Midwest Biotech Showcase Brings Region's Innovations to SF

San Francisco, CA, January 16 2026 — This week, Northwestern’s Querrey InQbation Lab partnered with peer universities across the Midwest region to host the Midwest Biotech Startup Showcase in San Francisco, showcasing more than thirty-five high-growth healthcare startups. The startups represented some of the Midwest’s leading research institutions.

The event drew over 250 investors, industry leaders, and strategic partners for an evening of company demos and networking, spotlighting startups emerging from Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, and Purdue University. The companies spanned advanced therapies, biologics, diagnostics, medical devices, small molecules, software, and enabling platforms, reflecting the innovation and depth of the Midwest’s biotech pipeline.

A portfolio book of the presenting startups can be found here.

"The caliber of companies coming out of the Midwest right now is excellent," said venture investor Lauren Popov, PhD of Westlake BioPartners. "These are capital-efficient teams, with strong science and clearly articulated clinical and commercial pathways."

Founders addressed some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges, including oncology, autoimmune disease, neuroscience, cardiology, metabolic disease, infectious disease, and clinical development efficiency. Companies ranged from seed-stage to those at Series B level with clinical-stage and commercial assets, reflecting the region’s growing ability to translate academic innovation.

“The Midwest continues to generate companies built on rigorous science and disciplined commercialization,” said Lisa Dhar, Associate Vice President for Innovation and New Ventures at Northwestern. “By engaging investors and strategic partners nationally, we are strengthening connections to innovation networks that can accelerate company growth and broaden the impact of Midwest biotech.” 

Attendees also pointed to the collaborative ecosystem behind the companies, combining world-class universities, experienced operators, and disciplined company-building, as a key competitive advantage. Elizabeth Gichana, Vice President for Life Sciences at the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC) highlighted, "The Midwest is no longer an emerging biotech region. The consistency of high-quality startups emerging from our flagship institutions signals an ecosystem with real depth and the market is paying attention."

Following the showcase, participating companies are advancing investor and strategic discussions initiated during the event, targeting follow-up meetings and Midwest site visits. The Querrey InQbation Lab and partner Universities plan to continue expanding the showcase as a national platform connecting Midwest innovation with global capital and industry.

 For additional information about the Midwest Biotech Startup Showcase or participating companies, please contact Sarah Stein at sarah.stein@northwestern.edu