Chicago's Deep Tech Surge: UChicago Launches $25M Harper Court Ventures Fund + Summer Funding Roundup for Founders

Jun 27, 2025

Hola Founders!

Apologies for being MIA lately, but I have great news to share: this month, I started as a Venture & Innovation Fellow with World Business Chicago. I’m excited to be working with some of the brightest minds in the city.

World Business Chicago (WBC) is the official economic development organization for the City of Chicago. WBC's mission is to drive inclusive economic growth and job creation, support businesses, and promote Chicagoland as the leading global city to help existing companies expand and attract new companies.

Also, who’s excited for TechChicago Week? It’s coming up! From July 21–27, the city will transform into a vibrant hub of innovation, collaboration, and opportunity. With events ranging from pitch competitions and climate summits to networking socials and venture capital meetups, this is the moment to connect with the people and ideas shaping the future of tech. Whether you're a founder, investor, student, or simply tech-curious—there’s something for everyone. More on the next issue!

Now for the Newsletter! We are back with another edition of Semilla to Sequoia, where small seeds grow into mighty giants!

In this issue, we’re covering:

Brain Snack: A quick dispatch from the frontlines of startup life—highlighting one insight, trend, or tactic founders should have on their radar this week.
Funding Opportunities: Pitch competitions, Grants, VC funding, and alternative financing.
Startup Resources: Events, workshops, that are relevant to your startup journey!
Founder Tips: Articles, X threads, Linkedin posts, and more.
Recommendations: Need a good book or podcast? I’ll share some suggestions to help you navigate the startup ecosystem effectively.

🧠 Brain Snack

Harper Court Ventures Launches $25M Fund for Deep Tech Startups at the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago has announced the launch of Harper Court Ventures, a new $25 million investment fund dedicated to supporting the next wave of deep tech startups emerging from its research ecosystem. The fund will focus on commercializing innovations across quantum technology, life sciences, and artificial intelligence—three areas where UChicago researchers and entrepreneurs are driving breakthrough discoveries with the potential to transform entire industries.

This initiative aims to fill a critical funding gap for early-stage ventures working at the frontier of science and technology, providing both capital and resources to accelerate the path from lab to market. By anchoring this fund within the university’s growing innovation infrastructure, UChicago is strengthening Chicago’s position as a hub for world-class deep tech commercialization. You can read more about the announcement here.

💰 Funding Opportunities

Getting the right funding is crucial for any startup founder. Here are a few funding opportunities to consider:

Amber | Women founders: apply for <$10K grants

Black Migrant Fund | Black trans and gender non-conforming migrants in the U.S. apply to win $25K-50K in grants

The Workers Lab 2025 Innovation Fund Fellowship | Underrepresented founders: apply for $200K

Forum Ventures (Accelerator) | Underrepresented founders: apply for $100K

Global Good Fund Fellowship | All founders apply for up to $10K

Lattitude VC | US Latino founders: apply for up to $1M

Start Pivot Grow Grant | All founders apply for $10K

TechRise | Chicago founders: apply to win $25K-50K in grants

Ulta Beauty MUSE Accelerator| Underrepresented beauty founders apply for $50K by June 29th, 2025

📋 Startup Resources 🔎

🌊 Calling all ocean & coastal tech innovators!🚀

If you're building a startup focused on solving some of our planet’s most critical water challenges—think sensors, robotics, water quality, aquaculture, marine carbon, or port tech, you need to check this out.

The Ocean Enterprise Accelerator by VentureWell, funded by NOAA, is now accepting applications for Stage 0 and Stage 1 of its national accelerator program.

What makes this opportunity special?

✅ Non-dilutive funding ($15K–$75K in TDC awards)
✅ Structured, multi-stage venture support
✅ Personalized coaching & expert mentorship
✅ Access to prototyping + real-world testing facilities
✅ Strategic industry & academic partnerships

This is one of the few programs that combines entrepreneurship education, commercialization support, and access to infrastructure for innovators working in the blue economy.

💡 Stage 0 is a low-barrier, virtual intro to entrepreneurship—perfect if you're just getting started.
💼 Stage 1 offers in-depth venture development, coaching, and up to $15K in TDC support.

📅 Applications are open now! If you're working on tech that can make a real impact in our oceans and coastal communities, this is your moment.

More Info & Application

💰 Founder Familia’s 2025 ¡Dale! Hispanic Heritage Month $25K Pitch Competition is now accepting applications!

¡Latine-founded startups have a chance to win a $25K non-dilutive cash prize by pitching live in NYC on September 15th. Applications are due by August 1 at 5 PM ET.

📌 To be eligible:

At least one Latine founder
Latine founders must hold >33% of founder equity
Company must be U.S.-incorporated
Must have raised no more than $2.5M in total capital
Learn More & Apply

💰 Texas AI Challenge (TXAIC) is now accepting applications — the first-ever statewide pitch competition exclusively for AI startups in Texas!

Powered by Pro-Forma and hosted by the SMU Cox - William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, TXAIC provides finalists up to $100K in investment & services tailored to your startup.

If you’re an early-stage founder building with AI, this is your chance to get in front of investors, gain invaluable feedback from every judge, and grow visibility across one of the fastest growing innovation scenes.

🗓 Applications due July 11th

📢 Finalists Announced July 31st

📍Finalists Live pitch event: Early August at SMU, DFW Startup Week sponsored by Capital One.

Learn More & Apply

💰 Applications Open for Springboard's 2025 Healthcare & Technology Program

Springboard's Healthcare & Technology Accelerator Program is for women-led healthcare companies seeking growth, funding, and connections to experts and strategic partners for product development and expansion.

Springboard’s Healthcare and Technology program is designed for women-led companies with a primary focus on advancing innovations in awareness, education, diagnosis, treatment, ongoing care and wellness related to medical devices, wearables, diagnostics, therapeutics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, longevity, drug discovery and development, artificial intelligence, machine learning, application software, and platform technologies.

Companies selected are coupled with experts and advisors who provide guidance and positive impact on the business' next stage of growth.

What you’ll get:

TWO WEEK-LONG VIRTUAL BOOTCAMP
They will assess your critical short-term needs and pressure test your assumptions behind your go-to-market strategy.

3-MONTH ADVISORY PROGRAM
They enhance the way you deliver your value proposition, so people are willing to open up their networks or wallets, leveraging their global expert network.

LIFETIME PEER NETWORK
Ongoing opportunities to interact withtheir community of 920+ innovators & 5000+ experts.

Applications will close on July 2nd, 2025.

Learn More & apply

💰 Open Pitch at Invest Fest 2025: $125K Startup Competition

Open Pitch is bringing $125K in investment capital to the main stage this August in Atlanta. This isn't your typical pitch competition—winners get ongoing strategic support from Open Opportunity Fund, not just a check.

The focus? AI and cloud tech startups transforming industries from finance to healthcare, logistics to education.

To apply, you’ll need a strong pitch deck and clear info on your team, product, market, traction, and legal details. Show them the problem you’re solving and why your solution is the one that wins. All applications must be submitted by Monday, June 30, 2025.

Applications close June 30, 2025