Innovate Illinois Finalists Announced at WIRED NextFest

Twelve of the state’s most innovative entrepreneurial companies compete for $100,000 in grant money

CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s entrepreneurial innovation competition, Innovate Illinois, brought together 32 companies from across the state for the program’s semifinals round on September 26. Twelve companies were selected by a panel of judges to advance to the finals on November 18 where they will compete for $100,000 in prize money. The finalists were announced at WIRED NextFest, the premier showcase of global innovations transforming our world, presented by Wired Magazine, in Millennium Park in Chicago on September 26.

Finalists are preparing for the last leg of the competition where they will present their innovations to a new panel of judges. Finalists are divided in two categories: early stage, a company with an idea for an innovative product, service or process; and later stage, a company that recently implemented an innovative product, service or process. The two top honorees at the finals will each receive a $40,000 cash prize, and the two runners-up will each receive a $10,000 second place prize. The finals will occur on November 18 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center. The Innovate Illinois program is administered jointly by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, an affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, which works to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurial companies. To learn more about the program, visit www.innovateillinois.org.

The 2008 Innovate Illinois finalists are:

Early Stage Finalists

Ag-Defense Systems (Peoria) provides tools and services that can protect the national and international food supply from pathogen contamination and bioterriorism. Ag-Defense is working on hand-held technology that will allow users the ability to monitor food items on site and receive real-time results. The portable BioSage device can be used to detect viruses, fungus, bacteria and parasites within minutes.
Autonomic Materials, Inc. (Champaign) develops and markets coatings and composite additive products designed to automatically repair damage to materials. By healing damages at the nano-scale, the self-healing technology could extend the lifetime of materials.
Clipius Technologies’ (Murphysboro), subsidiary Clipius Spine, creates antimicrobial coatings for spinal implants and instrumentation. Two types of novel coatings are being investigated. One is a customized silica-based coating, while the other is a novel diamond-based coating.
Harrison Custom Harmonicas (Chicago) is an innovative and progressive producer of customized, professional quality harmonicas. Harrison uses patent-pending reed technology coupled with patent-pending designs to solve the production problems many of its competitors have. There are no other harmonica manufacturers in the world producing the reeds that Harrison does.
SanoGene Therapeutics, Inc. (Chicago) utilizes breakthrough RNA interference technology to develop biopharmaceutical products for incurable cancers. The company’s patent-pending platform technology exploits a natural mechanism of preventing gene activity to ultimately stop tumor progression, block tissue invasion, and promote cancer cell death. SanoGene will employ its proprietary technology to develop its lead candidate, SG-1311, for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, the most deadly form of brain cancer.
Vesseltek BioMedical (Chicago) is a start-up medical device company commercializing new vascular devices for use on patients that undergo procedures with a high risk of blood vessel blockage. The company’s leading product will consist of a biocompatible, clot-resistant vascular graft that will release, in a controlled manner, compounds that inhibit clotting and vessel scarring.

Later Stage Finalists

Balanced IT Solutions (South Beloit) works directly with airlines to make sure the airline is using its software and hardware to the fullest extent possible. The company also works on homeland security issues to create integrated response systems. Balanced IT Solutions’ innovation is its recently launched software that will allow airlines to go to paperless employee manuals – saving time and money.
CallPod, Inc. (Chicago) is an emerging technology company that has created and patented unique audio conferencing and content sharing technologies for wireless consumer electronic devices and cellular telephones. CallPod became a finalists for its lineup of new products, which includes: Dragon, a Bluetooth headset that allows users to be 250 feet from their cell phones; Chargepod, which charges six devices at the same time; Phoenix, the first mobile conferencing device; and Drone, a Bluetooth USB antenna for computers.
EVT, LLC (Springfield) designs, manufactures and installs diesel-electric propulsion systems. EVT’s design innovation is a direct drive, synchronous motor that eliminates the need for any form of mechanical operation, such as gearboxes or transmissions. EVT used the latest in material science, major advancements in electromagnetism and inexpensive controls and sensors to create this new motor.
Kim Laboratories (Champaign) researches, develops and markets innovative diagnostic systems for the detection of food borne pathogens, such as salmonella and E. coli, and especially norovirus, which is the leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. Kim Laboratories has found an antigen that is common to all 150 norovirus genotypes and has developed a method to produce antibodies against this antigen, which will allow the company to detect all 150 strains.
NICA Corporation (Wood River) has an innovation called Fiber-LOOP, which is designed to recycle carpeting. Small amounts of carpeting are generally not recycled because the scraps cost too much to recycle. NICA’s recycle sleeve collects small pieces of carpet making them easier to ship and recycle. With carpet accounting for about 10 percent of the nation’s landfill space, this could be the largest landfill diversion project in American history.
Salare Security (Chicago) develops and markets VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) security appliances and OEM (original equipment manufacturer) security software for use in IT infrastructures supporting all types of enterprises. Salare’s innovation is licensed by the Illinois Institute of Technology and stops data such as trade secrets and product plans from flowing through a VoIP network.

Across the state, over 130 companies applied to the 2008 Innovate Illinois program. From there, 32 companies were selected by the state’s Entrepreneurship Centers to participate in the semifinals. Semifinalist companies in the later stage of development include: Alter EatGo (Chicago), Dream 2 Enterprise (Galesburg), Froet Industries (Sterling), Independent Forensics (Hillside), Kevin W. McClain Investigations, Ltd. (Centralia), Liquid Potions, LLC (Herrin), OIC Group, Inc. (Peoria), Professional Swine Management (Carthage), The Music Connection, Inc. (Orland Park) , and Therapeutic Proteins (Deerfield). Semifinalists in the early stage include: Communications Made Easy (Rochester), Comp Cost Solutions Cooperative Marketing Company, LLC (Mattoon), EcoThermics (Peoria), Hydrodynamics Tech (Collinsville), Midwest GIS (Quincy), Nureicell (St. Charles), Prairie Godmothers LLC (Flossmoor), Prairieland Investment Group, LLC (Carthage), SoCore Energy (Chicago), and Stone Medical (Moline).

The Entrepreneurship Centers which nominated the semifinalists are part of Governor Blagojevich’s small business services system called the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN). The IEN was created to strengthen the state’s capacity to develop small businesses into market successes and help entrepreneurship act as a more dynamic engine of growth. IEN partners, which offer varying levels of expertise and access to services, include: Entrepreneurship Centers, Small Business Development Centers, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, International Trade Centers, NAFTA Opportunity Centers, Manufacturing Extension Centers and Illinois Technology Enterprise Centers. Gov. Blagojevich launched the IEN Web site, www.ienconnect.com, which features a free business needs assessment and a referral within 24 hours for personalized, face-to-face assistance. Entrepreneurs can also call toll-free 1-800-252-2923.

Over the past four years, through the IEN, the Governor has invested nearly $47 million that has helped small companies generate almost $3.5 billion in government contracts and international sales and secure more than $682.2 million in financing. The Network has provided counseling and training to more than 301,900 clients across the state. The 19 Entrepreneurship Centers statewide, which make up one vital component of the IEN, provide expertise and grant funding to assist entrepreneurs or small businesses with obtaining professional services for comprehensive business plan assistance, evaluation of a proposed start-up or expansion or other accelerated support purposes. The E-Centers have awarded more than $3.1 million in matching challenge grants to over 562 companies, which has leveraged another $284 million in investments.

The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) is a nonprofit affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce that seeks to make a perceptible and lasting economic impact on the Chicagoland region by helping entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses build viable, sustainable, and profitable enterprises. The CEC works with entrepreneurs to create and sustain opportunities for business success, job growth, and profitability.