UndergradVCCampus startup funding, verified and compared
Sign in

Sponsorship

Featured partner placement

Sponsor University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign once and your brand appears on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign page and across every one of its programs and student-startup pages — not just this page.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois·University

Visit official siteFind your best fit
Pitch competitionsIncubatorVenture fund

At a glance

Indexed programs

15

15 currently active

Top direct funding

No direct cash prizes indexed

Equity

Mixed equity terms

Program mix

10

Student Club · Accelerator · Pitch Competition

Research verdict

Research in progress.

Programs to explore

Compare funding, equity, and timing before you apply.

15 programs indexed

Known startups and winners

Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.

See every startup

Auvi Labs

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · TE 598: Accelerating Deep Tech Enterprises

Program portfolio

Wearable kidney-disease monitor; TE 598 deep-tech accelerator team that advanced to mHUB Chicago (UIUC).

EarthSense

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Illinois Ventures

Program portfolio

Autonomous agricultural robots (TerraSentia); Illinois Ventures portfolio company and UIUC research spinout.

Excelsior Sciences

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Illinois Ventures

Program portfolio

Small-molecule therapeutics company that raised a $70M Series A; Illinois Ventures portfolio company (UIUC).

Mesh++

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Cozad New Venture Challenge

Competition winner

Solar-powered mesh broadband nodes; Cozad New Venture Challenge winner and Illinois Ventures portfolio company (UIUC).

Phraze

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · BuildIllinois

Student venture

AI education translation venture; BuildIllinois founder community alumnus (UIUC).

Revolution Medicines

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Illinois Ventures

Program portfolio

Cancer therapeutics company; Illinois Ventures portfolio company (UIUC), now publicly traded.

Sun King

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Cozad New Venture Challenge

Notable alumni outcome

Off-grid solar energy products for emerging markets ($2.5B valuation); Cozad New Venture Challenge alumnus (UIUC).

Trala

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Cozad New Venture Challenge

Competition winner

AI-powered violin/music learning platform; Cozad New Venture Challenge winner and iVenture Accelerator participant (UIUC).

UncertIA

$125,000

prize won

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Cozad New Venture Challenge

Competition winner

AI-powered energy management; $125,000 winner at Cozad New Venture Challenge 2026, with a SAFE from Pear VC (UIUC).

Historical winners (research notes)
  • Sun King — Solar energy products for off-grid communities ($2.5B valuation, Cozad NVC alum)
  • Trala — Music education platform (Cozad NVC winner, iVenture participant)
  • Mesh++ — Solar-powered broadband nodes (Cozad NVC winner, Illinois Ventures portfolio)
  • UncertIA — AI-powered energy management ($125K Cozad 2026 winner, SAFE from Pear VC)
  • Revolution Medicines — Cancer therapeutics (Illinois Ventures portfolio)
  • EarthSense — Autonomous agricultural robots (Illinois Ventures portfolio)
  • Excelsior Sciences — Small-molecule therapeutics ($70M Series A, Illinois Ventures)
  • Auvi Labs — Wearable kidney disease monitor (TE 598 → mHub Chicago)
  • Phraze — AI education translation (BuildIllinois alum)
  • C16 Biosciences — 2026 Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional winner

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

UIUC is a public land-grant research university in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, with approximately 56,000 students. Its entrepreneurship ecosystem is one of the most comprehensive among public universities, featuring dual central hubs — the Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship (Grainger Engineering, $20M endowment) and the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship (Gies College of Business) — plus a top-5 university venture capital firm, a major incubator, and exceptionally strong student programming.

Ecosystem Overview

  • Central hubs: Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship (Engineering) + Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship (Business)
  • Student accelerator: iVenture Accelerator (up to $20K non-dilutive, 164 ventures, $1B+ EV)
  • Pitch competition: Cozad New Venture Challenge ($700K+ prizes, $100K grand prize, 350+ teams)
  • Incubator: EnterpriseWorks (350+ companies since 2003, $1.4B raised, $3M state grant for expansion)
  • Venture fund: Illinois Ventures (125+ companies, $2.7B raised, $100K-$750K investments)
  • Student VC fund: Orange & Blue Ventures (launching Fall 2026, first at UIUC)
  • Student organizations: BuildIllinois (1,000+ members), Zero2One VC (student-run incubator)
  • Innovation district: Research Park (120+ companies, 2,100+ employees, $1.4B VC raised)
  • Tech transfer: Office of Technology Management (60+ active startups, IP-Linc, Proof of Concept up to $50K)

Assessment

Recommendation: Include Tier: 1 Confidence: High Key Factors: Dual-hub ecosystem ($20M Landuyt Center + Origin Ventures Office), $700K+ pitch competition (Cozad), 350+ company incubator (EnterpriseWorks), $2.7B university venture fund (Illinois Ventures), $20K non-dilutive student accelerator (iVenture), first student VC fund launching 2026 (Orange & Blue Ventures), 120+ company Research Park, strong tech transfer (60+ active startups).

News & articles

9 news articles and official sources documenting entrepreneurship programs, winners, and activity at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

9 sources

Official sources(8)

OfficialPrimary Official

Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship at UIUC

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Published 2026-07-13
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship at UIUC

Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship official website (formerly Technology Entrepreneur Center). $20M+ endowment from Richard and Gayle Landuyt. Houses Cozad NVC, ILEE dual-degree, certificates, and TE 598 deep tech accelerator.

Read on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

UndergradVC summary

This profile lists 15 programs for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Some details may be outdated until a director verifies them.

Claim & correct this page·Takes about 5 minutes — no payment required.