iVenture Accelerator welcomes sixth cohort

The University of Illinois’ iVenture Accelerator – powered by Gies College of Business – has announced its new cohort of 11 promising student startups. iVenture’s sixth cohort welcomes 39 students representing 22 fields of study across eight colleges on the University of Illinois campus including Gies College of Business, The Grainger College of Engineering, Education, Liberal Arts & Sciences, ACES, Graduate College, Information Sciences, and Fine & Applied Arts. This year, iVenture has started remotely with great success; the online format has provided students more freedom, more clarity, and more support in this online format than ever before.

“The sixth cohort of the iVenture Accelerator was selected from a deeply competitive pool of 40 different student-led ventures,” said Manu Edakara, director of the iVenture Program. “While COVID-19 has proven extremely challenging in terms of providing instruction and helping these young innovators build, it has also led to a deep sense of community as members from all five previous cohorts of iVenture have come together virtually to help nurture and grow the newest class of Illinois changemakers.”

This year’s 11 ventures include:

• AgriWater Tech Consulting.AgriWater Tech’s zero-waste ionizer devices purify water while conducting real-time data analysis on water quality – helping farmers increase yield, save money, and meet clean water standards. 
• Campus Ventures. Campus Ventures connects university admissions teams to high-achieving highschoolers they want, but struggle to recruit – especially first-generation and underrepresented minority groups.
• CamUX.CamUX’s eye-tracking wearable makes seamless computer and device control possible for everyone, including those with limited motor skills.
• FastTrack.FastTrack is a community-based marketplace where musicians can collaborate with a team of music industry ninjas to refine their work and pursue their passion as their career.
• JustTrue.JustTrue’s browser extension personalizes your internet to put your priorities first, adding filters and contextualized data to combat manipulative or exploitative content.
• Karma Trade.Karma Trade’s redistribution service lets you instantly swap your old clothing for certified used clothes you love, saving money and having an amazing shopping experience.
• Medius Ventures.Medius Ventures is a media holding company that builds niche digital publications and helps its clients communicate better stories with strategic messaging and content that sells.
• NASADYA. NASADYA solves the growing problem of variability management in the energy grid for power plants by converting costly excess energy into valuable hydrogen.
• Natrion.Natrion’s safer and more affordable large-scale batteries will make sustainable energy cost-effective for homes, farms, and military applications.
• TAVO.TAVO is developing a SmartAlarm wristband that wakes users in light sleep to promote a productive and energetic morning.
• VRtuMind.VRtuMind’s personalized technology for mental health – audio, AR, and VR – helps young adults develop mindful habits in a world engineered for distraction.

Over the past six years since its founding, iVenture has provided financing, work space, mentoring, and other resources for more than 240 student entrepreneurs and 81 different ventures. What makes the iVenture program radically different from its counterparts is its commitment to diversity and its no-strings-attached support. Unlike other university accelerators, iVenture takes no equity from these budding companies.