SparkLearn, a learning experience software-as-a-service platform for mobile and deskless workers, announced the closing of its initial pre-seed round, raising $800K. The pre-seed round allows the company to continue to market, develop and scale its operations.
Read MoreHello everyone. My name is Doug, and I am an entrepreneur, with all the bumps, bruises, scars, wins, successes, and everything else that comes with it. Like many of you, my passion for creating something new or improving upon an idea to positively impact the world around me is what drives me. Now, I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to serve as the new Executive Director of Distillery Labs, where I get to support the many entrepreneurs in our region. And I am pretty darn excited to get started!
Read MoregBETA Distillery Labs startup the CLAW announces the groundbreaking innovation that is set to transform the construction industry. This pioneering epoxy applicator is the world's first to utilize a screwing system, replacing the conventional ratcheting mechanism found in current epoxy guns. By harnessing the power of mechanical advantage, efficiency is maximized, and operator effort is minimized, revolutionizing the way epoxy is applied.
Read MoreIt's an exciting time for innovation and entrepreneurship at Manual High School. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of staff, students, and community partners, the school recently hosted its first-ever Pitch Day—an event designed to showcase student-led startups and foster entrepreneurial spirit among our youth.
Read MoreGridMatrix, the leading provider of cloud-based transportation analytics, is proud to announce that the company has partnered with the city of Peoria, Illinois to provide real-time transportation analytics to the city. The powerful insights generated by this deployment will be leveraged by city traffic engineers to optimize the city’s traffic flow and improve safety for vehicles, bicyclists, micromobility users, and pedestrians alike.
Read MoreAfter receiving more than 30 applications from startups across the Greater Peoria Region, gener8tor, a venture firm and accelerator network based in Madison, WI, selected the five companies to participate in Distillery Labs’ next gBETA cohort. These companies are focused on sustainable fashion, targeted online fundraising, animal health, personal health and wellness and applications for artificial intelligence to improve work and personal lives.
Read MoreOn May 22nd, Distillery Labs and Central Illinois Angels co-hosted an enriching event aimed at enhancing investor education in the Greater Peoria region. Titled “Impact Investing Education Forum: Funding Greater Peoria Startups”, this gathering provided an enlightening platform for those considering investing in burgeoning startup businesses.
Read MorePeoria County is happy to announce that six local startups were recently awarded grants of $5000 each through the Start A Business Greater Peoria initiative. Of the six businesses selected, two are minority-owned and two are women-owned. The Peoria County Board allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds to support this program.
Read MoreDistillery Labs is seeking a growth phase Executive Director, a leader for whom a national search will be conducted. As the zero-to-one foundational building blocks are in progress, this executive will oversee the growth and acceleration of Distillery Labs programs, community and corporate engagement, and the building of a broad thriving and supportive community for entrepreneurs and corporate innovators.
Read MoreWe bet a good number of you reading this newsletter are asking yourself, “Shouldn’t Distillery Labs be open by now?” There are days when we ask ourselves the same thing! When we started 2022, we were looking forward to starting to swing some hammers in the summer. Our design was done, and the plans were looking great. All the finances were lined up and available. All we needed to do was gather bids from construction companies, sign some contracts, and get to work. But if you know anyone who has tried to build something – from a backyard shed to a state-of-the-art cancer therapy center – you’ll have heard their woes of skyrocketing prices. That is exactly what hit us.
Read MoreWhen gBETA Distillery Labs first kicked off late 2021, the question lingered — Would there be enough entrepreneurs in the Peoria area ready to take part in a startup accelerator? Three cohorts and 15 companies later, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” The startup accelerator received more than 60 unique applications in its first year – an incredible number for a mid-sized city. Those 15 selected startups received the support of not only the Distillery Labs and gener8tor networks, but from more than 40 unique mentors from Peoria and throughout the country. gBETA Distillery Labs hosted at least five mentor collision events (what we call Mentor Swarms) per program.
Read MoreThe Central Illinois Living Laboratory is the first major program of Distillery Labs, the hub for business startups and entrepreneurs that’s set to open in downtown Peoria next year. By integrating sensors and other technologies into our streets, utilities and public infrastructure, it seeks to create a test bed for new product innovations and solutions to some of Peoria’s biggest challenges. A recent agreement approved by the Peoria City Council may be the first of its kind in Illinois — putting Peoria on the map as a so-called “smart city.”
Read MoreThe Peoria Innovation Hub is now officially redubbed Distillery Labs.
The name is a nod to Peoria's past as the whiskey capital of the world.
"We thought about our own story here in the Peoria region. And you know, you can't really think about Peoria without thinking about our distilling past," said Greater Peoria Economic Development Council CEO Chris Setti.
The former ICC Thomas Building in downtown Peoria is envisioned as an innovation space for small to medium-sized companies getting off the ground.
Setti said that's something the region, which has traditionally been reliant on large employers like Caterpillar, needs.
Read MorePEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Business leaders “gathered” virtually Wednesday to announce a $10 million grant is funding the rebranding of Peoria Innovation Hub.
The innovation and entrepreneurial center will now be called Distillery Lab. It will be located at the Thomas Building in downtown Peoria. Leaders say it will be a “tech, innovation, and incubation community designed to foster opportunity throughout the Peoria region.”
Read MoreThe Peoria Innovation Hub is one step close to becoming a reality. Governor JB Pritzker, joined by several local leaders, officially launched the Peoria Innovation Hub at the its future site at the Thomas Building in downtown Peoria.
The Peoria Innovation Hub will be part of the Illinois Innovation Network, a group of public universities and community colleges that work together to improve the state’s economy through innovation, research, and education. OSF HealthCare, the University of Illinois System, Illinois Central College, and the GPEDC are all working together to help develop the hub.
Read MoreOn Nov. 4, OSF HealthCare joined Illinois Central College, the University of Illinois and the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council in welcoming Governor JB Pritzker to celebrate the launch of the Peoria Innovation Hub, a world-class facility coming to downtown Peoria as part of the larger Illinois Innovation Network.
The Peoria Innovation Hub will be will be located in ICC’s Thomas building, in the heart of the recently formed Peoria Innovation District. Work will begin in earnest in 2020 to bring it to life.
Read MoreThe Peoria Innovation Hub formally kicked off Monday in downtown Peoria. The hub is a project of the Illinois Innovation Network and an affiliate of the Discovery Partners Institute. Gov. J.B. Pritzker was on hand for the kickoff at the old ICC Thomas Building.
The governor said he's a firm believer in public-private partnerships like DPI/IIN to spur economic development.
The Peoria Innovation Hub's stated mission is to improve the well-being of underserved populations through research in healthcare, food, agriculture, and autonomous vehicle research. Currently, the University of Illinois is raising $10 million specifically for the development of the Peoria Innovation Hub.
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