TechNexus Venture Collaborative

?? From Battlefield to Football Field: How a 100-Year-Old Chicago Company Keeps Revolutionizing Player Safety Did you know the same company that protected U.S. soldiers in WWII is now using 3D printing and smart sensors to transform football safety? In our first edition of "Corporate Innovation, Chicago Style," we sit down with Riddell's SVP Erin Griffin to uncover: -How their 24-36 month innovation cycle keeps them ahead of the game -Why 90% of college players choose their helmets -The game-changing tech partnerships driving their next century of innovation Discover how this iconic Chicago company combines legacy experience with startup agility to protect over 2 million players nationwide. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3BpGQyS ? : Matt Meyers #Ridell #CorporateInnovation #ChicagoBusiness #SportsTech #FootballSafety

At TechNexus Venture Collaborative, we're starting a new content series called Corporate Innovation, Chicago Style. The series looks at how iconic Chicago companies approach technology, startups and innovation. Our first piece explores how football helmet maker Riddell became the equipment juggernaut it is today thanks to a commitment to innovation over the last 100 years. But for Riddell, innovation means more than increasing market share and growing the bottom line. Technological advancements in helmets are critical to the health and safety of football players everywhere, and Riddell has supercharged its innovation roadmap over the last 20 years to answer the call. "Our core value and mission as a company has always been improving athlete protection," Riddell SVP of marketing & communications?Erin Griffin said. "When that's your mission, innovation goes hand-in-hand with that. Throughout the history of our organization, we've always been very focused on what is the next thing we can introduce to the football-playing community to improve player protection."

At TechNexus Venture Collaborative, one of the most common questions we receive from our corporate partners is "How can we measure success?" Corporations track metrics, OKRs, and KPIs across all business lines, and corporate venture capital and innovation need not be an exception. If you're interested in learning more about strategic and financial returns in corporate venture capital, read the latest in our series below!

Honored that I am speaking and participating at the 2024 Global Ecosystem Summit in Toronto. I will be discussing how corporations engage in and build ecosystems to drive innovation and growth. Looking forward to engaging with industry leaders and sharing insights. #GlobalEcosystemSummit #Innovation

We're excited to announce TechNexus Venture Collaborative is joining us at the Industrial Climate Tech Summit. Andrew Loulousis, VP of Strategy and Venture at TechNexus, will be speaking on the Investor and Industry Partnership panel to discuss how they partner with corporations to invest and drive their innovation strategy. Join us on 10/18: https://lnkd.in/g_3iQBNW ______________ Andrew oversees TechNexus Venture Collaborative's corporate partnerships and corporate development, bringing new investments and revenue-generating opportunities to corporate leadership. Their partnerships and investments span a broad set of industries but all center around creating sustainable growth for both their corporate partners and portfolio ventures.

Congratulations to AmpUp on raising $15M in Series A funding. We're excited to support your continued innovation and U.S. market expansion as you drive the future of EV charging and energy management. Touchdown Ventures Autotech Ventures MUUS Climate Partners Holman The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Foothill Ventures https://lnkd.in/gb9YCkgQ

More coverage of our wildfire work with DHS and N5 Sensors! TechNexus Venture Collaborative, N5 Sensors, Inc., Debra Deininger, Abhishek Motayed

Big news for NanoGraf Corporation, a TechNexus portfolio company. They’ve secured a $60M federal grant to open one of the world’s largest silicon anode battery plants in Flint, MI. This facility will produce enough material to power 1.5M electric vehicles a year. Learn more about how they're driving innovation in energy storage: https://bit.ly/3TE2sxF #BatteryTech #EVs #CleanEnergy

From funerals to football games- TechNexus portfolio company, BoxCast, is transforming how organizations stream live events. What started in a funeral home has grown into a platform helping churches, sports teams, and even presidential campaigns connect with audiences worldwide. Check out how they're pioneering the future of live streaming: https://bit.ly/4gAVF1N #BoxCast #LiveStreaming #ChurchTech

Chicago is one of the most diverse metro areas in the country; no single industry accounts for over 14% of the area’s overall GDP. As the local #StartupEcosystem has blossomed over the last 10 years, the tech landscape reflects that diversity. As a key player in the venture community for almost 20 years and one of the most active Chicago-based investors, we at TechNexus have a close eye on the local ecosystem. As a firm, we are actively tracking over +1,000 Chicago-based, early-stage startups across various industries.? We'll soon be kicking off a new series — ?????????????????????? ????????????????: ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ?????????????? — that will include a comprehensive list of 1,000+ ventures we are tracking across each vertical, along with breakdowns on each category highlighting key trends, insights, and sub-verticals. Stay tuned for more, but see the startup verticals we're tracking below.?