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    Electric Power Engineers Opens Center for Energy Innovation at University of Illinois Research Park

    Champaign, Illinois (February 18, 2022) – Electric Power Engineers, a global power system engineering and consulting firm, has opened an innovation center at the University of Illinois Research Park, its first operation in the state of Illinois. EPE opened its Center for Energy Innovation to engage closely with engineering, design and business students at the University of Illinois. They will work alongside with leaders and professionals at EPE on projects related to designing solutions for renewable energy including solar, wind, and battery storage solutions, integration, interconnection, transmission and distribution planning and operations, regulatory compliance, grid modernization, distributed energy resources (DER) and energy market analysis and feasibility studies, as well as project management. The students will generate creative solutions through multi-disciplinary collaboration and the exploration and implementation of new and emerging technologies. “We are focused on accelerating EPE’s growth, reach, and excellence to serve a growing need for expertise to ensure our power systems reliably and economically support decarbonization goals,” said Hala Ballouz, president of Electric Power Engineers, LLC. “With an impressive depth of talent from across multiple disciplines, the University of Illinois is an ideal partner for EPE as we grow our footprint and extend the breadth of our skilled talent with new capabilities.” “Our institution is a hotbed of cutting-edge energy research, with an astonishing breadth of expertise—and bringing Electric Power Engineers and the University of Illinois Research Park together is a wonderful way to address global energy challenges,” said Dr. Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “This organic partnership aligns beautifully with our strategic plan vision to making our university and its surrounding region the leading innovation center and testbed for the technologies and services that will enable the safe, healthy, and sustainable communities of the future.” The EPE innovation center opened with a small team. When fully occupied, it will host full-time professionals and University of Illinois student interns, who work year-round. Its internship program is designed to bridge theoretical classroom concepts and hands-on training to overcome real-world challenges, so that EPE interns develop skills to advance professionally and academically. The office is led by Tamer Rousan, Director of Distribution & Grid Modernization at EPE. He holds two degrees from the Grainger College of Engineering at UIUC. The new location will also support the needs of EPE’s clients in the Midwest. About Electric Power Engineers, LLC A leader in grid reliability and resiliency, Electric Power Engineers (EPE) has partnered with power and energy clients across the globe for over 50 years. Offering comprehensive services and proprietary solutions spanning utility engineering, grid and resource integration, reliability and compliance, and software and grid analytics, EPE’s client-centric approach delivers unmatched expertise throughout the project lifecycle. Committed to designing and developing the grid of the future, EPE’s highly experienced team of detail-oriented consultants are passionate about helping clients address complex engineering and grid modeling challenges, bridge gaps, and gain visibility into the evolving complexities of the grid. Learn more about EPE at epeconsulting.com. About the Research Park at the University of Illinois The Research Park at the University of Illinois 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 researchpark5.wpenginepowered.com. Find the Research Park on Twitter at @UIResearchPark.

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    Community Features News Research Park

    Disrupting the Marine Industry with Tech: Podcast Explores Brunswick I-Jet Lab

    The latest episode of the Innovations @ Research Park podcast features the intern experience at the Brunswick I-Jet Lab, an innovation center focused on implementing technology solutions to advance the recreational marine industry. Host Tanmay Shaw facilitates a discussion with Trevor George, Site Director for the Brunswick Corporation’s I-JET Lab; and Meghan Reynolds, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign computer science/philosophy major, who is a software engineering intern. The Brunswick I-Jet Lab at the University of Illinois Research Park works on prototypes to modernize and improve customer experience. Brunswick is an industry leader in the marine space. The company, based in northern Illinois, manufactures recreational boats, marine engines, and other products. Tune in to this episode to hear about what Brunswick works on at the Research Park, the company’s recent CES Show display and how interns participated in its development, and the overall intern experience. The Innovations @ Research Park podcast highlights the thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture in Champaign. Its host is Tanmay Shah, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus. To listen to the podcast, visit iTunes 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? Do you want to provide other feedback? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

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    Community EnterpriseWorks Features News Research Park

    Innovations @ Research Park Podcast: The Importance of Design with Designer-in-Residence Deana McDonagh

    Episode 8 of the Innovations @ Research Park podcast features EnterpriseWorks Designer-in-Residence and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Professor Deana McDonagh. Dr. McDonagh is an experienced strategist who works with EnterpriseWorks startups to help them incorporate design thinking in their development workflow, in order to improve user experience and create delightful products. Tune in to the episode to hear about her journey, perspective on design in tech, and what kind of support she offers to  entrepreneurs at EnterpriseWorks. You can catch this episode of Innovations @ Research Park on iTunes Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you may prefer to listen to your podcasts.  Do you have questions about Research Park? 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)

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    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Newsweek Names PSYONIC CEO One of America’s Top 50 Disruptors

    Aadeel Akhtar, CEO of EnterpriseWorks startup PSYONIC, was named one of America’s Top 50 disruptors by Newsweek magazine. 2021 marks the first year the magazine has created such a list. It includes the likes of household names such as Elon Musk and Lizzo, as well as CEOs, scientists, engineers, artists, musicians and others. “…  (A)ll of these … visionaries and innovators on Newsweek‘s inaugural list of Greatest Disruptors share this critical quality: They are agents of change who are using technology in ways that will profoundly impact our lives—mostly or wholly for the better,” wrote the magazine in its introduction to the package. The publication recognized Akhtar for his leadership in creating groundbreaking prosthetic devices. “When Aadeel Akhtar was 7 years old, he met a little girl who changed his life. His parents took him to see family in Pakistan, where they’d been born, and they were walking into a store when he saw her,” writes Newsweek reporter Ned Potter. “She was missing her right leg.” PSYONIC’s premiere product, the Ability Hand, was released in 2019. The Ability Hand is the first commercially available prosthetic hand to include multitouch sensory feedback. The device utilizes electrical currents to stimulate nerves allowing users to “feel”  what the prosthetic touches. Akhtar launched PSYONIC in 2015 and the company moved into EnterpriseWorks in 2018. Newsweek highlighted many talented individuals in the “America’s Greatest Disruptors” series. “We’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, but also making them accessible and leveling the playing field for all those people who couldn’t get access to this kind of technology before,” Akhtar says in the Newsweek article. Earlier this year, Akhtar was named to the MIT Technology Review’s list of 35 Innovators Under 35 for 2021. Akhtar received his PhD in Neuroscience and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois.

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    Features Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Starfire Industries Named a Top 10 Non-Destructive Testing Company

    Starfire Industries was named one of 2021’s top 10 non-destructive testing companies by Manufacturing Outlook Magazine. Based at the University of Illinois Research Park, the company specializes in innovative plasma engineering across a range of markets, including aerospace, defense, nuclear, homeland security, and manufacturing semiconductors. Starfire Industries uses 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 Industries’ portable particle accelerators and neutron generators are not only enabling greater particle utilization for inspection and testing but also lowering the cost of implementation, transportation, and operation for industrial clients,” said Manufacturing Outlook Magazine. Four-time University of Illinois alumnus Brian Jurczyk is the co-founder and CEO/President of Starfire Industries. Under his leadership, the company has grown from EnterpriseWorks startup (graduating in 2009) to have 14,000 sq. ft. of offices and production space in the University of Illinois Research Park. It now employs about 35 individuals. “As portable products can be easily transported between locations, the clients can easily leverage them for their inspection and testing needs at their desired locations, whether it is for product testing, elemental analysis, cargo inspection, radiography, downhole well inspection, and much more; the possibilities are endless,” Jurczyk said to Manufacturing Outlook Magazine.

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    EnterpriseWorks Investments News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EarthSense Awarded Regenerative Ag Grant

    EnterpriseWorks startup EarthSense was chosen to receive a grant of up to $50,000 in seed funding from the Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative at the University of Illinois.  EarthSense is a startup led by co-founders Chinmay Soman and Girish Chowdhary, founded with the goal of creating dramatic new possibilities for crop breeders, plant protection products developers, crop scientists, and field agronomists. TerraSentia, their first robot, improves the quantity, accuracy, cost, and speed of in-field plant trait data collection, specifically for under canopy plants.  The Regenerative Ag Grant awarded to EarthSense will be used primarily to prototype an autonomous robotic harvester with the capacity to enable large-scale chestnut farming in the United States.

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    Community EnterpriseWorks Investments News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Startup Yummy Future Raises $300K to Fund Robotic Coffee Machine Technology

    EnterpriseWorks startup Yummy Future is crowdsourcing funds via WeFunder to support the further development and distribution of its fully robotic coffee shop product. The company has currently raised $300K of its $500K goal. Yummy Future is focused on integrating highly intelligent robots into everyday life. Its first product is the development of a fully robotic coffee shop with a mission to improve the coffee shop experience for both customers and store owners. Yummy Future was co-founded by two University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign engineering alumni, Guangzhe Cui and Yueming Yan. Guangzhe and Yueming developed the robotic coffee shop with an operating system that utilizes innovations from IoT, consumer robotics, and 3D printing.   The Yummy Future system will allow coffee shops to build resilience to market volatility by reducing labor cost through the use of robotic technology. Co-founder Yueming Yan said, “Yummy Future’s robotic coffee shop can run on 40x lower labor costs, and a 6x higher profit margin compared to regular coffee shops.” This machine is capable of producing one cup of coffee in as little as 30 seconds. Yummy Future’s task scheduling optimizer that is powered by edge computing, and it ensures that the robot can process multiple orders at once, and deliver the drinks to customers as efficiently as possible while keeping labor costs low. Yummy Future has enlisted the help of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as well as businesses within the Champaign-Urbana area to test and refine the robotic coffee experience. As a result of these partnerships, Yummy Future has received 25+ pre-orders for the robotic coffee shop system. Yummy Future is currently hiring for a number of positions, submit your resume to business@yummy-future.com. Find more information about Yummy Future and the robotic coffee shop here.

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    Graduates Investments News Research Park

    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 News Research Park

    Trova is launching its new AI system: Beta

    Trova, an EnterpriseWorks startup, is an artificial intelligence system that is designed to help people organize information scattered across various platforms, has launched BFFs Beta. Beta connects with your Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, Outlook, Dropbox, MS Teams, and Jira accounts to help you find the information you need quickly and efficiently. More platforms to Beta soon. Beta makes life easier, it helps people to organize their messages without even lifting a finger. “We are digitally flooded by emails, Slack messages, links, text messages, files, all the stuff that keeps us connected in our daily lives across different communication platforms,” says Trova. “Information is scattered all over. Sometimes it is hard to remember where things are. That’s where Trova comes in. Trova will find the information for you.” Beta is great for people who are looking for a way to keep all of their messages together and to make it more efficient to read and respond to each of them, without having to search through multiple platforms to find what they are looking for. Trova was originally a project of the Alchemy Foundry. Its leadership consists of Sanjay Patel, a serial entrepreneur and tenured professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and a team of University of Illinois undergraduate and graduate students. Sign up here for Trova AI’s Beta: https://bit.ly/3B45UWf

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    EnterpriseWorks Investments News Research Park

    EnterpriseWorks Startup SimBioSys Raises $15 Million Series A to Develop the Future of Precision Cancer Care

    SimBioSys announced today it raised $15 million in Series A funding to accelerate the development and commercialization of its TumorScope software platform. The company’s novel, simulation-based, precision medicine platform enables individualized treatment planning for cancer patients. This Series A was co-led by Genoa Ventures and Northpond Ventures, with participation from AV8 Ventures, Heritage Medical Group, and Mayo Clinic. Existing investors and founders also participated in this financing round, bringing the company’s total capital raised to $21 million. Founded in 2018 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, SimBioSys is based at the EnterpriseWorks incubator in the University of Illinois Research Park. In the first half of 2021, SimBioSys tripled its headcount, bringing in expert clinicians, scientists, and executives from the life sciences industry. SimBioSys is also working in collaboration with 20 leading cancer institutions across the country to run clinical validation studies and recently published results from independent validation performed by prestigious cancer centers, demonstrating over 90 percent accuracy in predicting response to therapy in its first indication of early breast cancer. “We are honored to have the support of such prestigious and thoughtful investors, validating the novelty and promise of our science and its potential to improve outcomes for millions of patients in the future,” said Tushar Pandey, CEO of SimBioSys. Despite the crowded landscape of precision medicine, treatment decisions continue to be made based on trial and error, and the resulting uncertainty among clinicians leads to sub-optimal outcomes for patients. SimBioSys aims to individualize care and eliminate uncertainty by assessing response to therapy at the time of treatment planning. “The rate of innovation in oncology is truly inspiring, but it doesn’t always translate to benefit for most patients”, said Tushar. “SimBioSys firmly believes we can do more with what is currently available while accounting for the rapidly evolving standard of care to ensure all patients have access to precision medicine.” SimBioSys’ early validation data and approach with standard-of-care data alone provides a glimpse into the future of oncology and drug development. With this new funding, the company now has the resources to move one step closer to delivering on its mission. “Since meeting Tushar and the SimBioSys team, Genoa Ventures has been excited about the enormous potential for the TumorScope platform to democratize insights for precision medicine in cancer care,” said Vikram Chaudhery, Principal at Genoa Ventures. “For the first time, any hospital, clinic or cancer center can make truly informed decisions in choosing the best treatment protocols for patients, based on the standard pre-existing patient data available, eliminating the need for additional, expensive wet-lab testing.” Unlike current approaches, SimBioSys’ first-of-its-kind application combines artificial intelligence with biophysical simulations to model the impact of phenomena such as drug delivery, metabolism, and spatial heterogeneity in a comprehensive model using standard-of-care data alone. The results are generated within minutes, enabling physicians to make a well-informeddecision while improving patient experience and shared decision-making. In addition, the technology can support the drug development process across pre-clinical and clinical trial settings. “Robust clinical and patient-reported data is critical to assess and prescribe the best options of cancer care for patients,” said Andrea Jackson, Director at Northpond Ventures. “The SimBioSys TumorScope virtualizes cancer to simulate – in minutes – a patient’s tumor response to therapies. Simulating response before prescribing treatment is a significant stride in personalized treatment planning. Northpond is grateful to partner with Tushar and theSimBioSys team on this important work.” The company’s name, SimBioSys, and logo capture its core scientific approach – Simulating Biological Systems. SimBioSys’ TumorScope virtualizes cancer in 3D and can accurately simulate how a patient’s tumor will respond to a variety of therapies following diagnosis. The new funding will allow SimBioSys to expand its state-of-the-art technology into other solid tumors beyond its current focus on breast cancer. Additionally, the new capital will drive commercialization efforts to bring the technology to patients and the biopharma industry. Andrea Jackson at Northpond Ventures and Vikram Chaudhery at Genoa Ventures will join the SimBioSys Board of Directors. About SimBioSysSimBioSys combines artificial intelligence and biophysical simulations to advance precision medicine in cancer care. The company’s technology virtualizes individual tumors and through biophysical simulations delivers insights on specific traits, such as tumor morphology, drug delivery and metabolism, while simultaneously predicting response to therapy. SimBioSys’ goal is to transform decision making in cancer care by empowering physicians with a better understanding of each patient’s disease. By virtually assessing each patient’s response to treatment, physicians can truly personalize therapy. For more information, visit www.simbiosys.com

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