The Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business has announced the student teams selected to participate in this year’s iVenture Accelerator. iVenture’s 12th cohort consists of 30 students across 15 teams (13 current student companies and two alumni companies), at least eight of which are building artificial intelligence solutions.

iVenture Accelerator is an immersive program for student founders from across the University of Illinois System that accelerates growth with a full-time summer sprint and 11 months of continuous education throughout the academic year. Participants receive the time, space, resources, and mentorship needed to turn their ideas into scalable ventures. iVenture supports ventures creating tech, social, commercial, or cultural value.

For the second straight year, the iVenture Accelerator is incubating at TechNexus in downtown Chicago, offering students direct exposure to the Chicago entrepreneurial ecosystem.

"We're thrilled to be back in Chicago,” said iVenture Director Manu Edakara. “Cohort 12 reflects everything we've been building toward: serving the full University of Illinois System (with two University of Illinois Chicago companies in the cohort), deepening our connection to Chicago's welcoming entrepreneurial ecosystem of successful founders, investors, and communities, and putting our founders at the center of what's happening in technology by learning through venturing in a global city."

A snapshot of the 15 teams in this year’s iVenture cohort:

• AssistHer: Connecting women through peer-led skill-share sessions hosted in community-driven spaces
• Atomic Metrix: Empowering athletes with an AI-powered coaching agent that delivers personalized, data-driven sports training
• BackBuddy (pictured): Protecting high-risk dog breeds with a wearable spinal device that absorbs impact from everyday jumps to prevent Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) injuries
• Innovative Independence: Designing assistive technology products that improve independence, safety, and quality of life for people with disabilities
• Jvala: Predicting chronic condition flares before they happen, turning passive symptom tracking into proactive health intelligence
• LaneTrax (iV11): Transforming any iPhone into a pro-level bowling tracking system that delivers precise shot analytics and performance insights instantly
• Lingcore: Activating vocabulary people already know by turning passive recognition into confident reading, writing, and speaking with adaptive AI
• MailWand: Organizing high-volume inboxes into personalized priorities, actions, and workflows with an AI-native layer on top of Gmail and Outlook
• Movorra: Streamlining corporate mobility operations with an AI-powered operating system built for enterprise travel management
• Phraze (iV10): Translating video content into multiple languages in just a few clicks, eliminating language barriers for creators and global audiences
• PromoPigeon: Automating proofing, order entry, and data management for promotional product suppliers using purpose-built AI agents
• SceneSafe: Reducing first responder burnout with an AI-powered real-time documentation assistant that saves time and increases revenue
• Scribe: Accelerating peer review with an AI manuscript analysis tool that helps reviewers evaluate research faster and more thoroughly
• Signwise AI: Prioritizing the right CRM leads at the right time with an AI-powered decision support system for sales teams
• Zephyr: Eliminating skating's biggest hassles — bulky boards, difficult storage, and theft risk — with a secure, portable board solution.

Over iVenture’s first 11 years, 164 teams have participated and some have incubated in highly respected programs like Y Combinator, HAX, and Techstars. iVenture teams have raised more than $160 million, crossed $1 billion in enterprise value (including exits), and created nearly 1,000 full-time jobs and internships.

“iVenture Accelerator represents all that is great about the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the University of Illinois,” said Melissa Graebner, Robert C. Evans Endowed Professor in Business and Associate Dean of Entrepreneurship at Gies Business. “It brings together the incredible resources, alumni connections, and evidence-based education to help these young founders create social and economic value. It’s also very exciting to see these students leaning into AI and exploring the good this technology can bring to the world.”

About Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship
The Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship is made possible by a nearly $5 million gift from the REAM Foundation, a private family foundation, which since 2007 has awarded more than $30 million in grants supporting arts and culture, health and wellness, and education. This investment is made in honor of Steve Miller (BA '87), a member of REAM’s board of directors. Additional support was generously provided by Gies alumnus Bruce N. Barron (ACCY '77), who co-founded Origin Ventures with Miller. 

The Origin Ventures Office is the front door for entrepreneurship at Gies College of Business. The office makes entrepreneurship more accessible and inclusive for students, fostering their curiosity and connecting them to resources and life-changing experiential opportunities. It leverages faculty research – the science of entrepreneurship – to create and share knowledge that drives business practices forward and elevates awareness of Gies entrepreneurship across campus, the nation, and the world.

About Gies College of Business
Gies College of Business provides a world-class educational experience for the next generation of business leaders. For more than 100 years, the College has delivered on the promise of innovation in business education, with a commitment to cutting-edge curriculum design and delivery, exceptional experiential learning opportunities, and unparalleled academic excellence. Today, Gies faculty prepare more than 11,000 on-campus and online learners to be at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the global economy.