News and Info
Gerald Wilson appears on WCIA to preview Founders Week
Director of Entrepreneurship Gerald Wilson joined WCIA to preview Founders Week 2026 and talk about the importance of a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem at Illinois.
Faculty Entrepreneurial Leadership Program welcomes 4th cohort
30 U. of I. faculty members are part of FELP's fourth cohort. The professional development program imparts entrepreneurial knowledge without requiring prior startup experience.
'Hoofprint Biome' helps the environment one cow at a time
Hoofprint Biome, co-founded by Kathryn Polkoff, helps solve the methane emissions of cows by developing enzymes that reduce methane and improve digestive health.
Daraxonrasib approved for use by FDA
Daraxonrasib, a pancreatic cancer drug manufactured by Revolution Medicines, is approved for use for some pancreatic cancer patients. Revolution Medicines was founded by Martin Burke.
Journey from Software Engineering to Entrepreneurship
Join Abhishek Pandey, Interim CEO of ASERTI Pharma, for "Finding Cures: Journey from Software Engineering to Entrepreneurship" on Aug. 25.
Early Innovator Program announces 2026 pitch contest winners
Graduates of the Early Innovator Program pitched their innovations to a panel of judges, with three students being awarded prizes of up to $5,000 to continue advancing their innovations.
Research Park named one of America’s Best Incubators
In TIME and Statista's list of America’s Best Incubators and Accelerators of 2026, Research Park was recognized as the 27th-best incubator and accelerator hub in the country.
'Beacon' fills gap in dialysis patient monitoring
Beacon, a new wearable device from Auvi Labs that monitors blood flow to detect dialysis access failure and send real-time alerts, was featured in Crain's Chicago Business.
Wandke honored for entrepreneurial and innovative teaching
Kevin Wandke has been an Engineering Unleashed Fellow for 2026. Powered by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network, the designation recognizes leadership in engineering education.
Introducing the new Entrepreneurship minor
Students campuswide can now enroll in the new Entrepreneurship minor, which brings together the strengths of one of the nation's leading innovation ecosystems.
Registration is now open for Founders Week 2026
Join us Sept. 30 - Oct. 3 for Founders Week! Our premier event brings together our whole ecosystem for networking, panel discussions, and celebrating our collective successes.
'SolarMantle' partners with FIFA to keep fans cool
Lili Cai's startup, 'SolarMantle', partnered with the City of Houston and FIFA to keep visitors at its fan festival cool by deploying a "passive cooling film" on public infrastructure.
Bay Area innovation hub launches with Midwest demo day
As Third Coast Foundry officially opened in the Bay Area, Illinois startups highlighted the strength of the entrepreneurship ecosystem on a national platform.
iVenture Cohort 12 teams introduced
The Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship has announced the 15 teams that are apart of iVenture Cohort 12. This year's program is made up of 13 current student companies and two alumni companies.
World Cup cleats made possible with Illinois tech
For some players at the 2026 World Cup, their cleats incorporate microstructures that instantly adapt to their movements. Bill King developed the technology at Illinois almost 20 years ago.
'DoubleSpot' modernizes recreation management
Inspired by his internship with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sean Chang built software that streamlines scheduling, registrations, events, rentals, and facility operations into one platform.
Fireside chat with entrepreneur Devin Bhushan
Read or watch the full Q&A with Squint CEO and Illinois alum Devin Bhushan, moderated by Gerald Wilson. The fireside chat touches on AI and the future of entrepreneurship.
iMBA students win $3,000 Voitik Prize for 'Agrivoy'
Jeff and Forough Haskel turned a frustrating search for a Wyoming ranch vacation into the startup Agrivoy, an “Airbnb for agritourism.” They presented at the Cozad New Venture Competition.
Wearable knee device monitors rehabilitation work
A team of Illinois researchers have developed KNEESENSE, a custom-designed wearable hydraulic filament sensor to monitor the angle of the knee joint during rehabilitation.
Eight teams compete in end-of-semester pitch event
Eight student deep tech venture teams wrapped up the Spring 2026 semester of TE 598 | Accelerating Deep Tech Enterprises with a competitive pitch event for $50,000 in funding.
'NexLoop' could bring delivery robots to campus sidewalks
Jezzy Jia co-founded NexLoop, a startup building autonomous delivery robots designed for campuses. The robots can carry different types of items at once and use AI for efficient routing.
'Cephal Corps' saves patients before brain injury care
A new system developed by Al Smith, called 'Cephal Corps,' couples a robotic arm and 3D mapping software to stabilize patients with brain injuries until specialized treatment is available.
'Sol' brings safety, empowerment to wheelchair users
As a wheelchair-bound individual, Carter Schott created Sol, a 360-degree light that sits above a wheelchair, so users can be seen in every situation. Like crossing the sidewalk or raising your hand in class.
New funding to help 'Prenosis' revolutionize sepsis care
Co-founded by Bobby Reddy, Jr. and Rahid Bashir, 'Prenosis' is advancing the development of AI diagnostic and therapeutic products for serious yet underfunded conditions like sepsis.
Once an at-home hobby, 'Steepers Only' is now big business
Angelica Lee founded 'Steepers Only,' a premium tea company, by combining her food science and product development background that she learned at Illinois. It's carried in 10 Illinois grocery stores!
IIDAI to expand into AI, quantum-centric supercomputing
The IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute will pursue breakthroughs in quantum-centric supercomputing to combine the strengths of quantum and classical computing.
$20M commitment to help generations of Illinois innovators
The Technology Entrepreneurship Center will be renamed the Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship in honor of more than $20 million committed by Richard and Gayle Landuyt.
Forbes highlights 'miracle drug' from Revolution Medicines
Founded by Marty Burke in 2014, Forbes highlights Revolution Medicines and its clinical trial for the drug daraxonrasib, which has reduced some tumors by 76 percent.
'PedalPro' helps immobilized patients avoid blood clots
A new device, 'PedalPro,' targets deep vein thrombosis by helping immobilized patients remain active in bed. Patients can push on the pedals at scheduled times to prevent DVTs.
Fuel Your Startup: Access Illinois' $114M Equity Capital Program
Learn more about the Illinois Innovation Venture Fund, a $114 million direct equity capital program, at this month's SBIR/STTR webinar. Register by March 31.
Credence Cleantech moving forward with energy pilot in India
After participating in the iVenture Accelerator, Credence Cleantech embarks on a pilot project aiming to launch a cost-effective net-zero alternative to factories in India.
Student developed 'WrapCool' saves newborn brains
'WrapCool' is a self-regulating baby wrap used in the first hours of life to reduce the risk of death and long-term disability in babies born with reduced oxygen flow to the brain.
Cache Energy spotlighted by Wall Street Journal
Cache Energy, an EnterpriseWorks tenant, was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal for its breakthrough in energy storage systems and cement-based heat batteries.
C16 Biosciences moves on to Startup World Cup Grand Finale
At the 11th Annual AgTech Summit, C16 Biosciences won the Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional. 10 companies participated in the second edition of the event.
Orange & Blue Ventures collaborates with Illinois Ventures
The U. of I.'s first student-led venture capital fund, Orange & Blue Ventures, is teaming up with Illinois Ventures to give students direct experience with building and managing capital as an investor.
'Superior popcorn' turns into tasty market success
After starting with a goal of developing orange and blue popcorn, Anthony Studer shifted to breeding a superior brand of popcorn that led to the creation of 'Illini Superpop.'
Illinois among eight schools to launch new Bay Area innovation hub
Eight leading midwestern universities are launching a San Francisco-based hub designed to support their startups, advance their research commercialization and more.
10 companies selected as Startup World Cup finalists
Meet the 10 companies selected as finalists for the second annual Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional pitch competition at AgTech Innovation Summit.
Gig work as a potential pathway to entrepreneurship
Spyros Lagaras joins the Research Reverb podcast to discuss his research into the growing "gig economy," and how common it is for those gigs to lead to entrepreneurship.
Student team creates app to help anesthesiologists
A new machine learning app for your smartphone, called Halo, uses artificial intelligence to supply anesthesiologists with just-in-time information during surgery.
Pete Koomen shares unique perspective with students
Alum Pete Koomen imparted his entrepreneurial wisdom on students during a return to campus, where he shared his perspective as a founder, a mentor, and investor.
Students turn classroom AI projects into real-world apps
Anand Jiwani’s class project, ‘MoneyNova,’ leverages AI to help students traveling abroad manage their finances. Now he’ll test it overseas, and potentially take it to market.
Alumni return for Founders Week panel on startup success
Watch the Founders Week 2025 panel on recent alumni and student startup success, with founders Gautam Ajjarapu, Vishnu Chakroborty, and Akylai Kasymkulova.
Space industry experience guides new rocket courses
After a decade in the aerospace industry, Joseph Gonzalez is bringing his real-world experiences to the classroom in new engineering courses on rocket development and safety.
Alum’s satellite startup secures $10M for revolutionary spacecraft technology
Samara Aerospace, Illinois alum Patrick Haddox’s startup, has announced $10 million in new funding to rapidly scale-up operations and spacecraft productions.
Illinois students tackle the healthcare paperwork crisis
Five Illinois undergraduate students have co-founded InvoGenix, an AI tool designed to help fix the $600 million annual cost of healthcare administrative paperwork.
New prediction method could identify treatments quicker
A cross-disciplinary team of Illinois researchers used computational chemistry and machine learning to predict what treatments could help certain neurological conditions.
New digital kiosk initiative transforms rural healthcare
To better connect rural communities to healthcare, Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee and team developed a network of digital health kiosks, a low-cost first point-of-contact for people in remote areas.
Eight Illini startups make up Y Combinator's Fall 2025 cohort
Eight Illinois student and alumni startup teams have completed the highly competitive accelerator program bringing AI innovation to industries from cybersecurity to filmmaking.
Faculty member invents new therapeutic against influenza virus
Christopher Brooke has invented a new therapeutic interfering particle with an enhanced ability to suppress wild-type influenza virus replication through competition.
Illinois founders build world's largest off-grid solar company
Business Insider Africa highlights the founding of Sun King by T. Patrick Walsh and Anish Thakkar, the world’s largest off-grid solar company that has raised over $700 million in funding.
Second annual Founders Week celebrates and grows Illinois entrepreneurship momentum
The second annual Founders Week at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign showcased the growing momentum within the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
EarthSense competes in Startup World Cup Grand Finale
EarthSense, an EnterpriseWorks graduate and Research Park tenant, competed with startups from around the world for the $1 million grand prize at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale.
New AI model expands possibilities of virtual try-ons
Researchers from the lab of Yuxiong Wang have harnessed generative AI to advance virtual try-on technology for e-commerce, enabling higher-resolution and more customizable videos.
Two Illinois alumni named among the world’s top innovators
Zihao Ou and Manling Li have both been named MIT Technology Review’s prestigious Innovators Under 35 list for their groundbreaking work in science and technology.
Amazon launches AI PhD Fellowship program at Illinois
Amazon is launching a new $68 million AI PhD Fellowship program that will provide two years of funding for more than 100 PhD students at nine universities, including Illinois.
New student copilot improves autonomy for people with paralysis
Sangjoon Lee is part of a team of scientists that leveraged AI to improve wearable brain-computer interfaces for people with limited movement.
Sidewalk accessibility project turns into $4.2M startup
Brandon Yates’ course project has evolved into DeepWalk, a Chicago-based startup that has raised $4.2 million and is revolutionizing how cities make communities more accessible.
Synchrony and Illinois open reimagined space in Research Park
The partnership between Synchrony and Illinois passed another major milestone: more than 400 students have gained hands-on technology experience through internships.
Student’s groundbreaking assisted birth tool wins award
Anthony Wong’s device, PeriAssist, won first place in the Illinois Innovation Network’s Falling Walls Lab Illinois competition. The tool is designed to be a safer alternative in assisted birth.
CU Aerospace featured for advancing aerospace innovation
Champaign-Urbana Aerospace, a graduate of EnterpriseWorks, now generates $5 million in annual revenue and is playing a role in advancing aerospace innovation.
Guan honored for agricultural research innovation
Kaiyu Guan, founder of EnterpriseWork startup HabiTerre, has been named the recipient of the 2025 national agInnovation award for Excellence in Agricultural Research Innovation.
Butkus Foundation, CI MED launch new 'Takes Heart' program
Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the Butkus Foundation will lead the development of a groundbreaking, HIPAA-compliant cardiovascular health database powered by AI.