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Polsky-Supported Startups Honored Among Chicago’s Hottest Innovators

An annual list spotlighting the 50 hottest innovators in Chicago featured an impressive eight ventures with roots in the Polsky Center or the University of Chicago. Chicago Inno’s Seventh Annual…
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NVC Alum Tovala Raises $30 Million in Latest Funding Round

The meal service company and countertop smart oven, Tovala, has closed a $30 million Series C funding round – with plans to open a new production facility and build out…
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Smart Ovens Make Baking Easy for Everyone

A Look Back on the History of Tovala: How an Idea for Fresher and Quicker Meals Became a $11M-Backed Venture

By Xiaohe Grace Gu One Sunday afternoon, when David Rabie, MBA ’15, was trying to make food for the whole week, he realized that he was using four different appliances.…
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Can ‘Smart Oven’ Tovala Avoid the Fate of Juicero?

I was talking to a Chicago VC a couple months ago about a handful of Chicago startups, and I asked him if his firm invested in Tovala, a local startup…
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Taste Test: The Oven That Makes Dinner Without You

Attention, people too tuckered out to make dinner and anyone who eats way too much Chipotle: There’s now an oven that will cook you a fresh meal—pretty much on its…
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Living the Silicon Valley Dream. In Chicago.

I’m from California. I love sunshine, hiking trails and blueberries in the winter. So in late 2015, when my company, Tovala, was accepted into Y Combinator after two years of…
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Kicked into Gear: 6 Chicago Startups That Saw Success Through Crowdfunding

Great ideas are just the first step to building a great product, but getting funding is the real hurdle in turning your idea into a reality. While you could turn…
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Dishing Up Dinner and Fixing Democracy: These Were Our Favorite Launches in 2016

It's been a crazy year, Chicago! As December rapidly draws to a close, we wanted to take some time to look back and consider some of our favorite company and…

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