Home

orangesolid
At Illinois, we produce Founders.
container
greylight
Image
flow chart

A Vibrant Ecosystem, a Legacy of Innovation

From student startup competitions and entrepreneurial courses to the EnterpriseWorks business incubator and the impressive roster of alumni founders, the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Illinois boasts a rich past and promises an exciting future. It’s no surprise that Illinois is a top-10* university when it comes to producing founders.

*PitchBook’s 2024 ranking of universities based on the number of venture capital-backed companies started by alumni.

container
bluesolid

Illinois Entrepreneurship by the Numbers

$100M+
venture capital raised by iVenture student teams

4700+
students participated in Cozad New Venture Challenge since 2000

$4M+
in funding awarded to Cozad New Venture Challenge teams

350+
Companies Incubated at EnterpriseWorks since 2003

$206M
raised in SBIR/STTR funding for EnterpriseWorks startups

$2.9B
in additional capital raised by companies supported by Illinois Ventures

container
orangesolid

Find out how you can plug into our ecosystem!

lightbulb

Students

Start building skills and connections for your next great idea.

Get Started

science icon

Faculty & Staff

Are you an innovator who's interested in entrepreneurship?

Get Started

people talking

Alumni

Connect with ecosystem leaders and your Illini peers, both old and new.

Get started

 

greyop2
container
bluesolid

Shaping the future of AgTech

The AgTech Summit, March 10, 2026, features dynamic panels, fireside chats, networking and more. As one of the premier AgTech hubs in the nation, Champaign-Urbana is uniquely positioned to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry to explore emerging innovations and drive the industry forward.

Learn more and reserve your spot!

container
greylight

Looking for one of our primary units?

A technology business incubator and entrepreneurship event hub, located in the Research Park.

Go to EnterpriseWorks site

Find early-stage investors to help take your company from a pioneering venture to a successful start-up.

Go to Illinois Ventures site

Get help moving your research innovations into public use by licensing university intellectual property.

Go to OTM Site

Participate in entrepreneurial activities, such as iVenture Accelerator, and find top faculty researching the science of entrepreneurship. 

Go to OVOE site 

A leading technology hub that cultivates startups as well as increases capabilities for established companies.

Go to Research Park site

An incubator for breakthrough ideation and innovation between science, engineering, and the arts.

Go to SEC site

A center developing the next generation of visionaries and leaders through academic courses, startup competitions, and more.

Go to TEC site 

greyop2
container