufacturers navigate the challenging transition from laboratory to commercial production. The biotechnology services company specializes in developing, scaling up, and optimizing fermentation and downstream processing operations. By addressing critical knowledge and capacity bottlenecks, it streamlines the path to market for companies developing fermentation-based products. “We wouldn’t be where we are without the sponsorship or the support from the university,” said Tai. Boston Bioprocess was founded in Boston in 2022. Since relocating to Champaign in early 2023, it has experienced steady growth. “Our growth could be potentially unlimited,” said CFO and co-founder Ted Netland. “We sit on top of the industry as a B2B provider and we enable companies to grow as quickly and efficiently as they can.”  The Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize’s goal is to encourage startup companies engaged in the 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 Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund winners include: Hypercell Technologies, 2024 HarvestIQ, 2023 FrostDefense Envirotech, 2022 Epivara, 2021 Habiterre (formerly Aspiring Universe), 2020 TellTail, 2019 EarthSense, 2018 Soil Diagnostics, 2017 For more information about Boston Bioprocess, visit its website: bostonbioprocess.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRpUj_62EkE About the Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize The Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund was established in 2016 with a generous gift to EnterpriseWorks, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s technology incubator. 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 his 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 Investments Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards

    Research Park startups awarded Illinois Innovation Voucher funding for tech advancements

    CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — Several University of Illinois Research Park startups and graduates have been awarded funding through the state’s Innovation Voucher Program, reinforcing the park’s role as a hub for innovation. Cache Energy, Eleuthra Photonics Inc., Epivara, Shothawk and TearDx are among the 35 recipients sharing $2.3 million in grants to advance cutting-edge research and development. “Through this grant program, we’re strengthening Illinois’ global status as an innovation hub and driving small business growth statewide,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By partnering with our higher education institutions, these small businesses will transform groundbreaking ideas into tangible products and services.” The program aims to foster collaboration by supporting the exchange of technologies, knowledge, facilities, and equipment between Illinois Universities and businesses. This will ultimately boost the production of Illinois-based goods and services and drive economic growth across the state. The awarded companies are working on breakthrough technologies, from medical devices and energy storage to agricultural advancements. These collaborations leverage university resources to drive commercialization and economic growth.

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates News Recognition & Awards

    EnterpriseWorks Graduate Ascent Integrated Tech Wins at the 23rd Annual Chicago Innovation Awards

    EnterpriseWorks graduate Ascent Integrated Tech was named one of the winners of the 23rd Annual Chicago Innovation Awards, a celebration of the most innovative products and services in the Chicago region. The Chicago Innovation Awards recognize winners across all industries, including startups, corporations, not-for-profit, and more to demonstrate the breadth of innovation thriving in Illinois.  Winners were celebrated on Thursday, November 14, 2024, during a ceremony held at the University of Illinois: Chicago Forum. As a winner, Ascent Integrated Tech will be celebrated on a global stage next summer when they ring the Nasdaq Bell in New York City.  The top 100 finalists will also be awarded a scholarship to “The Practical Innovator” at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, an executive education course with a $2,500 value. Ascent Integrated Tech was founded at EnterpriseWorks in the Research Park by Paul Couston and Alex Gorsuch. Couston and Gorsuch designed a software program for first responders, including firefighters, special forces, and SWAT teams. The platform optimizes 3D tracking technology, placed inside helmets and bracelets, to provide commanders with critical information, such as their team’s location. These tracking sensors provide details about the team members’ health and environment, such as CO2 levels, humidity, and airborne metal oxide. Read a full news story about this on Ascent’s website, or view the full list of winners on the Chicago Innovation Awards website.

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