CarbonBook is developing an easy-to-use software tool that empowers indoor farms to become more sustainable and productive. They cover all aspects of indoor farming operations, generating highly accurate carbon scores with the ability to identify areas for improvement, and track and report on progress over time.
Palette is a startup founded by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students. The company develops platforms that enables AI developers to quickly develop high-quality, efficient AI algorithms. Their platform includes an in-built AI engine that delivers powerful analytics and insights to improve developer productivity while minimizing time to deployment.
Farmers Risk is an early-stage startup focused on helping farmers improve their risk management. They do this by building tools to help farmers more effectively market their grain, buy crop insurance, hedge their crops, and improve their overall revenue decision-making. In a nutshell, Farmers Risk builds tools for farmers to understand, manage, and execute their risk management strategies around turning a crop into cash.
ShapeCI brings CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) to everything 3D. It allows users to share and view CAD models seamlessly with anyone, all in one browser. With ShapeCI, users can create, edit, and collaborate on design reviews and documentation with their team.
The Personal Glucose Meter (PGM) is a widely available and proven medical device that is used by millions of diabetics around the globe. Today’s glucose meter is the culmination of over 30 years of engineering and development efforts to make it do one thing extraordinarily well: measure blood glucose levels anytime, anywhere. GlucoSentient has developed a powerful technology that transforms the PGM into a device capable of quantitatively and conveniently detecting other non-glucose targets. Their technology translates the amount of non-glucose target to glucose. The amount of glucose is then measured by the PGM. GlucoSentient is currently focusing on the development of POC medical monitoring devices utilizing this innovative technology.
First-Light creates professional-grade tactical lighting. Their lights are suitable for emergency responders, camping, and everyday use. Their approach to tactical lighting ignores the outdated rules of flashlight design, allowing us to create revolutionary, hands-enabling, professional-grade lighting solutions for the most critical of circumstances.
Hourglass Medical is a subsidiary of First-Light. Their mission is to improve patient outcomes through the development of functional telemedicine devices.
Indetomat is an online identity verification solution provider helping organizations in highly regulated industries onboard customers remotely instantly and securely. Indentomat offers reliable speeds and global coverage to onboard users, verify online credit applications, sell age-restricted goods and services, prevent identity fraud, and verify service subscribers remotely.
Electric Power Engineers, Inc. (EPE) works with clients on a global scale designing solutions for renewable energy (solar/wind/battery storage), Generation Interconnection, Transmission Planning, Distribution (DER), and Smart Grids.
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.
The company officially opened its Center for Energy Innovation at Research Park in February 2022 (news release).
Hypercell has developed novel biological solutions to control infectious diseases in production animals that cause major economic losses and present potential threats to human health. The Hypercell approach revolutionizes the control of infectious diseases by bringing two innovative technologies: rapid, easy-to-use molecular diagnostics on the farm and biotherapeutic treatments to reduce the spread of a virus. Hypercell believes the best chance to stop a future pandemic in humans is to proactively control viruses in animal reservoirs.
Aviatrix cloud network platform delivers advanced networking, security, and operational visibility required by enterprises with the simplicity and automation of cloud. The Aviatrix cloud network delivers a common platform for multi-cloud networking, regardless of public cloud providers used.
More than 400 customers worldwide use Aviatrix and its proven multi-cloud network reference architecture to design, deploy, and operate a repeatable network and security architecture that is consistent across any public cloud.
Agriwater specializes in electrolysis that electrifies manure slurry into clean water, soil amendment and removes heavy metals and foul odor from GHG. They monitor pollution though an IoT-enabled water quality sensor network that reports data to the farm operator in real time through cloud technology.
Nephra is leading the way for a healthier life for patients on dialysis. Their technology is a noninvasive potassium monitor that utilizes patient ECG data to correlate with serum potassium ranges. By monitoring this electrolyte concentration in dialysis patients, Nephra can increase the rate of electrolyte monitoring from once a month to once a day – helping patients stay more informed and in control of their health and aid physicians make informed healthcare decisions for their patients.
TeamOpt is an online platform that helps engineers and project owners find and hire the needed freelance talent and save up to 30% on the design costs. Their technology combines concepts from group psychology and knowledge-based AI to enable the formation of an effective team with good team dynamics. TeamOpt secures legal contracts between the project owner and the engineering team to ensure project delivery and payment of freelancers.
Kocree created Muosaic, a social music co-creation platform. The platform uses artificial intelligence to allow users to cut melodies, rhythms, and arrangements from music to create a unique musical piece. Muosaic supports a more inclusive ecosystem where music curators, composers, technicians, and teachers can curate custom tunes for unique needs.
Revery AI creates a virtual dressing room experience for online fashion retailers, where their shoppers can mix and match any combination of garments on their site. This scalable virtual dressing room solution helps fashion retailers increase online engagement and conversion.
Every moment of every day, people all over the world turn to Panasonic to make their lives simpler, more enjoyable, more productive, and more secure. Since their founding almost a century ago, Panasonic has been committed to improving people’s lives and making the world a better place–one customer, one business, one innovative leap at a time. Panasonic focuses on 5 major areas: smart mobility, sustainable energy, immersive experiences, integrated supply chain, and consumer lifestyle. The Panasonic office is part of Connect North America.
AI Nexus has built an engine that enables the capture, digitization & scaling of expertise. Using this engine we are building Mia, an application that brings the diagnostic knowledge of a thousand doctors into your smartphone. The goal is to demystify AI and make the most advanced AI technology available to every developer & business through a transparent and intuitive process.
PrairieLearn is an open-source software for creating and delivering learning experiences and assessments for students. The company provides hosted access to PrairieLearn as a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, enabling users to adopt our system in a flexible, secure, and robust manner.
NEXT-ChemX is commercializing the Membrane Technology by setting up a pilot plant prototype to demonstrate the extraction of specific ions from solutions without using high pressure, temperature, or electrolysis in a more efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly manner. Novel Membrane Based Ion Extraction Technology; Our technology allows continuous transfer without high pressure, temperature or electrolysis as it mimics biological processes found in nature.
AGT is a start-up company that originated from South Korea. AGT’s vision is to create a new way of treating crops and plants with our innovative products such as liquid micronutrients, agro-drone carrier, and multi-drone operating software. Since we have our liquid micronutrient product in the commercial stage, we will be focusing more on developing and completing drone-related technologies such as agro-drone carrier that will be the base for multi-drone flight and their operating system. Started from South Korea’s scientific hub city of Daejeon, AGT aims to build a dual R&D hub in Urbana-Champaign at the Research Park.
Natrion is pushing the boundaries of materials science to develop new batteries and battery components that eliminate fire risk while diminishing material costs. Natrion’s new Lithium Solid Ionic Conductor (LISIC) combines a proprietary high-performance ceramic made from a clay mineral that is already used in cosmetics and paper with a type of plastic that’s typically found in building fire insulation. The result is a component that can be integrated into existing battery assembly lines in place of liquid electrolytes to eliminate battery fire risk. Natrion is developing its own sodium-ion battery architecture that will pair all of the safety benefits of LISIC with chemistry that replaces lithium with sodium.
Cache Energy is developing a heat battery that can store energy as heat indefinitely and release when needed, either as heat or electricity. This technology can store grid electricity cheaply on a large scale. It can also enable a transition to renewable energy by helping industries move away from fossil fuel and allowing wastewater treatment plants and landfills to store the energy of biogas released, which otherwise is primarily wasted.
Visionaire is a biotechnology company that is focused on the development of novel diagnostics for ocular fluid. Their device uses advanced engineering to create a one-handed tool with a customized needle and collection chamber that leads to improved patient safety and increased reliability of testing. The mission of the company is to improve ocular diagnostic testing to be more reliable and more accessible.
Dawan is a startup that focuses on the harvesting process of date palm farmers. They specialize in creating sorting machines that allow farmers to grade their yield. Their harvesting machines are autonomous, which saves time and money for date fruit farmers. Dawan is a University of Illinois student startup tenant.
DigitalGemini creates simulation tools and synthetic data sets. They specialize in lidar and radar simulation.
Trova AI develops AI-driven conversational search tools. This tool can be used in email, chats, documents, and more.
Trove AI launched BFFs Beta, an AI system that helps you find where your message is. This tool can be connected Trova with your Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, Outlook, Dropbox, MS Teams, and Jira accounts to find the information you need. More platforms are coming soon.
Sing up here: https://app.gotrova.ai/signin-beta
LabSimply is developing CRISPR powered molecular diagnostics in less than 5 minutes, bringing PCR accuracy at point-of-care in Antigen testing times and costs.
Cygnus has created a new approach to traditional photo processing techniques. Their VUV and far-UVC exposer system combines
high power, exceptional uniformity, and versatility in an efficient and compact modular form factor. The new technology drives photo processing in real-time, is eco friendly, made of recyclable materials and components, and has efficient packaging and passive cooling for an easily transported all-in-one system.
Field Directed Sputter Sharpening (FDSS) enables Tiptek to manufacture hard, conductive, and ultra-sharp probes. The probes are used for scanning probe microscopy, transfer of lamella formed by focused ion beams (FIB), and scanning electron microscope-based nanoprobes used in semiconductor failure analysis. The proprietary FDSS process developed by Tiptek co-founders sharpens the probe tip to atomic dimensions in a self-limiting fashion that does not require skilled operator intervention. The resulting probe tips give excellent high resolution over long periods of time, making them the standard for commercial and research customers.
Revive Biotechnology is a biotechnology company focusing on ophthalmic diagnostics. Founded in 2018, the company is working to improve the retina treatment and diagnostic modalities. Revive is a multidisciplinary, friendly, motivated, small team geared to excel. Their position at the University of Illinois Research Park allows them to use state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities to advance their company.
Ascent is a venture-backed startup building the unifying dashboard for high-intensity, small unit tactics. We provide actionable insight on the health, environment, and location of Firefighters, SWAT, and Warfighters.
Ascent is a 15-member strong UIUC team working at EnterpriseWorks. They recently closed our second round of capital in January 2022 and are looking to hire full-time engineers and operations graduates this summer.
The Illinois Department of Transportation provides safe, cost effective transportation for Illinois in ways that enhance the quality of life, promote economic prosperity, and demonstrate respect for the environment.
TearDX is developing minimally invasive sensors for detecting chemical and biological agents in tear fluid.
EPL Power Electronics aims to provide high voltage pulse power supply solutions for gas discharge applications. They provide consulting, prototype developing, and products developing services.
The RIPE Plant Transformation Facility provides lab and office space for Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE). RIPE is a research project for sustainable increases in crop yield, led by Illinois researchers Steve Long and Don Ort. RIPE is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, and the UK Government’s Department for International Development.
The new RIPE Greenhouse, a modern plant phenotyping facility, is located across the street. Operated by the College of ACES in collaboration with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.
Greenhouse Groundbreaking at the University of Illinois Research Park
The Illinois Plasma Institute (IPI) is an initiative of the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In March 2020, IPI entered a partnership with microprocessing technology developer Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co. (TOK). IPI aids in bridging the gap between technologies developed at the University and commercialization. The Institute serves as a research and development arm for selected companies to bring innovation into practice.
Yummy Future is an autonomous coffee shop providing a taste of the future. They provide customers with faster, higher-quality, and cheaper coffee, matcha, hot chocolate, and fruit tea through an autonomous robot. They also provide robotic solutions for food and beverage businesses by lowering costs and enhancing efficiency.
VRMD provides a software solution that integrates surgical room safety and risk with OSHA/CDC compliance & regulations in a highly effective manner, and extremely low-cost.
University of Illinois Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) is a service unit under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research, supporting the research enterprise throughout the entire lifecycle of an externally sponsored project, from proposal submission to award closeout.
sponsoredprograms.illinois.edu
The Speech-Language Pathology Clinic serves approximately 200 children and adults annually providing the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. Their mission is to enhance communication across the lifespan by integrating research and clinical practice from the biological, behavioral, and social sciences. Individual and group therapy is provided by clinical instructors or graduate students, under the supervision of an American Speech Language Hearing Association Certified Speech-Language Pathologist.
The Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) is an initiative of the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. POETS’ ambitious, innovative approach to improving the power density of next-generation electro-thermal systems involves integrating traditionally separate research efforts in mechanical, electrical, and materials engineering across different technical domains.
Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation was established on June 28, 1973, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology to reduce the foreign dependency in the defense industry of Turkey. The Turkish Aircraft Industries design, develops, manufactures, integrates, and supports aerospace systems for military and commercial aerospace customers in Turkey and internationally. The company offers products and services in the areas of aerostructures, aircraft, helicopter, UAV systems, and space systems, as well as programs and logistics solutions. Turkish Aerospace ranks among the top hundred global players in the aerospace and defense arena.
Traverse Science, Inc. is a contract research organization that facilitates preclinical innovation in the food and drug industry. Traverse specializes in generating safety and efficacy data for products impacting the gut-brain axis by employing the pig as a translational animal model. Traverse combines the use of the pig with a high-throughput, sensor fusion, and data analytics approach to help bridge the gap between animal and human research.
Transportation Engineering Solutions and Technologies (TEST), Inc. is a civil engineering firm that develops specialized, practical tools for transportation sustainability and provides expert consulting services. Their team helps transportation agencies and industries to improve their efficiency, optimize their operation, and control their environmental impact. Transportation Engineering Solutions and Technologies were founded by internationally renowned leaders in transportation engineering affiliated with the University of Illinois. TEST has recently branched out into transportation SaaS for scheduling, management, efficiency, and sustainability.
TellTail, Inc. is an innovative AgTech company focused on Smart Animal Management. They look to produce more pork with fewer resources. TellTail applies predictive and forecasts algorithm technology to improve the management of pig production systems. Their first and primary goal is to provide data insights to inform decisions that give confidence to producers and increase the profitability of facilities. TellTail delivers our decision support tools in apps, software, and connected IoT devices.
Synclesis, Inc. is a start-up scientific computing company that is creating commercial software with technologies developed at the University of Illinois. Specifically, Synclesis is commercializing stochastic computational electromagnetic and circuit analysis methodologies that are applicable to electromagnetic interference, high-speed circuit design, and signal integrity applications.
The State Farm Research and Development Center is a place where State Farm staff and U of I students guide and support Company programs with high-level research. The facility features open spaces and state-of-the-art tools that encourage interaction and innovation — a perfect complement to traditional classroom studies.
Starfire Industries LLC specializes in innovative plasma engineering across a range of markets, including aerospace, defense, nuclear, homeland security, and manufacturing semiconductors. Plasma technologies are ubiquitous across industry, touching nearly every computer chip produced and every satellite flying over the earth. As a result, there are many novel applications waiting to be discovered to improve a product or process.
Starfire Industries Named a Top 10 Non-Destructive Testing Company
Singleton Law Firm, P.C. is dedicated to serving the legal needs of business and individual clients of east-central Illinois with an emphasis in the areas of corporate, intellectual property (including patent, trademark, and copyright) and commercial real estate law. The firm was founded in 2005 to provide legal services to the growing technology community in Central Illinois. Since that time the firm has grown alongside the University of Illinois Research Park and remains active in the local business and University communities and throughout the state.
SimBioSys is a computational oncology company founded in 2018 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on a mission to deploy Computational Oncology to transform decision making and patient experience in Cancer Care. By virtualizing cancer, clinicians and patients are empowered with a better understanding of the disease which provides new insight into the behavior and prognosis of cancers.
For more than 70 years, Sandia has delivered essential science and technology to resolve the nation’s most challenging security issues. Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation. Their team of scientists, engineers, researchers, and business specialists apply their knowledge and skill toward delivering cutting-edge technology in an array of areas. Sandia National Laboratories is located at the Research Park as a partnership with the University of Illinois Applied Research Institute. Sandia’s interest areas to pursue in this location include complex systems design, data sciences, digital manufacturing, and power on-demand solutions.
RSM’s purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues, and communities through world-class audit, tax, and consulting services focused on middle-market businesses. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.
Since its inception in 2002, Riverbed has helped organizations maximize the performance of their networks and applications so they can maximize the return on investment (ROI) on their IT investments. They enable organizations to visualize, optimize, accelerate, and remediate the performance of any network for any application. Riverbed is the only company that addresses performance and visibility holistically with best-in-class WAN optimization, network performance management, application acceleration, and enterprise-grade SD-WAN.
As a consumer financial services company, Synchrony Financial is the largest provider of private label credit cards in the United States based on volume and receivables. Synchrony provides credit products through programs with a diverse group of national and regional retailers, local merchants, manufacturers, buying groups, industry associations, and healthcare service providers. The Synchrony Emerging Technology Center at the University of Illinois Research Park focuses on advancing Synchrony’s finance and technology capabilities as well as providing real-world skills for students in artificial intelligence, data science, human-centered design, and other emerging technologies.
Here at the Research Park, Yahoo focuses on building large-scale platforms and applications powered by data. There are two major organizations represented — the Technology Platforms team and the Data Engineering group. The Technology Platforms team manages the large-scale infrastructure for supporting data, networking, and machine learning for the company. The Data Engineering group oversees data for the entire company by real-time data transport, pipelines, analytics, reporting, and machine learning applications. The office is comprised of 180+ technical staff including software engineers, data scientists, and management roles.
Reconstruct uses Your Visual Data to Improve Planning, Coordination and Communication on Your Job sites. Our web-based platform continuously reconstructs and visualizes Reality directly within 4D BIM, measures progress and productivity, and analyzes risk for delay. Reconstruct’s actionable data analytics empowers smart construction and supports project teams to proactively decide on control actions and keep their projects on time and on budget.
REALTraining Systems is supplies new technology to improve training and education. They develop virtual reality simulators for enhanced training for law enforcement and educational organizations.
PSYONIC makes advanced bionic limbs that are accessible to all people with amputations. Their first product was the Ability Hand. It was an advanced bionic hand that was the fastest on the market, easy to control, provided touch feedback, and was robust to impacts. The Ability Hand is an affordable and accessible prosthesis with unique bionic abilities that surpass human capabilities, providing individuals with technology superior to anything else currently on the market. It’s also covered by insurance companies in the US, with no out-of-pocket costs to users, and is the only multi-grip bionic hand Made in the USA.
Procter and Gamble Company is an American multinational consumer goods corporation with a mission to provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers. Its brands are trusted in millions of living rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms—and have been passed down from generation to generation. P&G is known for hundreds of consumer brands ranging from baby care, fabric care, feminine care, hair care, home care, to grooming products. Some of its notable brands are Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Downey, Head & Shoulders. Pantene, Gillette, Oral-B, Olay, and SafeGuard among others. In P&G’s first-ever Smart Lab, students from the University of Illinois work directly with P&G employees to move consumer research projects from concept to execution within weeks rather than months.
Prairie Nanotechnology’s principle scientists collectively have over 100 years of experience with materials analysis and nanotechnology development. Prairie Nanotechnology specializes in the development and manufacturing of educational and standard samples for Atomic Force Microscopes and X-ray equipment.
PowerWorld Corporation provides simulation and visualization software to the global electric power industry. PowerWorld specializes in making complex power system concepts easy to understand through a rich, user-friendly graphical interface and powerful visualization platform. PowerWorld also includes utilities, independent system operators (ISO), regional transmission organizations (RTO), independent power producers, power marketers, power traders, industry consultants, government agencies, research laboratories, and world-class research and teaching universities. They also provide consulting services related to the study of power systems and power markets.
Phi Optics Inc was founded in 2009 to respond to the market’s request for QPI enabled devices. The company is developing the next generation of optical imaging systems through its Quantitative Phase Imaging Platform. Phi Optics technology platform uses standard tools and processes and combines the performance of traditional modalities of a light microscope (e.g. fluorescence, DIC, phase contrast) with the real-time 3D topography capabilities of QPI. This combination offers a significant advantage for applications that require low-cost, fast, and accurate imaging of nanostructures.
NVIDIA’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined modern computer graphics, and revolutionized parallel computing. More recently, GPU deep learning ignited modern AI — the next era of computing — with the GPU acting as the brain of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can perceive and understand the world.
In 2018, Nutrien Ag Solutions acquired EnterpriseWorks graduate Agrible. Agrible celebrated its grand opening in 2015. Agrible’s products include Morning Farm Report®, Spray Smart®, Nutrient Engine, and Find My Seed®, which are accompanied by numerous other complementary digital and mobile offerings.
Nutrien Ag Solutions is committed to being the leading provider of agricultural inputs in each of its markets. Advancements in technology have allowed for more effective growing methods while minimizing environmental impacts. As they have welcomed more operations, expanded product, and service offerings, their reach has extended globally.
MS Bioanalytical (MSB) is an FDA-registered and independent testing service company specializing in the analysis of food and nutrition supplements. Their service scope includes vitamins and minerals, dietary nutrients, herbal products, functional foods, food additives, cosmetics, cannabis, pharmaceuticals, and food contamination and toxins. MSB’s goal is to provide quality service at a fast turnaround time at a reasonable cost.
The Research Park at the University of Illinois houses the Motorola Solutions Innovation Center, where interns from various academic backgrounds develop products, applications, and services that help further the company’s mission to help people be their best in the moments that matter.
Since 1928, Motorola Solutions has revolutionized public safety. Through creative and innovative mission-critical communication technologies and services, the company helps first-responders and commercial customers build safer cities and thriving communities. Today, Motorola Solutions continues to innovate critical services, software, video, and analytics- backed by secure and resilient land mobile radio communications.
LiveBx, LLC provides a novel laser source for life-science research and clinical application such as label free histology and real-time/live tissue biopsy. Their work develops imaging instruments that simplify and speed the observation of living tissue and cells.
Littelfuse is a global manufacturer of leading technologies in circuit protection, power control, and sensing. Their products are found in automotive and commercial vehicles, industrial applications, data and telecommunications, medical devices, consumer electronics, and appliances. Littelfuse’s 11,000 worldwide associates partner with customers to design, manufacture and deliver innovative, high-quality solutions, for a safer, greener, and increasingly connected world.
LifeFoundry consists of engineers who work to enable microorganisms, as cell factories, to produce value-added chemicals from low-cost renewable feedstocks like corn and sugar cane. To create desired traits in these industrial microorganisms, LifeFoundry leverages its fully-automated robotic platform and a proprietary machine-learning algorithm to explore the vast number of genomic configurations. LifeFoundry is currently working with Fortune 500 companies to expedite R&D and optimize existing bioproduction processes.
Indoor Climate Research and Training (ICRT) conducts basic research at the intersection of energy efficiency and indoor air quality, and also runs the training program for the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program which provides weatherization services to families around the state of Illinois. Research projects include studies on radon, ventilation, and combustion safety and the impacts on human health. ICRT is part of the Applied Research Institute (ARI) within the University of Illinois College of Engineering. ARI is a unique university-based laboratory, where industry and federal clients connect with researchers in an integrated environment to understand their needs and rapidly bring solutions to the market. ARI provides rapid, cost-effective solutions to problems of mutual interest across sectors and agencies of government, with a sharp focus on the commercial development of technologies that are validated before they leave the laboratory.
icrt.appliedresearch.illinois.edu
Illinois Ventures is a premier seed and early-stage technology investment firm focused on research-derived companies in information technologies, physical sciences, and life sciences. They help to start and build businesses based on innovations from the University of Illinois. Illinois Ventures brings together leading researchers and entrepreneurs to mold concepts, vision, intellectual property, and passion into breakthrough, high-growth companies.
Illinois Applied Research Institute (ARI) is an initiative of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. ARI researchers partner with faculty, industry, and government agencies to work on open, proprietary, or classified projects. ARI performs translational research with a sharp focus on the development of technologies that are validated before they leave the laboratory. ARI’s vision is to create a new model for a university-based institute, where industry and federal clients connect with researchers in an integrated environment to understand their needs and rapidly solve problems.
The iHotel is a contemporary designed four-star property featuring 125 luxurious hotel room accommodations in Champaign, Illinois. The I Hotel and Conference Center is located on the south campus of the University of Illinois in the heart of The Research Park. The adjoining 38,000 square foot state-of-the-art Illinois Conference Center features 12 conference rooms; two large ballrooms and ten meeting rooms.
The IEP Quality Project is a research grant at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. IEP Quality, Inc. is commercializing technology from the College of Education to create professional development tutorials and tools for use by special education teachers and administrators to facilitate the creation of improved Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for K-12 special education students.
Hinetics, LLC push the limits of electric machinery to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels. They target high impact application areas such as wind energy generation and air transportation to demonstrate the impact of our technology on a sustainable future. Hinetic’s patent-pending superconducting technology and air-core permanent magnet technology demonstrate significantly increased efficiency, which will help remove barriers preventing the adoption of clean energy solutions.
Heartland Science and Technology Group is a nonprofit, technology group that works in precision agriculture and sustainability, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and scientific software development. Heartland supports and works closely with the University of Illinois Applied Research Institute, Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences college, and Information Trust Institute. They also support the Department of Homeland Security Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, which is managed by the Information Trust Institute.
Hanson Financial, Inc. is a professional services firm located in Champaign. Hanson Financial assists a variety of companies with financial and accounting services with a special emphasis on venture capital-funded startups.
Graybar is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications, and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of 290 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network, and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence, and efficiency. At the Graybar Innovation Lab, Graybar collaborates with students and faculty from the University of Illinois to develop industry-leading digital capabilities that strengthen its position in the supply chain. It also provides a unique opportunity for students to learn more about Graybar and the wholesale distribution industry, as the innovation lab hires full and part-time positions for undergraduate and graduate students.
Granular is an agriculture software and analytics company dedicated to helping industry leaders build stronger and smarter farms. Led by a team of experienced entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors, Granular is one of the first companies to apply Silicon Valley technology expertise to the agriculture industry. With cloud, mobile, and advanced data science technology, the Granular platform makes it easier to manage a large farm and use data for critical business decisions. Granular’s rapidly growing network of farms in the U.S. and Canada is finding new ways to profit from aggregated data, expertise, and market power.
Global Education and Training (GET) provides a gateway to expertise at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for partners around the world through high-quality training programs. GET is a unit of Illinois International. For over 25 years, GET has provided comprehensive educational and executive training programs to more than 7,500 students and executives from 21 countries. They cultivate cutting-edge, transformative learning experiences for international students, scholars, and executive participants through our core services of collaborative program development, exceptional program management, and comprehensive outreach.
Genective is a joint venture between Limagrain and KWS. Genective globally develops and provides innovative biotech solutions in corn. By working across the value chain – from basic research to commercialization it adds value to its markets, both in farming and technology access. Their aim is to create, deregulate and commercialize biotech corn traits, which deliver novel modes of action, especially in the control of field pests.
FruitVaccine is developing an edible vaccine administered via fruit (e.g., cherry tomatoes), which will immunize against the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV). All humans, especially infants and the elderly, are susceptible to hRSV Which mainly affects the lower respiratory system. Currently, the market doesn’t an hRSV vaccine or a fruit-based vaccine. An edible vaccine will be safer and more cost-effective than other vaccine forms and the FruitVaccine technology will be applicable to additional infectious diseases.
FrostDefense Envirotech Inc. is a National Science Foundation-funded startup company. They develop innovative, environmentally friendly, and low-cost technological solutions to prevent frost damage for vineyards. They also work to make labor management and mechanized farm operations more efficient. Their predictive analytic system is the foundation for continued innovation in creating tools and services to support decision-making to adapt to growing practices and sustainability.
Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (FIT) focuses on the development, manufacturing, and marketing of electronic and optoelectronic connectors, antennas, acoustic components, cables, and modules for applications in computers, communication equipment, consumer electronics, automobiles, industrial and green energy field products. With offices and manufacturing sites located in Asia, the Americas, and Europe, FIT is a global leader in the supply of precision components.
Since 1998, FASS has provided shared management services to not-for-profit animal science and related organizations. FASS is a 501(c)(3) support organization. They provide services to more than 10,000 professionals in animal agriculture and other sciences. FASS currently works with accounting, conference planning and event management, membership and administration, publication services, and information technology services.
Evercorn, established in July 2017, they work on logistics, research, and development activity for Corn. The American subsidiary, Evercorn, is the next step in Japan Cornstarch’s journey to create the highest quality products in the cornstarch industry. Evercorn contributes relevant and accurate Japanese market information to U.S. farmers. Evercorn recently created GRASTAR, a new pharmaceutical excipient especially designed for orally disintegrating tablets (ODT).
Epivara is innovating better ways that pets are spayed and neutered worldwide. Epivara’s mission is to make life better for animals and humans through innovative science and compassionate care. The company has developed EpiFix, a low-cost injection to spay and neuter pets efficiently. Currently, this is the only alternative to spay and neuter surgery that works safely, permanently, and works within seconds.
The Research Park is managed by a tight-knit team that facilitates resources for tenants and cultivates community among employees. These University of Illinois professionals, work on the continued development and growth of the companies within Research Park and the EnterpriseWorks through operations, marketing, and programming for the Research Park incubator.
Embedor Technologies has developed a wireless monitoring system for structural condition assessment of civil infrastructure. Based on smart sensor technology that delivers meaningful information and not just data, the system offers a cost-effective alternative to wired sensors and visual inspections. Embedor’s sensors give near real-time insight into the evolution of a structure’s condition and early warning of potential damage from extreme events (earthquakes, hurricanes) or long-term deterioration (corrosion, stress fractures), thus enabling asset owners and engineering firms to make informed decisions regarding the operation and maintenance of structures.
Editekk, LLC develops custom multi-functional coatings, surfaces, and interfaces to enhance material performance for a range of applications. Advanced particle-beam technology is used to create micro and nano surface features, enabling high-fidelity tailored control of surface properties. These properties include: surface energy, wettability, composition, and electronic properties; to meet the specific needs of the application. Editekk is innovating multi-functional interfaces with atomic-scale additive plasma nano manufacturing methods with applications in biotech, energy, electronics, tooling, coatings, and natural materials.
EarthSense is 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. EarthSense machine vision and machine learning-based analytics seamlessly convert field data to specific, actionable information about plant-traits.
DeepWalk Research aims to make every piece of pedestrian infrastructure in the country accessible to everyone. To do this, they’re developing a mobile application that allows for a clear, integrated process to bring a city’s curb ramps to complete ADA Compliance. This mobile app will supplement construction surveys with precision 3D models, allowing for less expensive and more efficient design
COUNTRY Financial has been helping protect families for over 90 years. We want to continue to protect them for the next 90 through innovations in technology. The COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab was created to connect with the outstanding engineering talent at the University of Illinois. They’re focusing on the development of a mobile app and providing real-world experience for students.
countryfinancial.com/digitalab
Corteva Agriscience provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability. They strive to develop sustainable and efficient global food systems that benefit everyone. Their goal is to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience at Research Park focuses on research and development (R&D) efforts, including statistics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering to catalyze innovation through analytics. Corteva Agriscience was formerly known as Dow AgriSciece until it was spun off to an independent company on June 3, 2019.
CTEE (Controlled Thermal Energy Engineering) is developing novel thermal energy conversion technologies which increase a system’s energy-efficiency by capturing and recycling heat. Low-level or otherwise underutilized heat sources are employed via metal-alloy and hydrogen interaction characteristics. The technology allows a heat-driven system to autonomously operate in three types of thermodynamic cycles: cooling, heat-pump and heat up-grade modes.
Since 1984, Common Ground Research Networks has been committed to the principles of access, participation, and equality through conference curation and journal publication. Common Ground Research Networks takes some of the most pivotal challenges of our time, and curates networks that apply interdisciplinary thinking, global conversations, and cross-institutional intellectual collaborations to achieve solutions.
cgnetworks.org/research-networks
CME Group is one of the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather, and real estate.
Cline Financial Concepts, LLC is a financial planning and investment management services firm that currently works with students in the University of Illinois College of ACES through internships to learn about financial planning. Their philosophy is they understand and embrace each individual’s or family’s unique situation, rather than sell financial products for a certain client “type”. Cline Financial Concepts, LLC tailors advice and solutions to their client’s specific needs, in keeping with the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards. This customized approach ensures the advice clients receive the most efficient and promising path to their financial goals.
