Chicago Impact Engine Launches $10M Fund, Betting Capitalists Can Do Well While Doing Good
Some dismiss social impact entrepreneurship as a feel-good diversion. But a group of successful investors in Chicago are throwing $10 million on the table to prove that capitalists can do well while doing good. Impact Engine today announced a $10 million early-stage impact investment fund for companies dedicated to making money and solving one social […]
Winners Announced for $250K Innovation Fund Spring 2016 Cycle
The Chicago Innovation Exchange, in partnership with UChicagoTech and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation held the University of Chicago’s Innovation Fund final presentations today, where four amazing companies competed for a share of the university’s $20 million Innovation Fund — up to $250,000 in proof-of-concept capital. It was an exciting morning, full of […]
Serra Ventures at U Illinois hopes to raise $50M in new fund, invest in 50 startups
Serra Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on Midwestern companies is on its way to raising $50 million, and it’s eyeing a handful of potential investments. Serra Ventures, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Research Park, aims to nearly triple the size of its second fund and invest in 40 to 50 startups through its third fund, launched in […]
Peoria’s OSF hospitals launch $75 million VC fund
A hospital run by a small group of nuns in Peoria probably isn’t the first place you’d look for the cutting edge. But OSF Healthcare, which runs 11 hospitals across the state, is one of a few dozen hospitals nationwide directly investing in startups. Some of the more well-known hospitals with venture funds include […]
Northwestern Student Startups Get Access To $14M in New Funds
Northwestern just announced two funds that will infuse some serious cash into commercializing university technology, and supporting student startups. On Thursday, the university announced the $10 million N.XT Fund, which will invest in early-stage innovations based on Northwestern technologies, and the $4 million NUSeeds Fund, which will support student startups out of the university. The […]
Five teams named finalists in Chicago Innovation Exchange’s funding competition
The Chicago Innovation Exchange has announced the five finalists in its Innovation Fund’s spring cycle. Twice per year, the fund takes applications, hears pitches and decides to invest in emerging technologies and startups out of the University of Chicago and its affiliates—Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The fund so far has invested […]
University of Chicago to Get $50 Million From Venture Capitalist
Nearly four years ago, the venture capitalist Michael Moritz donated $115 million to his alma mater, the University of Oxford, to bolster the British university’s financial assistance efforts. Now Mr. Moritz, the chairman of Sequoia Capital, and his wife, Harriet Heyman, are providing a similar gift for an American institution. The University of Chicago plans […]
Illinois to invest $220 million in venture capital funds
The state of Illinois is getting back in the venture-capital business for the first time in several years. Treasurer Michael Frerichs says he’ll start investing more than $220 million of state treasury money with venture funds across the state. The Legislature first authorized the state to invest up to 1 percent of its funds in […]
UChicago Healthcare, Agtech Startups Funded Through Innovation Fund
The University of Chicago Innovation Fund announced two healthcare startups and one agriculture IT startup will receive $550,000 total in the most recent round of funding.Navipoint Genomics LLC will receive $175,000, Praedictus Climate Solutions will receive $125,000, and RiMO Therapeutics will receive $250,000, the Fund announced Thursday.These startups were chosen from five that presented to […]
U Illinois Announces Newest Round of POC Recipients, 7 Awards
The Office of Technology Management (OTM) is proud to announce the 2015 awardees of the Illinois Proof-of-Concept Funding Program (I-POC). I-POC funds development projects that will help demonstrate an innovation’s viability to potential investors and partners. 2015 I-POC Award Recipients: This year’s I-POC award recipients were selected from a stellar pool of applicants from colleges […]