UI, OSF research partnership on medical innovations getting $50 million boost
A new process for “bioprinting” individualized human heart models, to help surgeons practice for heart operations. A virtual-reality training program for intubations, now being used by medical institutions across the U.S. and abroad. A simulator to train medical professionals how to connect patients to machines that pump and oxygenate blood outside the body when the […]
Chicago companies are attracting major venture funding
The University of Chicago has secured $75 million in grant funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the city’s recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced May 28 and financed by Pritzker Foundation. According to its Crunchbase profile, “The University of Chicago is not only a university in Chicago, Illinois, but also a university for Chicago. In […]
Deerfield, University of Illinois team up on $65M translational research deal
Deerfield Management and the University of Illinois at Chicago are joining forces to speed up the path to the clinic—and eventually to market—for new drugs discovered at the university. The pair is setting up a company called West Loop Innovation with up to $65 million in funding from Deerfield. In addition to the $65 million, which is […]
University of Illinois incubator promotes startups
Established in 2003, EnterpriseWorks is an incubator facility based at Research Park. No other facility in Illinois has received as much federal funding, in the form of Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer Research grants, as this University-owned technology startup haven. Unlike most other incubators, Laura Frerichs, director of Research Park, said […]
U Chicago researchers broaden impact by bringing scientific discoveries to market
Few people get a bigger whiff of the entrepreneurial spirit taking hold among biosciences faculty members than Thelma Tennant. “I walk down the halls of the lab buildings regularly,” Tennant said, “and I don’t think I’ve made it to a meeting without having someone come out a door and say, ‘Hey, I’ve been meaning to call […]
How the New Venture Challenge Is Helping Cement Chicago’s Reputation as the Next Great Startup Hub
At first glance, Tovala’s Chicago headquarters looks like an ordinary apartment. But upon opening the front door to the office space, located in the city’s River West neighborhood, visitors are greeted with an open space filled with boxes, home goods and employees buzzing like worker bees. Some cooked in the test kitchen. Others sat at their […]
Tel Aviv University and Northwestern University launch joint nanoscience program
A new collaborative venture between Northwestern University and Tel Aviv University brings together researchers and students in the field of nanotechnology through joint research and development projects, student exchange programs and research grants. Under the new partnership, two researchers from each university will receive post-doctoral fellowships supporting two years of research at the partner institution. […]
2018 Fall Cohort Finalists Selected for the UChicago Innovation Fund
The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago has announced the five companies moving on to the fall finals of the 2018 University of Chicago Innovation Fund. Each of the finalists will present their ventures to the Innovation Fund advisory committee and public audience in an event hosted by the Polsky Center […]
Taking Startups to the Next Level: TransUnion Partners with University of Chicago’s Polsky Center
A new partnership between TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) and the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will take startups to the next level with the use of cutting-edge data assets. The program supports entrepreneurial innovation and provides University of Chicago students with access to TransUnion’s Startup Credit Kit, a suite of innovative solutions to support […]
Purple Arch Wants to Back More Northwestern Alumni Startups With 2nd Fund
Purple Arch is a venture fund for Northwestern alumni, by Northwestern alumni. And the young VC firm is already raising its next fund to back more entrepreneurs that bleed purple and black. Purple Arch, founded in 2016, closed its first fund last year. The $5 million fund backed 20 Northwestern University-affiliated startups, including Chicago startups like […]