1871 (business incubator)

1871 (business incubator)
Name	1871
Type	Nonprofit incubator
Founded	2012
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Parent	Exelon
Key people	Howard A. Tullman; Betsy Ziegler; Chris Gladwin
Products	Startup acceleration, coworking, mentorship
Website	1871.com

1871 (business incubator) is a technology incubator and entrepreneurship hub based in Chicago, Illinois, that supports early-stage startups through coworking, mentorship, programming, and access to capital. Founded with ties to civic and corporate entities, 1871 connects founders to a network of investors, accelerators, universities, and corporate partners across the United States, while maintaining relationships with international organizations and trade groups. The organization situates itself at the intersection of Chicago institutions and global innovation ecosystems.

Overview

1871 operates a flagship facility in the Merchandise Mart, co-locating startups with partners from Boeing, Google, Microsoft, Amazon (company), and Salesforce. The hub works closely with academic institutions including University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Loyola University Chicago, while engaging alumni and advisors from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Yale University. 1871 provides programming that aligns with regional initiatives led by the Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Transit Authority, Illinois Technology Association, and the Economic Development Administration.

History and Development

1871 was established in 2012 as part of a civic initiative involving the City of Chicago, the Chicago Mayor's Office, and corporate supporters such as Exelon, Wintrust, ComEd, and BMO Harris Bank. Early leadership included entrepreneurs and investors who had ties to Tory Burch, Grubhub, Groupon, and Zocdoc, and advisory input from executives with backgrounds at DePaul University, University of Illinois Chicago, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The incubator expanded physical space in phases, negotiating leases with the Merchandise Mart Properties and collaborating on events with cultural institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Architecture Center. Over time 1871 formed relationships with accelerators including Techstars, Y Combinator, 500 Startups, and regional hubs like Plug and Play Tech Center and MassChallenge.

Programs and Services

1871 runs mentorship programs that tap networks from corporate partners such as McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PwC, and Ernst & Young, and leverages investor relationships with firms including Polaris Partners, Intel Capital, Benchmark, Accel Partners, and Sequoia Capital. Educational tracks have featured instructors and speakers from Harvard Business School, Wharton School, Kellogg School of Management, and Sloan School of Management. Services include office space, legal clinics with firms like Sidley Austin and Jones Day, accounting support involving Ernst & Young alumni, marketing mentorship with staff formerly at Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and technical guidance drawing on engineers from Oracle, IBM, Cisco Systems, and SAP SE.

Notable Alumni and Startups

Startups associated with 1871 have included companies that later engaged with Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ:GRUB, and acquisition partners such as Microsoft Corporation, Google LLC, Facebook, Inc., and Apple Inc.. Alumni founders have backgrounds tied to Grubhub, Groupon, Braintree, Braintree (company), HomeChef, Orbitz, and CareerBuilder. Several portfolio companies participated in national programs with National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, Department of Commerce, and received grants or contracts from Department of Defense entities. Notable ventures from the 1871 network have collaborated with corporations like United Airlines, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Target Corporation, McDonald's Corporation, and Kraft Foods.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships for 1871 have come from corporate sponsors including Exelon Corporation, BMO Financial Group, ComEd, CME Group, Discover Financial, and Wintrust Financial Corporation, along with philanthropic support from foundations such as the MacArthur Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and Chicago Community Trust. Strategic alliances include collaborative projects with Illinois Innovation Network, Chicago Public Library, Chicago Economic Development Corporation, and workforce initiatives with Department of Labor programs. 1871 has also coordinated venture showcase events with international partners including British Consulate-General Chicago, Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, German American Chamber of Commerce, and trade delegations from Japan External Trade Organization.

Impact and Recognition

1871 has been recognized in coverage by outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, TechCrunch, and Fast Company for its role in Chicago’s startup ecosystem, and has received civic commendations from the City of Chicago and honors from regional economic development bodies including the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition. Metrics cited by analysts and academic studies from University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and Northwestern University Kellogg School indicate 1871’s influence on job creation, venture funding, and regional innovation, while policy discussions have referenced collaborations with Office of the Mayor of Chicago and state-level economic initiatives.

Category:Business incubators Category:Organizations based in Chicago Category:Technology education in Chicago