The Beat: Beacon prepares to launch next-gen disinfecting product
The Big One
A Chicago startup born out of the pandemic is ready to move into more homes and businesses after spending a number of years in research and development.
GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY
Find Local Events Near You
Connect with a community of local professionals.
Explore All Events
Founded in 2020, Beacon Technology Solutions — winner of Inno Madness 2025, Chicago Inno's annual bracket-style head-to-head startup competition — makes a wall-mounted smart device that uses Far-UVC 222 nm light to disinfect a room.
Beacon CEO Brian Clark said the Chicago startup has delivered its flagship product to hundreds of customers and will look to continue to expand its customer base in 2025.
READ MORE: Inno Madness winner Beacon preparing to launch next-gen disinfecting product
More from Chicago Inno
Chicago VC firm Portal Innovations , which focuses on life-sciences innovation, announced an international expansion through a new partnership with Dublin City University that hopes to create new opportunities for biotech, medtech, quantum and AI startups across Ireland, the U.K. and Europe.
, which focuses on life-sciences innovation, announced an international expansion through a new partnership with that hopes to create new opportunities for biotech, medtech, quantum and AI startups across Ireland, the U.K. and Europe. Chicago tech giant Tempus announced the launch of Tempus Loop this week, a new oncology-focused platform.
Chicago boosts life-sciences growth
While Chicago's life-sciences market is showing some signs of growth with developments such as Evanston Labs coming online, it still lags behind other major metros in key traits.
In a Colliers report looking at local ecosystems' ability to support and sustain growth in the life-sciences industry, Chicago ranked ninth in the country, held back slightly by a lack of new developments.
Boston received the top score in the second annual analysis of 18 markets, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area at No. 2 and San Diego in the third spot.
READ MORE: How Chicago is building up life sciences — and where it still lags
Sign up for the Business Journal's free daily newsletter to receive the latest business news impacting Chicago.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
1,000-Foot Tall ‘Mega-Tsunami' Could Hit West Coast, Experts Warn
The Big One. For most residents of the world, particularly in California, the threat of a gigantic earthquake is always looming – one that would devastate communities, upend life as we know it, cause billions in damage, and take with it untold multitudes of casualties. Scary stuff. But with some earthquakes, there's also the aftermath, aka tsunamis. And scientists have been looking at one specific fault line off the west coast of North America, with regards to its imminent shifting, and the resulting, potential 'mega-tsunami.' A recent study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at the Cascadia Subduction Zone, an offshore fault line that stretches from North Vancouver Island in Canada to Cape Mendocino in California. The team primarily looked at the flood risks, coupled with sea level rise, in relation to the Cascadia Subduction Zone. According to the study, there's a 15% chance of a rupture in the Cascadia Subduction Zone in the next 50 years, and a 29% chance by the year 2100. 'Today, and more so in 2100 as background sea levels rise, the immediate effect of earthquake-driven subsidence will be a delay in response and recovery from the earthquake due to compromised assets. Long-term effects could render many coastal communities uninhabitable,' said lead author of the study, Tina team also looked at past 'mega-tsunamis' to better evaluate the potential carnage in the Pacific Northwest. For example, by examining marine sediments, experts were able to confirm a 1,312-foot tsunami that struck the Hawaiian island of Lanai 105,000 years ago. That one was different, however, as it was created by a volcanic landslide. As for the Cascadia Subduction Zone, the last time that tectonic plate shifted was in 1700. It triggered an earthquake registering somewhere between 8.7 to 9.2 on the Richter scale. And the resulting tsunami struck both the west coast and across the Pacific in Japan. Now, researchers warn that the same zone is due for another shake. 'Given the global prevalence of subduction zones, these insights hold relevance beyond Cascadia, informing hazard assessments and mitigation strategies for tectonically active regions worldwide,' Dura added.1,000-Foot Tall 'Mega-Tsunami' Could Hit West Coast, Experts Warn first appeared on Surfer on Jul 28, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business Wire
Merlin Signs Agreement with Northrop Grumman Corporation to Advance Next-Generation Autonomous Flight
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merlin, a leading developer of assured, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, today announced an agreement with Northrop Grumman to integrate the Merlin Pilot onto its next-generation testbed ecosystem, Beacon™. Unveiled in June 2025, Beacon™ is designed to accelerate the development of autonomous mission capabilities by providing an open-access environment where technology partners like Merlin can test, validate, and refine their systems in alignment with government requirements. Merlin serves as the prime contractor with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for integrating autonomy on the C-130J and is rapidly advancing its work on the KC-135. This collaboration with Northrop Grumman accelerates next-generation uncrewed systems, reduces risk, and reinforces Merlin's platform-agnostic strategy, marking a pivotal step toward adding the Scaled Composites-built Model 437 Vanguard to its growing portfolio. Utilizing Model 437—now modified for optionally autonomous flight—Northrop Grumman is getting new mission and flight autonomy software airborne and validated faster. Merlin is providing its mission autonomy software, the Merlin Pilot, for critical testing and validation activities. Specifically, Merlin will provide engineering integration for software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing and flight test operations, contribute to test procedure and documentation development, participate in recurring planning sessions, and deploy on-site personnel for flight tests in Mojave, California. 'The demand for autonomous capabilities, especially in defense applications, is accelerating rapidly,' said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. 'Our collaboration with Northrop Grumman marks a major milestone in advancing mission autonomy—combining Merlin's innovative software with the scale, rigor, and hardware expertise Northrop Grumman offers, which is needed for real-world deployment. The significance of joining the Beacon™ project is that it allows us to validate our technology on military aircraft and in mission-relevant environments, but also enables us to test and adapt new capabilities from Northrop Grumman for future Merlin efforts.' 'We look forward to working with our partners to integrate their innovative capabilities that will accelerate the development of future autonomous platforms,' said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Aeronautics Systems, Northrop Grumman. 'Beacon is about collaboration across industry between companies of all sizes and expertise. By providing access to the Beacon ecosystem, we're enhancing innovation, new competition and ultimately the autonomous capabilities that industry can deliver to our customers – with unmatched speed and at scale.' About Merlin Merlin is a venture backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable both reduced crew and uncrewed flight. Backed by some of the world's leading investors, Merlin is scaling alongside our customers to begin leveraging autonomy today to solve some of aviation's biggest challenges. To learn more, visit or follow us on X @merlinaero. About Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers' toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
Qualis LLC Appoints Jeremy Mallicoat as Chief Financial Officer to Advance Growth and Acquisition Strategy
Jul. 28, 2025 / PRZen / HUNTSVILLE, Ala. —, a leading provider of mission-critical engineering and technology products and services to the Department of Defense, NASA, and other federal agencies, announced today the appointment ofas Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This key executive hire supports Qualis' ongoing strategy, backed by, to scale through targeted growth and acquisitions across the national security and space sectors. Mallicoat brings over 15 years of senior financial leadership experience in the government contracting industry. He has successfully led multiple post-merger integrations and financial transformations and is a recognized expert in Deltek Costpoint, FAR/CAS compliance, and building scalable finance functions within high-growth, private equity-backed organizations. 'Jeremy's experience in complex integrations and his mastery of Costpoint make him the ideal financial leader for our next chapter,' said Rod Duke, CEO of Qualis LLC. 'As we grow both organically and through acquisition, his leadership will ensure operational discipline, financial rigor, and strategic alignment with our mission.' Prior to joining Qualis, Mallicoat served as Vice President of Corporate Finance at Agile Defense, where he successfully transitioned multiple acquisitions and internalized accounting operations, resulting in significant performance gains and cost efficiencies. 'I'm honored to join Qualis at such a pivotal moment,' said Jeremy Mallicoat. 'The company's technical excellence, growth vision, and leadership strength form a compelling platform for continued success. I look forward to contributing to Qualis' transformation as a leading national security partner.' 'Mallicoat's operational and financial expertise—particularly in government services and M&A integration—aligns seamlessly with Qualis' and Bluestone's shared vision to build lasting value. As CFO, he will oversee all aspects of finance, accounting, compliance, treasury, and strategic financial planning. He will also play a central role in evaluating and integrating future acquisitions under the company's platform growth strategy,' Duke said. About Qualis LLC Founded in 1993, Qualis LLC is a Huntsville, Alabama-based provider of advanced engineering, testing, and technical advisory services for the Department of Defense, NASA, and the Intelligence Community. With a legacy of mission-focused excellence, Qualis supports many of the nation's most critical defense and space programs. About Bluestone Investment Partners Bluestone Investment Partners is a McLean, Virginia-based private equity firm focused on high-performing lower middle-market companies serving the U.S. government. With deep sector expertise and a collaborative approach, Bluestone accelerates growth and long-term value creation for its portfolio companies. Press Release Distributed by PRLog Source: Qualis LLC Follow the full story here:
