Managed by the Polsky Center, the George Shultz Innovation Fund provides up to $250,000 in investment funding for early stage tech ventures coming out of University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, and the Marine Biological Laboratory.
To date, the Innovation Fund has invested in more than 90 companies. Notable companies launched with the fund’s support include ExplORer Surgical, acquired by Global Healthcare Exchange; Super.Tech, acquired by ColdQuanta; OrisDx, which won the 2022 New Venture Challenge; Flow Medical, which recently secured $5 million in seed funding; and Alnair Therapeutics, which closed an oversubscribed $1+ million pre-seed funding round.
The core mission of the Innovation Fund is to help scientific founders turn their innovations into ventures that advance cutting-edge technologies, generate significant financial returns, and create lasting impact for humankind.