Eight leading Midwestern research universities have jointly launched Third Coast Foundry, a new San Francisco–based innovation hub designed to help university startups access venture capital, talent, and strategic partners in the Bay Area. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration across institutions while creating new opportunities for research commercialization and startup growth.
Announced as a two-year pilot program, the hub represents a joint effort by Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Together, these institutions represent a major research ecosystem, accounting for nearly $10 billion in annual research investment and educating more than 300,000 students across their campuses. The collaboration is intended to create a stronger bridge between Midwestern research institutions and the Bay Area’s venture capital community.
The new hub is located at 625 Second Street in San Francisco’s South Park neighborhood, an area close to one of the world’s largest concentrations of venture capital firms and a growing artificial intelligence corridor. The 3,500-square-foot ground-floor workspace will serve as a temporary base for university-founded startups and research teams visiting the region.
Through the space, founders, researchers, investors, and alumni will be able to connect through meetings, events, and collaborative programming. Organizers say the hub represents one of the first coordinated efforts by multiple Midwestern universities to establish a shared innovation base in the Bay Area focused on venture engagement.
Third Coast Foundry will host programming, including demo days, receptions, seminars, and workshops, to elevate the visibility of university startups and strengthen connections with investors and industry partners. The facility will also act as a shared platform for collaboration across the participating institutions’ entrepreneurship and commercialization programs.
The initiative is being coordinated by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, which will manage and operate the space. Entrepreneurship and innovation organizations from each partner university are contributing programming and expertise, bringing together experience in startup formation, technology commercialization, and venture engagement.
Officials behind the initiative say the hub is designed to create stronger ties between the Midwest’s research ecosystem and the Bay Area’s investor network, while also providing a centralized venue for collaboration among the partner universities.
KEY QUOTES
“This is a significant moment for the Midwest’s innovation ecosystem. By establishing a visible footprint in the Bay Area, we’re creating new opportunities for our founders to access capital, talent, and strategic partners while also strengthening ties between two of the country’s most dynamic innovation communities.”
Samir Mayekar, Managing Director, Polsky Center For Entrepreneurship And Innovation At The University Of Chicago
“San Francisco is the global hub of innovation, technology, and venture capital, and with yet another investment from leading institutions of higher education, we are accelerating our city’s recovery and strengthening our city center as a place where people live, work, play, and learn. I look forward to welcoming students and leaders from the Midwest and partnering with these universities to open our doors to the next generation of innovators.”
Daniel Lurie, Mayor Of San Francisco
