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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Graduates News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Tiptek Named 2022 SBIR/STTR Small Business of the Year by U.S. Department of Energy

    EnterpriseWorks graduate Tiptek was recently named the 2022 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Business of the Year by the US Department of Energy. Tiptek is the leading U.S. manufacturer of high quality nanoprobes for diagnostics and fault-testing of microelectronic devices.  “Since its founding, Tiptek has strived to introduce innovative standard-setting nanoprobes to customers across industry, National Labs, and academia. We are delighted to have these efforts recognized by this prestigious and highly competitive award.”  – Dr. Scott Lockledge, Tiptek CEO According to DOE’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), this award recognizes a U.S. small business that “stimulates U.S. technological innovation and enhances the nation’s return on its DOE SBIR/STTR investment, provides the DOE the benefits of commercial applications derived from DOE funded R&D, and stimulates U.S. economic growth as a result of DOE funded R&D.” Tiptek’s Research Park history: Tiptek was founded by CEO Dr. Scott Lockledge, CTO Professor Joseph Lyding, and CSO Professor Gregory Girolami in 2011. They moved into EnterpriseWorks in the University of Illinois Research Park in May 2013. In 2022, Tiptek accomplished several key milestones that resulted in a strong return on its federal investment: introducing a cutting-edge project, improving production capacity, and stimulating U.S. economic growth by commercializing leading technology-based products domestically and overseas. Now, Tiptek operates primarily out of an office in Savoy, Illinois, but continues to use their lab space in EnterpriseWorks. Their lines of probes and needles are used by industry leaders for scanning probe microscopy, transfer of lamella formed by focused ion beams (FIB), and scanning electron microscope-based nanoprobers used in semiconductor failure analysis. To read the full article, visit the Yahoo Finance website. 

    Tiptek Named 2022 SBIR/STTR Small Business of the Year by U.S. Department of Energy Read Post »

    Features News Research Park

    New Podcast Episode: Susan Hinrichs of Aviatrix talks women’s leadership and career optimization

    The latest episode of The Innovations @ Research Park podcast features Susan Hinrichs, the Chief Scientist at Aviatrix, a company that drives hundreds of organizations toward smarter strategies with embedded cloud security.  Hinrichs may refer to herself as a Champaign ‘townie’ but her career path has led her to think and act globally. She completed her undergraduate education in computer science here at UIUC, and then pursued a PhD at Carnegie Mellon. Her background is in computer security and her resume includes time spent at Yahoo, The Apache Software Foundation, Verizon Media, and Cisco Systems. In addition, she returned to Champaign in the role of lector and taught classes on computer and network security.  During the episode, Hinrichs and podcast host Tanmay Shah spoke on how to optimize your professional experiences and maintain connections, and touched on what it is like to be a woman in tech. The Innovations @ Research Park podcast highlights the thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture in Champaign. It is hosted by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus Tanmay Shah. Subscribe to The Innovations @ Research Park to catch up on the latest innovations and news on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network. 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).

    New Podcast Episode: Susan Hinrichs of Aviatrix talks women’s leadership and career optimization Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks startup Natrion listed as a leader in TechCrunch

    Natrion CEO Alex Kosyakov was pleasantly surprised to find that his company was recently listed as a startup leader in battery component technology by popular tech news outlet TechCrunch. “I spoke to Haje [the article author] earlier in June and I thought he was just researching the industry more broadly… I had no idea that he would write so much about Natrion, so that was definitely a pleasant surprise when the article came out.” – Alex Kosyakov, Natrion CEO At EnterpriseWorks, Natrion aims to resolve some of the greatest issues that automakers and battery manufacturers face today by pushing the capabilities of battery technologies. With electric vehicles (EVs) becoming increasingly more popular and desired within the mass market, their mission is to offer power alternatives for electric vehicles, taking a step closer to cleaner mobility. TechCrunch name-dropped the startup in a summary of the LG Energy Solution Battery Challenge, in which Natrion ranked as one of the top 10 finalists, competing against 116 other startups from 22 countries. Natrion placed at the Challenge with its polyer-ceramic solid-state electrolyte material, called the lithium solid ionic composite, and their impressive demonstration of their high-performing solid-state lithium-metal battery cells. TechCrunch wrote, “If Natrion can scale up its production, which it believes it can, then it could bring about considerable changes to battery technology.” Other than the feature, what truly shocked Kosyakov was that Natrion was featured alongside some of the biggest industry players, including Nissan, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz. “What we appreciate most about it is that [the writer] begins the piece with an overview of the larger, more established, and better funded players in our industry before pivoting to talking about us,” elaborated Kosyakov. “Even though we’ve raised 100 times less money than some of the other companies in the space, we’re right there with them. As far as technological process, it’s nice to be acknowledged like that.” Natrion is a team of 18, and expects to scale-up significantly, especially in terms of production and yield optimization. Currently the team is prototyping systems and processes, with the intention of building a pilot production line in 2024. To track Natrion’s progress, contact them HERE. Read TechCrunch’s full article HERE.

    EnterpriseWorks startup Natrion listed as a leader in TechCrunch Read Post »

    Features Media Mentions News Research Park

    The University of Illinois is Creating a Unique Location for Semiconductor Growth

    The University of Illinois Research Park was recently featured in an IntersectIllinois article covering the SEMICON West Conference happening this week, July 11-13, 2023, in San Francisco, California. The article discussed the challenge faced by the global microelectronics industry in finding a location with like-minded companies and talent to grow the semiconductor workforce and expertise. Illinois is considered to be a state in a unique position, being able to offer a wide variety of manufacturing and tech opportunities. Intersect Illinois wrote that Illinois is the “perfect location for semiconductor companies” and called out the innovation happening in the Research Park. Several companies mentioned in the article emerged from the EnterpriseWorks Incubator, including Cygnus Photonics, Inprentus, Starfire Industries, and TipTek. Of those companies, TipTek and Cygnus Photonics are still part of the Research Park ecosystem. InteresectIllinois noted that this region has the “talent, location, infrastructure, ecosystem, and support” needed for semiconductor growth, and Research Park’s role in the industry is not going unnoticed. Read the entire article on the Intersect Illinois website.

    The University of Illinois is Creating a Unique Location for Semiconductor Growth Read Post »

    Community Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    2023 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament

    The 12th Annual Research Park Table Tennis Tournament took place Tuesday, June 27, and Wednesday, June 28, 2023. It was a great success, with 64 participants from 17 companies across the Research Park playing in 3 categories (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) in a competition for the coveted Golden Paddle.   Here is the full list of winners from each individual bracket:  Beginner  1st: Suneeth Sathyanathan, Graybar  2nd: Bandhuli Maity, Synchrony  3rd: Tarun Bathini, Synchrony, and Linyao Li, Yahoo!  Intermediate  1st: Manav Das, Caterpillar  2nd: Pranav Gaka, Capital One   3rd: Hitesh Vijan, Country Financial, and Ryan Biju Sebastian, Country Financial  Advanced  1st: Fei Deng, Yahoo! 2nd: David Lomiashvili, Identomat  3rd: Neelan Coleman, Yahoo!, and Asim Chitre, Synchrony  The results of Round-Robin games on day one were used to seed participants for the single-elimination tournament played on day two. In these games, companies were awarded points based on the placing of their players. First-place winners received five points; second-place winners received three points; third-place winners received one point. Yahoo!, having received the highest number of points across all brackets, won the Golden Paddle for the 9th time.  More photos from the event can be viewed in our media gallery. Learn more about this event on the Table Tennis Tournament page.

    2023 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

    HabiTerre to collaborate on Carbon Breakthrough in Agriculture with Arable and Shell

    EnterpriseWorks startup HabiTerre is playing a critical role in an important collaboration between industry leaders Arable and Shell to create a breakthrough in carbon management. The startup helps financial institutes, public agencies, and individual producers to quantify, manage, and reduce financial risks in the farming-related business. By commercializing technology made on campus, the green initiative aims to make an impact on mitigating the effects of climate change by enhancing carbon monitoring in agriculture. Together, the two companies are pooling university resources to develop technologies that will track and measure the carbon footprint of agricultural production, enabling farmers to reduce their emissions while improving their yields. HabiTerre CEO Nick Reinke says that the company “is proud to support this innovative project, which holds the exciting potential to advance sustainability worldwide.”   The company’s unique ecosystem of metering instruments, cloud-based analytics, and crop models are essential in creating a comprehensive understanding of the overall carbon cycle of agricultural production.  Habiterre’s tools allow Arable and Shell to more accurately measure and analyze the effects of changes to carbon models, such as composting, cover crops, irrigation, and fertilization, to determine how to best reduce emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that up to 10 gigatons of CO2 need to be removed from the atmosphere annually in order to reach global emissions reduction targets, up to half of which could be captured by leveraging agriculture. HabiTerre’s technology plays a key role in this approach, enabling Arable and Shell to pursue their ambitious carbon reduction initiative and foster the unlocking of potential benefits across the global agricultural industry.  Read the full article on the Arable website. 

    HabiTerre to collaborate on Carbon Breakthrough in Agriculture with Arable and Shell Read Post »

    Features News Research Park

    Brandon Yates, Founder and CEO of DeepWalk featured in Latest Research Park Podcast

    The newest episode of the Innovations @ Research Park podcast features Brandon Yates, Founder and CEO of DeepWalk, a company which is the product of the entrepreneurship programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the University of Chicago. Founded in 2019, the company participated in university-sponsored programs such as the Cozad New Venture Challenge NSF iCorps, iVenture Accelerator, and Polsky College New Venture Challenge.  Brandon and his team are on a mission to create AI-powered solutions for the city planners and engineers that build important public infrastructure that we rely on every day.  In this episode of Innovations at Research Park, host Tanmay Shaw speaks with Brandon Yates, about how Artificial Intelligence technology can help simplify public works compliance.  He explains how their AI platform removes the need for manual input, reduces the number of data points, and automates compliance with multiple standards. He also shares examples of how the technology has been successfully employed by different sectors, including transportation and energy.  Brandon provides insight into the future of DeepWalk as they continue to create innovative solutions for customers. This episode provides a great overview of the company’s AI platform and how it can help public works compliance processes. To listen to more of the conversation that Tanmay Shaw had with Brandon Yates about his journey Simplifying Public Works Compliance with AI, tune in to the latest edition of the Innovations @ Research Park Podcast. To listen to the podcast, visit Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to download your podcasts. 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? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

    Brandon Yates, Founder and CEO of DeepWalk featured in Latest Research Park Podcast Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Natrion Named a Finalist in the 2022 LG Energy Solution Battery Challenge

    EnterpriseWorks startup Natrion has been named a finalist in the LG Energy Solution Battery Challenge 2022 for its work in developing and scaling up solid state lithium metal battery technology.  Natrion, a clean energy technology startup, impressed the judging panel with its developments in solid state lithium metal battery technology, leading to it being selected as a finalist. Natrion is one of 11 finalists from around the world competing for the challenge.  “We’re deeply grateful and honored to advance and get recognition in this competition,” said Natrion co-founder and CEO Alex Kosyakov. “The opportunities that lie in potentially working together with an industry leader like LGES are boundless. This is something that can really accelerate Natrion’s path to commercialization.”  The Battery Challenge 2022, which is part of LG’s larger effort to develop next-generation energy storage solutions, aims to recognize pioneering technologies related to battery recycling, manufacturing, and energy storage.   Winners of the challenge will be eligible to receive up to $1 million in funding and research contracts. 

    Natrion Named a Finalist in the 2022 LG Energy Solution Battery Challenge Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks News Research Park

    Cynthia Faullin Rejoins EnterpriseWorks as Associate Director of Operations

    The Research Park is thrilled to announce that Cynthia Faullin, who brings 10 years of intensive experience with deep-tech startups and entrepreneurs, will return to EnterpriseWorks as the Associate Director for Operations starting June 20. Faullin will serve as the primary touchpoint for EnterpriseWorks tenants and affiliated entrepreneurs, ensuring that the facility meets the needs of its entrepreneurs and startups, both physical and programmatic. She will be responsible for overseeing leasing and property management for the building and its grounds. For the past two years Faullin was the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois-Chicago. There, she oversaw the Technology Innovation Lab which provides laboratory and office space to UIC early-stage startups as well as programming and consulting for entrepreneurs who are commercializing research-based technologies. Faullin first joined EnterpriseWorks in 2014, developing extensive knowledge of the complexity of academic tech entrepreneurship. She was well known for her customer-centric, engaging approach to accomplished CEOs and the entrepreneurial curious alike. Prior to her first stint at EnterpriseWorks, Cynthia spent 10 years in commercial real estate where she was part of a team that specialized in mixed-use development in downtown Champaign. She previously worked on the UIUC campus in undergraduate academic affairs and later career services. Cynthia is a proud Canadian, and has Bachelor degrees in English Literature and Women’s Studies from Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario.

    Cynthia Faullin Rejoins EnterpriseWorks as Associate Director of Operations Read Post »

    Features News Research Park

    Paul Miller, EnterpriseWorks Entrepreneur-in-Residence, highlighted in latest Research Park podcast

    The newest episode of the Innovations @ Research Park podcast features Paul Miller, an EnterpriseWorks Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and Co-Founder of Agrible, a company that provides real-time agronomic information and sustainable solutions through long-term, scalable sustainability programs for growers, ag-retailers, and consumer packaged goods companies to take action. Miller, who started his career as a software engineer, has since founded numerous companies. He has found success in the technology industry, first with his startup, Motivote, and then with Flats or Spikes.  In the podcast, Miller discussed the importance of having a team of diverse people from different backgrounds and perspectives. He also spoke about the need to be resilient and take risks to achieve success.  “I’m a huge believer in taking risks and learning from failure,” said Miller. “If something doesn’t work, you have to find a different way to get the job done. Don’t be afraid to take risks and think outside the box.”  Miller also emphasized the need to listen to customers and understand their needs. He explained that customer feedback can provide valuable insights into how to improve products and services.  “It’s important to really listen to your customers and understand their needs,” said Miller. “You have to take their feedback into account and use it to make your products and services better. That’s how you create a better product that people want to use.” Miller’s podcast is the latest in a series of podcasts from Innovations at Research Park, which seeks to highlight the success stories of entrepreneurs and innovators in the research park and beyond. To listen to more of the conversation that Tanmay Shaw had with Paul Miller about his journey as a serial entrepreneur and learn more details about his company, tune in to the latest edition of the Innovations @ Research Park Podcast. To listen to the podcast, visit Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to download your podcasts. 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? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

    Paul Miller, EnterpriseWorks Entrepreneur-in-Residence, highlighted in latest Research Park podcast Read Post »