Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship

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.

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.

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

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

06/24/2026

06/24/2026