(Chicago, IL) March 18, 2020 -- Chicago’s leading innovation centers, mHUB, MATTER and 1871, are collaborating to mobilize the technology ecosystem around designing solutions that can directly support in the fight against COVID-19. The communities’ network of entrepreneurs, software developers, engineers, designers and industry experts provides a rich talent pool that can facilitate fast, new responses to front-line challenges affecting our populations. A website, seeking open calls for solutions from health officials, policy makers, advocates and other administrators, along with opportunities for innovators to share their solutions, is now live at CPR-Covid19.com.
“While the healthcare community tirelessly works against the virus, it’s becoming acutely apparent that there is a need for novel solutions to support them including the scaling of existing manufacturing capacity,” said Haven Allen, mHUB CEO. “Innovators are eager to leverage new technologies such as rapid prototyping and 3D printing, telemedicine, artificial intelligence, data tracking and analytics as solutions to support front-line workers and mitigate population impact.”
Added Steven Collens, MATTER CEO, “In this unprecedented time, one thing is certain: technology and innovation are more important than ever. Our health system is straining, and there is an important role for technology to play in the short- and long-term.”
“Our network of entrepreneurs, founders, partners, growth and scale stage companies are a critical, solution-forming resource to the community, said Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871. “The time is now for us to come together and collaborate to have a significant impact.”
mHUB, 1871 and MATTER are inviting other community partners who can commit resources to this effort to participate and expand the innovation network addressing COVID-19. The following partners have already contributed valuable time, strategy and resources to this project: Impossible Objects, Jiobit, Kaleidoscope Ventures, Kirkland & Ellis, MxD and Peoplevine.
“The mindset of an entrepreneur is centered around quick, fast and iterative solutions. That’s what we need right now,” said Mark Tebbe, Chairman of ChicagoNEXT and executive board member for both mHUB and 1871. “I applaud the ecosystem for coming together during this challenging time to help our city get out in front of this pandemic.”
Activity through this collaboration is already underway with Chicago innovators working on prototypes for fast production medical devices and parts that are in limited supply, as well as several startups getting connected in at the city, county and state level to support ongoing efforts.
For more information and to join in the fight, visit https://cprcovid19.com/
JOIN US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
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About mHUB
mHUB is the nation’s largest and fastest growing independent innovation center for hard tech physical product development. mHUB is a community of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers, a network of manufacturing mentors, industry experts and investors and a source of intellectual and economic capital. mHUB is home to more than $5 million in resources including ten unique prototyping labs and microfactory for onsite low-volume production runs. Learn more at mHUBChicago.com. A
About MATTER
MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, includes hundreds of cutting-edge startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together, the MATTER community is accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.
About 1871
1871 is Chicago’s digital technology hub and the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world. It exists to inspire, equip, and support founders building extraordinary businesses. Located in the historic Merchandise Mart, 1871 is home to ~450 technology startups and ~1,500 members supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its founders, alongside access to more than 100 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 650 alumni companies are currently still active, have created over 11,250 jobs, and have raised more than $1.5 billion in follow-on capital.
