Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship

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Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship Official account of the Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. TEC also administers the annual V.

Created in 2000 to highlight the University’s rich history and culture of innovation, TEC continues to inspire its students to become the next generation of world-changing visionaries, leaders, and entrepreneurs. This is accomplished through its courses, venture and product competitions, workshops, and other curricular and extra-curricular events that expose students to the complex concepts inherent in the simultaneous processes of technology innovation and market adoption. The Center offers on-site and online certificate programs for education and professional development and hosts outreach activities for students and alumni. Dale Cozad New Venture Competition and the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Illinois Student Prize for innovation, among several other programs.

7 student startups. $200,000 in funding and prizes One week to go!Selected from more than 100 applications across 35 uni...
10/12/2026

7 student startups. $200,000 in funding and prizes One week to go!

Selected from more than 100 applications across 35 universities, these teams will pitch Oct. 20 at Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge at the Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health — one of the city’s signature gatherings for emerging technology and entrepreneurship hosted by the World Business Chicago.

These student founders rose to the top of more than 100 applications from 35 universities. Launched last year, the Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge aims to foster the next generation of entrepreneurs, providing a platform for student startups to accelerate their growth and impact.

2026 Finalists
🔹 Aura Life Science (University of Chicago) engineers photosynthetic microbes that turn light and carbon dioxide into protein, with a carbon-negative footprint and projected costs up to 75% lower than conventional production.
🔸 Graphonos Materials Inc. Materials (University of Pittsburgh) produces battery-grade graphite from domestic ethane with more than 90% lower greenhouse gas emissions.
🔹 Kalman Space (Purdue University) lowers the cost of satellite star-tracking cameras by shifting the hard work from hardware to software.
🔸 Kestrel Robotics LLC (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) builds the Omnidrone, an eight-rotor drone that moves without tilting and serves as a testbed for spacecraft.
🔹 NerView Surgical (McMaster University) is developing NerveSense, real-time imaging that lets surgeons see peripheral nerves without dyes or contact.
🔸 Rapid Analytix Division (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) gives cement and concrete producers a reactivity measurement in about five minutes instead of weeks.
🔹 TopCited AI (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) helps brands shape how AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini describe and recommend them.

You can also the semifinalist teams the next morning at Reinventing Industry: Future of Health, a companion breakfast hosted by TechNexus Venture Collaborative.
Request to join: https://luma.com/bfwvyyfa

“What an incredible showcase of entrepreneurial talent! These seven outstanding teams, together with an exceptional panel of judges, highlight the strength and excitement of university-driven innovation. Events like this reinforce Chicago’s growing reputation as a premier destination for entrepreneurship and innovation. We’re especially grateful to our terrific partners at World Business Chicago for helping us bring this talent, expertise and opportunity together,” said John Thode, director of entrepreneurship at Discovery Partners Institute.

Thank you to our sponsors Cooley LLP, Caruso Ventures and University of Illinois Research Park's EnterpriseWorks, and to our partners at World Business Chicago.

Read the full story: https://landuyt.illinois.edu/news/92323

Join us for a fireside chat on Monday, Sept. 28, to learn more about how three-time "decacorn" entrepreneur Dan Caruso b...
09/21/2026

Join us for a fireside chat on Monday, Sept. 28, to learn more about how three-time "decacorn" entrepreneur Dan Caruso built industry-defining companies and navigated the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship.

Register now: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/697042611

The Grainger College of Engineering
Beckman Institute at Illinois
Mechanical Science and Engineering at Illinois

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Landuyt Center Launch! It was energizing to welcome students back to campus and ...
09/18/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Landuyt Center Launch! It was energizing to welcome students back to campus and celebrate a new year of entrepreneurship at Illinois.

Couldn't make it? There's more ahead this fall — including a fireside chat with three-time decacorn founder Dan Caruso on Sept. 28 and Founders Week, Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.

Sign up for upcoming events and don't miss the deadline to apply for the Silicon Valley Entrepreneurship Workshop: https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/59/1646538659.html

We are thrilled to announce that the Landuyt Center has established a permanent base at the Discovery Partners Institute...
09/03/2026

We are thrilled to announce that the Landuyt Center has established a permanent base at the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) in Chicago, creating a direct channel connecting our university's research and student talent to Chicago's investors, alumni, and corporate partners.

Leading the charge in Chicago: John Thode, newly named DPI Director of Entrepreneurship.

The Landuyt Center is also announcing the formation of its Board of Advisors, bringing together leading founders, investors and entrepreneurs spanning Chicago, Silicon Valley and beyond — including The Grainger College of Engineering alumni Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube, and Martin Eberhard, co-founder of Tesla, alongside Rick Landuyt, an entrepreneur who built and sold multiple technology companies and whose $20 million cumulative commitment gave the center its new name in April 2026.

Find out more: https://landuyt.illinois.edu/news/89031

08/25/2026

A University of Illinois spinout company, Auvi Labs, has developed a new wearable device designed to warn dialysis patients when their access point begins to fail. The project started as Li’s senior Capstone Innovation at Carle Illinois College of Medicine, where medical students lead cross-discip...

08/19/2026

From University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to the heart of Chicago: that’s the Illinois entrepreneurship pipeline in action.

Cara Bognar (Class of 2024, Bioengineering) built Top Tier Lessons with mentors, funding and support from the thriving entrepreneurship community at the U. of I.

This could be your launchpad! Register for the Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge. Pitch to top investors and compete for a share of up to $200,000 in prizes.

The challenge will take place on Oct. 20 as part of the Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health in Chicago. Registration is due on Sept. 14. Click the link in the bio to register.

Have a deep tech innovation? Turn it into a company.TE 598: Accelerating Deep Tech Enterprises is a two-session academic...
08/13/2026

Have a deep tech innovation? Turn it into a company.

TE 598: Accelerating Deep Tech Enterprises is a two-session academic startup accelerator built for students ready to commercialize their technology.

Two connected 8-week sessions:

Fall Session — Build Accelerator
You'll learn to:
🔹 Conduct stakeholder interviews and test key business assumptions
🔹 Assess market opportunities and validate customer demand
🔹 Explore co-founder and key hire needs
🔹 Build a team and map a path to commercialization
Teams that complete the fall session are well-positioned to apply for follow-on funding, including I-Corps Great Lakes Hub Boost (up to $3,000), National I-Corps Teams Program (up to $50,000), and Cozad New Venture Challenge's Later-Stage Track.

Spring Session — Launch Accelerator
You'll learn to:
🔹 Navigate go-to-market strategy and demand generation
🔹 Manage operations, risk and capital planning
🔹 Build a pre-seed fundraising plan and prepare SBIR grant applications
Spring teams also receive $50,000+ in non-dilutive funding and access to campus innovation spaces, research labs and maker spaces.

Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/geexf3XJ

Led by John Thode and a team of entrepreneurial instructors with real founder experience.

Spend winter break in Mumbai, India, one of the world’s most dynamic hubs for entrepreneurship, technology and social in...
08/11/2026

Spend winter break in Mumbai, India, one of the world’s most dynamic hubs for entrepreneurship, technology and social innovation!

Through TE 298, engineering students gain hands-on exposure to how innovation happens across continents.

What You’ll Experience:
🔶 Visits with startups, entrepreneurs and innovation hubs
🔷 Interactive workshops and discussions
🔶 Team-based exploration of global innovation challenges
🔷 Cultural immersion in one of the world’s most vibrant cities

What You’ll Gain:
🔶 Global perspectives on engineering and entrepreneurship
🔷 Experience collaborating on a Grainger Engineering x IITB design team
🔶 New ways of thinking about innovation, teamwork and entrepreneurial leadership

Who Should Apply?
🔶 Engineering students curious about entrepreneurship and innovation
🔷 Students seeking a short-term international experience
🔶 Anyone interested in global engineering, design and impact

Learn more and apply: https://app.studyabroad.illinois.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=12179

The Grainger College of Engineering

07/29/2026

Entrepreneurship is for everyone, which is why Gies Business is proud to offer a new entrepreneurship minor, open to undergraduates in all University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign colleges!

Managed by the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship at Gies Business, the minor was created in partnership with The Grainger College of Engineering to prepare learners to innovate in any setting and tap into the entrepreneurial ecosystem of one of the world’s premier public universities.

Learn more: https://go.illinois.edu/EntrepreneurshipMinor

Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship

A new chapter for Midwest innovation officially began on June 23 in San Francisco! Five deep tech startups from the Univ...
06/25/2026

A new chapter for Midwest innovation officially began on June 23 in San Francisco!

Five deep tech startups from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign took the stage at the inaugural Midwest Deep Tech Demo Day, pitching to more than 150 investors representing over $110 billion in capital.

The Midwest Deep Tech Demo Day showcased 40 early-stage startups from Third Coast Foundry's eight partner universities.

The event was part of the official launch of Third Coast Foundry, a new innovation hub established by eight leading Midwestern research universities to connect research-driven startups with the investors, partners and networks they need to scale — while keeping talent and economic impact rooted in the Midwest.

Read the full announcement: https://landuyt.illinois.edu/news/86372

Gies College of Business
The Grainger College of Engineering
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
University of Illinois Research Park

Address

Room 351, Coordinated Science Laboratory, MC-227 1308 W Main Street
Urbana, IL
61801

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

Telephone

(217)2443124

Website

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