The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago has named the first cohort for the AI Research Commons Midwest Fellows Program, selecting five inception-stage artificial intelligence startups from Midwest research universities.
The program has been launched with AI Research Commons, Microsoft, and NVIDIA to support AI founders working on commercialization and company growth. The first cohort was announced on May 19, 2026, after a competitive review process that drew nearly 150 applications.
Selected startups will receive up to $350,000 in startup credits on eligible services through Microsoft for Startups, access to AI models through Azure, one-to-one technical guidance from Microsoft experts, and discounts on tools including GitHub, Microsoft 365, and LinkedIn Premium.
The cohort will also receive benefits from NVIDIA’s Inception Program for Startups, mentorship from AI operators, researchers, and investors, co-working space at Third Coast Foundry in San Francisco, and investor-facing opportunities through Mayfield’s AI Pathfinders and Mayfield AI Start programs.
The program is open to faculty, students, and researchers from the eight Midwest research universities in Third Coast Foundry: Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Five AI startups selected from Midwest universities
The inaugural cohort includes INRTL, founded by Karan Ahuja from Northwestern University, which is building a foundation model for inertial data. The startup is working on motion sensor data for use across extended reality, robotics, defense, and health.
Perforated AI, founded by Rorry Brenner from Carnegie Mellon University, is developing technology to help machine learning engineers build smaller and more efficient AI models.
SAI Labs, founded by Chenhao Tan from the University of Chicago, is building what it describes as a quality layer for scientific and financial knowledge work.
Two stealth companies have also joined the cohort. Arnab Nandi from The Ohio State University is working on human-in-the-loop AI infrastructure for enterprises, while Rakesh Kumar from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is developing an AI-powered performance engineering platform that generates high-performance code for AI infrastructure and agentic AI systems.
Program links AI founders with technical and investor support
Samir Mayekar, Managing Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, says: “The Midwest is producing some of the most promising AI research and technical talent in the world, but founders often need more than strong technology to build successful companies,”
“This program gives startups direct access to the infrastructure, mentorship, and investor networks needed to accelerate commercialization and build industry-defining companies.”
Participating startups will gain access to Bay Area investors, technical advisors, and commercialization support. Third Coast Foundry, announced earlier this year, is a San Francisco-based hub designed to strengthen the Midwest’s presence in the venture ecosystem.
ARC and partner universities selected the cohort with university innovation and entrepreneurship teams across Third Coast Foundry institutions. The review process focused on technical innovation, commercialization potential, and founding team strength.
AI Research Commons and Mayfield back first cohort
Ajay Singh, Cofounder, AI Research Commons, says: “The companies selected for this inaugural cohort reflect the depth of AI innovation emerging from Midwest research institutions,”
“These founders are tackling important challenges with the potential for real-world impact across industries. By combining university research strength with hands-on support from experienced operators, investors, and technical partners, we look forward to helping these teams move more quickly from breakthrough innovations to scalable companies.”
Vijay Reddy, General Partner at Mayfield AI, says: “This cohort reflects the next generation of AI entrepreneurs tackling meaningful problems across industries,”
“We’re excited to help connect them with the mentorship, infrastructure, and investor networks needed to scale.”
The five selected startups will now take part in the AI Research Commons Midwest Fellows Program through the support package from Microsoft, NVIDIA, Third Coast Foundry, AI Research Commons, Mayfield, and the Polsky Center. The program includes co-working access in San Francisco, technical guidance, and opportunities to present to investor and operator networks.
