Evanston’s startup scene runs largely through Northwestern University. The city has coworking space and independent founder groups, but the most organized support for new companies sits on the campus, and anyone starting a business here should know how those programs work.
The Garage
The Garage at Northwestern opened in 2015 on the second floor of a campus parking structure at 2311 Campus Drive. The space, designed by the architecture firm Gensler, covers about 11,000 square feet. It is open to Northwestern students interested in starting companies, and its programs include a 10-week pre-accelerator called Jumpstart, which offers workspace, mentoring, curriculum and a $10,000 stipend. VentureCat, its annual pitch competition, awards $100,000 in total prizes, and the NUSeeds fund invests between $10,000 and $100,000 in student companies in exchange for equity. The Garage has also had a partnership with Chicago’s 1871 incubator.
The InQbation Lab
For companies built on science and engineering research, Northwestern describes the Querrey InQbation Lab as its innovation hub. The university reported 25 resident companies commercializing Northwestern research in the lab’s first three years. Funding came from a $50 million Illinois state appropriation and a $25 million gift from Kimberly K. Querrey to support programming.
What changed with the research park
Evanston once had a city and university partnership meant to hold Northwestern spinouts that might otherwise leave for Chicago. The Daily Northwestern reported in April 2018 that the partnership with the city had ended and that the research park was closed, with the Garage taking over that role.
Beyond campus
Outside Northwestern, early-stage founders have long used downtown coworking space and groups such as Startup Evanston, which in 2012 hosted a livestream of the Lean Startup Conference at coLab Evanston, 900 Chicago Ave. Whether those specific spaces and groups remain active should be confirmed directly. The Technology Innovation Center, an incubator founded in part by Northwestern-connected technologists, has also been part of the scene, though its current status could not be confirmed.
The city’s location helps. Evanston sits on the Metra Union Pacific North Line and the CTA Purple Line, which makes downtown Chicago a short train ride away for investor meetings, clients and hiring. The Illinois Gigabit Community designation announced in January 2013, with a $1 million state investment, was meant to bring ultra-fast internet to Northwestern and local businesses.