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Five of the Forbes 30 Under 30 have ties with the University of Illinois. Of these five, two are cofounders of companies in EnterpriseWorks. Scott Daigle is the cofounder of Intelliwheels, which, “has attracted $2 million in growth capital to date”. Patrick Slade is the cofounder of Psyonic, a company who’s mission is to deliver advanced, neurally-controlled prosthetic hands worldwide at a lower cost and with more functionality than state-of-the-art prostheses. Read more about all five of those named with University of Illinois ties here.

Agrible, Inc., an agriculture software company specializing in predictive analytics tools for growers, today (Nov. 6) held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new headquarters located in the Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The new office reflects Agrible’s expansive growth and recent milestones, including the launch of its flagship product, Morning Farm Report, its $4.1 Million in Series A Funding led by Serra Ventures, and its partnership with ADM Crop Risk Services. In less than a year, Agrible grew from less than 10 employees to a full-time staff of nearly 50. Each new hire adds more development and outreach possibilities for Morning Farm Report and future projects, and the new space provides a modern and exciting place to work. “The quality of our products has always been reflected in the quality of our amazing team, and now we have the office to match that.” said Chris Harbourt, CEO of Agrible. “It’s an energized work environment in the perfect city right in the heart of U.S. agriculture.” Agrible established its roots in the Research Park as a start-up at the EnterpriseWorks incubator. With the help of resources available through EnterpriseWorks and Research Park, Agrible launched Morning Farm Report and made important connections in the community with growers and other Research Park companies. “We have been privileged to be part of Agrible’s growth, from pre-incubation, to tenancy at EnterpriseWorks through graduation,” said Research Park director Laura Frerichs. “We are delighted to have Chris and his team remain in Research Park, where they have already contributed so much to our community.” Agrible joins several other agriculture companies in the Research Park, including Dow AgroSciences, ADM, John Deere, Anheuser-Bush Inbev, and Caterpillar. Read more about Agrible’s new headquarters in the News-Gazette About Agrible Agrible provides actionable predictive analytics tools to growers all across the world. We predict how weather will impact crops, agricultural operations, and economic decisions. We aim to make big data helpful instead of overwhelming, to innovate within existing production methods, and to be the leading voice of recommendations for our agricultural partners. Above all, we value the role of the farmer, and work tirelessly to bring the most accurate, practical information in real time. Agrible was the winner of “Best New Venture” at the 2015 Innovation Celebration Awards.

Company will create new swine vaccines based on advanced mucosal technology    New CEO joins the company to drive development and commercialization CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – July 9, 2015 – Aptimmune Biologics, a mucosal vaccine company developing novel swine vaccines for PRRSV and influenza virus, has received $2.75 million of funding from Arsenal Capital Management, Fox Ventures LLC, and a group of Midwest angel investors. “PRRSV and influenza virus are a growing threat to swine health worldwide. Their combined annual economic impact on the U.S. swine industry alone is over $1.4 billion. Our new vaccine portfolio will change the management of these diseases, significantly improve swine health and producer productivity,” said Dr. Federico Zuckermann, Aptimmune’s founder and Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Zuckermann is a leading swine immunologist, professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and inventor of patented vaccine technologies commercialized by Aptimmune. He has dedicated the last 30 years to better understanding PRRSV and other swine diseases that plague producers. Aaron Gilbertie, who joined the company as CEO weeks before the funding, will lead the company through pipeline development, product registration, and commercialization of Aptimmune’s revolutionary vaccines. “This funding positions Aptimmune to accelerate its mucosal vaccine candidates through development and product registration. Our vaccines will fundamentally change the way we think about and practice vaccination of swine,” said Gilbertie. He notes that Aptimmune’s new product offerings are based on a strong and extensive intellectual property portfolio. Arsenal Capital Management (ACM) is a St. Louis-based venture capital group with investments in biotech, medical technology, IT, and consumer goods. Aptimmune joins other notable ACM biotech investments including Kypha, KEW Group, and Appistry. “We’ve monitored Aptimmune’s progress through our relationship with Common Place Holdings. I’m pleased this investment validates our approach to invest early in promising companies and provide additional support as growth demands,” said Arsenal managing director Pete Reinecke. ACM is the sole outside source of funding for seed fund Common Place Holdings (CPH). CPH was an Aptimmune Series AA investor and business advisor. Fox Ventures is a Champaign-based investment firm that assists companies with consulting, networking, recruitment, and financial resources.

Caterpillar’s new focus on data-driven solutions for its products is making headlines. Writes Crain’s Chicago Business: “The big-data era requires a different focus. Rob Charter, a group president at Caterpillar, says the company wants to surround customers with a tech-savvy suite of products and services. It’s about moving beyond simply making machines, he adds.” “‘Originally, when we built product, it was about the product,’ Charter says. ‘What we think about all the time these days—and you’ll see it more and more in people’s thinking—is, how do we make a customer successful? And if they’re successful and they rely on us, then we’re successful.’” Caterpillar’s move to incorporate more big-data analytics into its business model could result in major gains for the company. Charter told Crain’s Chicago Business that Caterpillar could potentially see a 30 to 40 percent increase in productivity from utilizing analytics.

CHAMPAIGN, IL – The John Deere Technology Innovation Center (JDTIC) located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Research Park will double in size to accommodate growth and further leverage the skills and knowledge of faculty and students in the areas of agriculture, business, engineering, and information technology. The Center employs students and full time professionals to advance innovation, research, and information technology for John Deere. “Innovation is at the core of what John Deere has stood for in its entire 176-year history,” said John Reid, director of product technology and innovation. “Our customers depend on Deere to develop innovative solutions that enhance their productivity. Our work with strategic university partners, such as the University of Illinois, helps us deliver these integrated solutions for John Deere customers.” Through the technology innovation center and the relationship with the University of Illinois, Deere gains access to students and academic experts from a broad range of domain areas, including engineering, agronomy, computer science, statistics, industrial design, psychology and information library sciences. Klaus Hoehn, vice president of advanced technology and engineering at Deere, said, “Expanding the technology innovation facility at the University of Illinois enhances John Deere’s capability to lead innovation efforts in technology and engineering. In addition, this effort helps John Deere attract highly skilled talent from a leading university.” The expansion provides the needed space to further integrate undergraduate and graduate students working on John Deere’s technology efforts. It embraces an agile working environment to increase collaboration and project team flexibility. Through this investment, Deere can enhance its focus on greater innovation in the areas of information technology, user experience, advanced algorithm science, mobile solutions, agronomy, and high performing computing. “From their first days in the Research Park, John Deere has been a valued partner to the students and faculty the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a catalyst for ongoing social and economic development in the local community. Whether through their employment of our students or their engagement with our researchers, their presence here has made Illinois a more productive university and a more attractive home for new staff and faculty. We are pleased to see this relationship grow even stronger with this expansion of the John Deere Technology Innovation Center (JDTIC) at our Research Park,” said Chancellor Phyllis Wise. The John Deere Technology Innovation Center in Champaign delivers customer- centered solutions in the agriculture production system through focused research, accelerated incubation, and differentiated experience. Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land – those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com. Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. Located on campus, the Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a technology hub for startup companies and corporate research and development operations.  

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — IntelliWheels, Inc., a startup that develops technology to improve mobility options for wheelchair users, has announced it has secured more than $500,000 in funding. It has received venture capital funding from Champaign-based Serra Ventures and San Francisco-based Crestlight Venture Productions; additional support from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) through its Venture Well LLC subsidiary; and angel investors from the Champaign -Urbana community. The funding will support IntelliWheels’ development of a patent-pending geared wheel for manual wheelchairs, designed to make pushing a wheelchair easier. In addition to the venture capital funding, IntelliWheels has received a Phase 1 SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) award from the National Institutes of Health. The SBIR award is supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health. It will be directed toward research and development of the automatic transmission for manually propelled wheelchairs, which will be conducted at EnterpriseWorks, the technology business incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park where IntelliWheels is located. “Through grants, awards and the amazing support of the Champaign-Urbana community, IntelliWheels has made great progress in product development. Closing on this round of funding will allow us to move on to product launch of our geared wheels and get them into the hands of wheelchair users,” said Marissa Siebel, Co-Founder of IntelliWheels, Inc. IntelliWheels is currently in the final steps of development for its two-to-one geared wheel named the Easy Push, scheduled to be on the market at the start of 2013. About IntelliWheels IntelliWheels, Inc., is a startup company out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that develops technology to improve mobility options for wheelchair users. It was founded by Scott Daigle, a mechanical engineer, and Marissa Siebel, an athletic trainer for wheelchair athletes and doctoral student in community health, in May 2010. Daigle and Siebel met in a motor control lab where they were researching wheelchair propulsion. Intelliwheels received the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Award in 2011. Contact: MARISSA SIEBEL, marissa@intelli-wheels.com, (201)-572-8163 About Serra Ventures Serra Capital I, L.P. has been formed to provide venture capital to early-stage and emerging technology companies sourced primarily from Illinois, Texas and California by identifying opportunities through the Principals’ extensive relationships with universities, entrepreneurs, centers of influence and investors. With its headquarters in the University of Illinois Research Park (Champaign, Illinois), the Fund’s objective is to generate higher-than-average, risk-adjusted returns by applying its proprietary investment framework and its mentor/consultative model to companies with innovative technologies. For more information see www.serraventures.com. About Crestlight Venture Productions Crestlight Venture Productions challenges the investment status quo by engineering the success of early-stage technology companies. We do this with a revolutionary system that we call “Venture Production”, which is an elegant blend of ‘private equity-like’ hands-on execution and staged investing. This “Venture Production” system is used to actively increase the value of a business by measurably accelerating the company through a series of stages identified to build core strength and sustainable revenue. Once inflection points that focus on customer discovery and validation as well as product protection and scale are identified, the production model then uses specialized teams to jump in and execute. Crestlight is an impact investor that engineers success. About VentureWell VentureWell is a program of the NCIIA that provides advisory support and seed stage investment funding. NCIIA is a national non-profit that provides grant funding and support to university student innovation teams and to faculty for courses and programs in innovation and entrepreneurship that catalyze technology based scalable inventions that deliver social benefit.