CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced the two winners and two runners-up in the 2008 Innovate Illinois entrepreneurial innovation competition. These companies were selected to receive cash prizes to help them commercialize their product or service. The winners are: Harrison Custom Harmonicas from Chicago and CallPod, Inc., from Chicago. The runners-up are: Clipius Technologies from Murphysboro and Kim Laboratories from Champaign.
“For Illinois to remain competitive in an increasingly global economy, we must support businesses that are willing to take risks with new ideas,” said Governor Blagojevich. “The Innovate Illinois awards will help these companies create jobs and bring revolutionary new products and services to the market. Their innovations are helping to build a more vibrant and prosperous economy.”
The two top honorees at the finals each received $40,000, and the two runners-up each received $10,000. The finals, which were held yesterday at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, brought together 12 companies from throughout the state. Each company had 10 minutes (five minutes for the presentation and five minutes to answer questions) to present to a panel of judges. Thirty-two companies were selected for the semifinals, held September 26.
“More than 130 companies applied to this competition,” said David Weinstein, president of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC). “All of them are either planning or implementing innovative products, services or processes that will have a lasting economic effect on Illinois.”
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Jack Lavin said, “Innovate Illinois is one of several programs in the state that was created to help funnel some of the innovative products and services that are being developed by promising Illinois entrepreneurs into the marketplace, creating jobs and helping to build the Illinois economy. I am pleased to join our partners at the CEC in honoring these individuals today.”
The Innovate Illinois program is administered jointly by DCEO and the CEC, which works to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurial companies. To learn more about the program, visit www.innovateillinois.org.
The 2008 Innovate Illinois winners are:
Early Stage (a company with an idea for an innovative product, service or process)
Harrison Custom Harmonicas produces 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.
Later Stage (a company that recently implemented an innovative product, service or process)
CallPod, Inc. 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 finalist 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.
The 2008 Innovate Illinois runners-up are:
Early Stage
Clipius Technologies’ 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.
Later Stage
Kim Laboratories 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.
The 2008 Innovate Illinois finalists are:
Early Stage: Ag-Defense Systems, Peoria; Autonomic Materials, Inc., Champaign; SanoGene Therapeutics, Inc., Chicago; and Vesseltek BioMedical, Chicago
Later Stage: Balanced IT Solutions, South Beloit; EVT, LLC, Springfield; NICA Corporation, Wood River; and Salare Security, Chicago.
Governor Blagojevich combined all of the small business services under an integrated system, known as the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN), 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. Governor 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 also can call toll-free 1-800-252-2923.
Over the past four years, through the IEN, the Governor has invested nearly $47 million, which 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 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.