April 13, 2018
The very first of the CBC Phase 2 initiatives — the CBC Accelerator Network (CBCAN) — recognized among “Illinois’ Growing Startup Resources”!
The Spring 2018 Illinois Innovation Index, recently published by the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) and titled: “University Entrepreneurship Index: Startup Activity Reaches New Heights,” highlights a variety of university-driven entrepreneurial efforts in Illinois. All three CBC universities are recognized as important components of the economic development and innovation in Illinois. CBC is proud to share that one of the initiatives developed in the CBC Phase 2 — the CBC Accelerator Network (CBCAN) — is mentioned in the report as a member of the “Illinois’ network of organizations and initiatives dedicated to supporting and funding entrepreneurs.” Launched in early 2017, CBCAN is now an established forum regularly bringing together industry experts, university tech transfer officers, researchers and others from the local and extended biomedical ecosystem to help promising discoveries that may have commercial potential move forward in the pipeline towards commercialization.
Illinois’ Growing Startup Resources
Illinois Innovation Index, Spring 2018 I By Illinois Science & Technology Coalition I April 9, 2018
Over the past decade, universities in Illinois have created and grown their own vibrant startup ecosystems. These ecosystems are anchored by university-managed incubators and entrepreneurial hubs—including Bradley University’s Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, Illinois State University’s Means Center, Illinois Tech’s UTP Incubator, Northern Illinois University’s Eiger Lab, Northwestern’s Garage, Southern Illinois University’s Research Park and Small Business Development Center, University of Chicago’s Polsky Center, University of Illinois at Chicago’s Office of Technology Management, University of Illinois Springfield iSPI incubator, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s EnterpriseWorks incubator. In addition, the new Illinois University Incubator Network (IUIN) supports incubators and entrepreneurial ecosystems associated with higher education across Illinois. The communities of entrepreneurship built around these university resources have been pivotal to the growth of startup activity in Illinois.
More than ever before, university-supported startups in Illinois are also able to connect directly with an ecosystem of incubators, accelerators, capital, and talent once they leave campus. This includes Illinois’ network of organizations and initiatives dedicated to supporting and funding entrepreneurs. Growing resources include 1871, BLUE1647, Built in Chicago, Catapult Chicago, ChicagoNEXT, Future Founders, ICNC, Illinois Technology Association, mHUB, TechNexus, Techstars, UI LABS, and many more. Industry-specific resources include 2112, CBC Accelerator Network (CBCAN), Chicago Innovation Mentors, Clean Energy Trust, Current, Energy Foundry, iBIO Institute, MATTER, and The Hatchery. The developing pipeline between universities and these entrepreneurial resources helps ensure consistent support for startups once they leave campus, while also improving startup retention in Illinois.
Source:
Adapted (with modifications) from Illinois Innovation Index, Spring 2018, published on April 9, 2018.
See more:
▸ CBC Accelerator Network (CBCAN)