The Ohio State University announced on Mar. 17 that it is joining seven other Midwestern universities to launch Third Coast Foundry, a new hub in San Francisco aimed at strengthening the presence of Midwest research institutions within the region’s venture capital ecosystem.
The initiative seeks to boost innovation and entrepreneurship by providing a shared space for university startups, researchers, and teams traveling to the Bay Area. The collaboration is expected to create new opportunities for cross-institutional partnerships and increase national visibility for Midwest-based research and innovation.
Third Coast Foundry will operate as a two-year pilot program. Alongside Ohio State, participating universities include Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Washington University in St. Louis. Together these institutions represent nearly $10 billion in annual research investment and educate more than 300,000 students.
“Ohio State is pleased to join Third Coast Foundry, a Midwestern coalition advancing innovation, entrepreneurship and economic impact,” said John M. Horack, vice president for research at Ohio State. “By establishing a shared presence in the Bay Area, we are amplifying the reach of our research and innovation community and creating new pathways to collaboration, capital and national visibility.”
The workspace is located in San Francisco’s South Park neighborhood near major venture capital firms and the emerging artificial intelligence corridor. It will serve as a short-term base for university-affiliated startups while also hosting meetings, events, seminars, workshops and demo days designed to connect investors with university talent.
“This is a significant moment for the Midwest’s innovation ecosystem,” said Samir Mayekar, managing director at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago. “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.”
The project is managed by the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago with support from each partner institution’s entrepreneurship centers. Sponsors include G2C Venture Partners and Wisconsin Investment Management Company (WISIMCO).
Ohio State contributes broadly beyond this initiative through its academic programs and athletic achievements; it competes in 36 varsity sports with numerous Big Ten championships according to its official website. The university also supports community engagement through fundraising efforts for pediatric cancer research and global service trips for students according to its official website. Facilities such as the Wexner Center for the Arts further support academics and recreation according to its official website.
Additionally, Ohio State operates six campuses statewide with Extension offices in every county according to its official website, pursuing its land-grant mission through affordable education, innovative research and outreach across Ohio according to its official website.
