Recognition & Awards

ENTERPRISEWORKS AWARDED $50,000 IN PRIZE MONEY FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHAMPAIGN, IL – This week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park as a Stage One winner for the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). EnterpriseWorks will receive a $50,000 cash prize for its impactful and inclusive approach to nurturing a collaborative national innovation ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from ideas to the market. By fostering connections between entrepreneurs, mentors, partners, philanthropies, corporations, investors, and other shared resources, GAFC 2024 catalyzes strategic ecosystem partnerships to build community and organizational capacity for the successful launch, growth, and scale of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-based entrepreneurs. EnterpriseWorks’ award-winning model, the Entrepreneurial Leadership Development Accelerator (ELDA), identifies and develops talent to develop and/or support academic co-founders in the formation, launch, and growth of new science-based startups. “EnterpriseWorks’ mission is to launch, support, and advance startups that are commercializing disruptive technologies at the University of Illinois,” said Gerald O. Wilson, Ph.D., Director of Entrepreneurship. “The ELDA program aims to provide valuable non-technical support by training students who have business and/or entrepreneurial skills and backgrounds who can accelerate the success of tech startups.” The ELDA program aims to recruit participant cohorts that are at least 50 percent women or underrepresented people in tech. EnterpriseWorks will collaborate with the University of Illinois Office of Technology Management (OTM) to identify sustainability and biotechnology technologies with potential for new venture formation. During Stage One, EnterpriseWorks will work with University partners as well as organizations statewide to define participant profiles, recruiting, curriculum and mentorship processes. “In my opinion, identifying and recruiting cofounders is the single biggest bottleneck to achieving real-world impact with UIUC research. Many—perhaps most—of our faculty inventors would welcome the opportunity to work with a grad student, postdoc, or external business-side lead to commercialize their technologies,” said Michelle Chitambar, Ph.D., Senior Technology Manager at OTM. SBA welcomed Stage One submissions from a broad range of organizations with a collaborative vision to nurture a national ecosystem for equitable access to entrepreneurship. Winners of Stage One were selected through a multi-tier review panel process with experts in entrepreneurship, business, innovation, and strategic planning both inside and out of the federal government. Stage Two offers an additional $50,000 to $150,000 in cash prizes for Growth Accelerator Partnerships. To learn more about Stage Two opportunities and to access the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Guidelines, please visit https://www.americasseedfund.us/accelerators With Stage Two funding, EnterpriseWorks plans to implement the ELDA program and curriculum, launching its first cohort in fall of 2024. “From inequity and climate change, to supporting national defense and community-driven economic prosperity, the real opportunity is now to build up innovation ecosystems. EnterpriseWorks is eager to launch this program to build more startups taking commercially viable and societally impactful technologies developed from academic research and putting them into the marketplace, while developing a pool of entrepreneurial talent that had been relatively untapped,” Wilson said. About EnterpriseWorks EnterpriseWorks is a business incubator that supports University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and community technology entrepreneurs in all stages of their startup journeys. Its clients build and create disruptive science-based startups across a wide range of domains, reflecting the depth and breadth of university expertise. Since opening in 2003, EnterpriseWorks clients have raised more than $1.4 billion in outside capital and $200 million in non-diluted funding. EnterpriseWorks is located on campus at the University of Illinois Research Park in Champaign.

EnterpriseWorks startup Natrion was recognized as a Gold Winner at The Edison Awards in the Resilient & Sustainable Solutions category. Established in 1987, the Edison Awards are dedicated to recognizing, honoring and fostering innovations and innovators. Named after Thomas Alva Edison, the annual competition honors excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation. The Gold Edison Award was presented to Natrion during the Awards Gala held on April 18th in Fort Myers, Florida, alongside distinguished innovators from various industries. “It is wonderful for our company to receive this recognition,” said Natrion co-founder and CEO Alex Kosyakov. “Being awarded is a testament to the hard work, skill, and output of our team, as well as the maturity of our technology and its value to OEMs around the world.” Natrion’s recent technical and commercialization progress on its patented components for both Li-ion and Li-metal batteries positions it as the industry leader for solid-state technology. Natrion located to EnterpriseWorks in 2021, and is developing battery technologies that can push the capabilities of EVs. By pioneering new materials for the next generation of batteries, its mission is to service the industry with solutions that will enhance the mainstream market viability of electric vehicles and advance the world closer to a future of clean mobility. Read more on PR Newswire.

St. Louis Inno has named EnterpriseWorks tenant HabiTerre as a Startup to Watch in 2024. The recognition underscores HabiTerre’s efforts in combating climate change through agtech. Founded in 2019 by Kaiyu Guan, HabiTerre operates from EnterpriseWorks. The company specializes in providing environmental and productivity data for agriculture through a blend of remote sensors, scientific models, and artificial intelligence. It helps financial institutes, public agencies, and individual producers to quantify, manage, and reduce financial risks in the farming-related business. The startup’s technology has been deployed across tens of millions of acres in the U.S. and piloted in Brazil. In 2023, HabiTerre experienced a doubling of year-over-year revenue as it transitioned from pilot projects to securing multi-year contracts with customers. One significant partnership involves Tyson Foods, which has implemented HabiTerre’s technology into its LGS Sustain program, which promotes sustainable farming practices. Read more on the St. Louis Inno webpage.

Nina Kshetry, the President and Founder of Ensaras Inc., has been selected as one of the distinguished members of the 2024 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS). This recognition places Kshetry among a cohort of 60 accomplished leaders from various fields, embarking on a transformative journey to hone their leadership skills. The PLS program, now in its ninth annual class, stands as a beacon for bold leaders committed to addressing domestic and global challenges. This initiative offers participants the opportunity to delve into the lessons learned during the administrations of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Kshetry’s inclusion in this esteemed group is not only a testament to her leadership, but also highlights the impact of her contributions to Ensaras. Kshetry joins a cohort that includes service members, educators, physicians, public servants, and corporate professionals. Ensaras currently operates out of EnterpriseWorks, and distinguishes itself by working at the intersection of wastewater treatment and analytics, providing novel insights and solutions for the wastewater sector. The community in EnterpriseWorks eagerly anticipates the positive impact this experience will have not only on Kshetry’s leadership capabilities but also on the growth and visibility of Ensaras. Read more about the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program here.