Illinois · Regional map

Illinois Student Startup Map

4 schools, 47 entrepreneurship programs, and 46 student ventures across Illinois — 0 with direct funding indexed.

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Illinois schools

Compare entrepreneurship ecosystems across Illinois side by side.

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

university9 programs

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

university16 programs

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

university15 programs

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

university8 programs

Student startups in IL

Founders building at Illinois schools — add yours to be discovered by program directors and alumni investors.

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SchoolProgram typeCompetition resultPrize won ≥ (USD)Funding sought ≥Funding sought ≤Sort by

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Notable alumni outcomesFaculty spinouts

34 of 46 startups

Slideflow Labs

$575,000

prize won

University of Chicago · Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

Cancer pathology AI company; $575,000 Rattan L. Khosa First Place Prize at the 2026 Edward L. Kaplan New Venture Challenge (UChicago Booth).

Nestera

$560,000

prize won

University of Chicago · Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge

2nd placeCompetition winner

2nd place ($560,000) at the 2026 Edward L. Kaplan New Venture Challenge (UChicago Booth).

Lighthouse Solutions

$200,000

prize won

University of Chicago · John Edwardson, '72, Social New Venture Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

AI decoy agents to fight human trafficking; $200,000 first place at the 2026 Social New Venture Challenge (UChicago).

Phinorm

$185,000

prize won

University of Chicago · Global New Venture Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

Drone classification for defense; $185,000 first place at the 2026 Global New Venture Challenge (UChicago).

Morton Labs

$150,000

prize won

University of Chicago · Global New Venture Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

Computational science for fusion energy; $150,000 first place at the 2026 Global New Venture Challenge (UChicago).

Exactics

$135,000

prize won

University of Chicago · John Edwardson, '72, Social New Venture Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

Rapid Lyme disease test; $135,000 first place at the 2025 Social New Venture Challenge (UChicago).

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).

HaptE

$100,000

prize won

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Grand prizeCompetition winner

Warehouse computer vision startup; $100,000 grand prize winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

Paytera

$85,000

prize won

University of Chicago · College New Venture Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

Peer-to-peer payments for Mexico; $85,000 first place at the 2026 College New Venture Challenge (UChicago).

HydroFlo

$50,000

prize won

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

Smart catheter for hydrocephalus; $50,000 winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

TyphaTex

$20,000

prize won

Loyola University Chicago · Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge

1st placeCompetition winner

Sustainable fashion textiles from cattail plants; $20,000 first place at Loyola's Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge 2023.

Sharing

$15,000

prize won

Loyola University Chicago · Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge

2nd placeCompetition winner

Circular-economy sharing app; $15,000 second place at Loyola's Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge 2023.

Sustainler

$10,000

prize won

Loyola University Chicago · Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge

3rd placeCompetition winner

Sustainable medical devices venture; $10,000 third place at Loyola's Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge 2023.

Nyck AI

$10,000

prize won

Northwestern University · Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Competition winner

AI purchasing workflow platform; $10,000 winner at Northwestern Jumpstart 2025 and $250K Honors Fund recipient.

FeedLogic

$5,000

prize won

Northwestern University · Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Competition winner

Manufacturing data analysis venture; $5,000 winner at Northwestern Jumpstart 2025.

Quarkle

$2,500

prize won

Northwestern University · Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Competition winner

AI editing assistant for fiction writers; $2,500 winner at Northwestern Jumpstart 2025.

nLab

3rd place

placement

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

World's smallest electronics lab; 3rd place at Northwestern VentureCat 2025.

DoseUp

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

GLP-1 tracking app; Consumer Products & Services track winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

EdgeLine

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

Construction design review automation; Energy & Sustainability track winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

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).

Symbia

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

Carbon-neutral leather grown from kombucha; Social Impact track winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

TIKAL

Loyola University Chicago · Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge

Competition winner

Sustainable business venture; Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge winner 2022 and 1871 Women Tech Founders participant (Loyola).

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).

Parasol Medtech

$250,000

prize won

University of Chicago · George Shultz Innovation Fund

Program portfolio

Medical device venture; $250,000 George Shultz Innovation Fund investee 2026 (UChicago).

Signl

$250,000

prize won

University of Chicago · George Shultz Innovation Fund

Program portfolio

$250,000 George Shultz Innovation Fund investee 2026 (UChicago).

StaC12

$250,000

prize won

University of Chicago · George Shultz Innovation Fund

Program portfolio

Diamond semiconductor materials; $250,000 George Shultz Innovation Fund investee 2025 (UChicago).

Theta Neurotech

$200,000

prize won

University of Chicago · George Shultz Innovation Fund

Program portfolio

EEG-based seizure prediction; $200,000 George Shultz Innovation Fund investee 2025 (UChicago).

CavilinQ

$150,000

prize won

University of Chicago · George Shultz Innovation Fund

Program portfolio

Quantum computing hardware; George Shultz Innovation Fund investee ($150K) that raised an $8.8M seed round (UChicago).

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).

Flow Medical

University of Chicago · Harper Court Ventures

Program portfolio

Medical device startup that raised a $5M seed round; Harper Court Ventures portfolio company (UChicago).

Revolution Medicines

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Illinois Ventures

Program portfolio

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

Phraze

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · BuildIllinois

Student venture

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

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