Third Coast Foundry
Illinois Launches Innovation Hub in San Francisco
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has joined leading Midwestern research universities in launching Third Coast Foundry, a collaborative San Francisco-based innovation hub designed to accelerate the growth of university-founded startups and deepen connections between the Midwest’s research powerhouses and the Bay Area’s venture capital ecosystem, one of the world’s most active venture ecosystems. At its core, Third Coast Foundry is about reducing friction between Midwest innovation and coastal capital.
Partner Universities
Consortium of Midwestern universities collectively representing nearly $10 billion in annual research investments establish shared Bay Area hub to accelerate startup growth and strengthen Midwest-Silicon Valley talent pipeline.
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Northwestern University
- The Ohio State University
- Purdue University
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Washington University in St. Louis
Access the Innovation Hub
University-affiliated founders, faculty, staff, students and alumni can access Third Coast Foundry.
The Hub
The location is a 3,500-square-foot, ground-floor workspace located at 625 Second Street in San Francisco’s South Park neighborhood, steps from major venture capital firms and the city’s emerging AI corridor. The hub offers:
- Flexible co-working and meeting space for founders traveling to the Bay Area
- A dedicated third-floor event space for Demo Days, seminars and workshops
- Access to key partnerships, mentorship networks and Silicon Valley investors
- Programming and community-building efforts coordinated across partner universities