SmartSpark Energy Systems in $6.5M Dept. of Energy and Sandia Project

University of Illinois startup company SmartSpark Energy Systems won a contract to develop hardware designed to facilitate the mainstream adoption of solar energy in the United States.

The company will participate in the Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) program which is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories. SmartSpark was awarded a stage one feasibility study contract of a possible three-year, three-phase project worth up to $6.25M. Read more

Miscanthus can meet U.S. biofuels goal using less land than corn or switchgrass

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In the largest field trial of its kind in the United States, researchers have determined that the giant perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus outperforms current biofuels sources – by a lot. Using Miscanthus as a feedstock for ethanol production in the U.S. could significantly reduce the acreage dedicated to biofuels while meeting government biofuels production goals, the researchers report. Read more

The Next Big Sound

The Next Big Sound, a startup company created by students out Northwestern, have built a cool site that helps unsigned artists gain listeners, create a following, and make money. Users can also play the role of a recording mogul by creating their own label and signing artists that register and submit their music to the site.

A Quick Report from the iVentures10 Demo Day 2008

I just returned from the iVentures10 demo day and walked away very impressed.

iVentures10 is a summer program designed to give emerging computer science students entrepreneurs the capital and leadership resources necessary to rapidly prototype and release their first products.  The 2008 program featured 3 student teams from Illinois, one from Northwestern and one from Stanford. Read more