Oct 26, 2026 · 23 min · 14 segments
Crain’s healthcare reporter Jon Asplund joins host Jeanne Sparrow to discuss the latest news from the beat, including questions surrounding…
Jeanne SparrowHostJohn AsplundGuest
From quantum security to biotech and data analytics, Chicago companies are pushing boundaries and securing the patents to prove it.
Evaluated by intellectual property firm Ocean Tomo based on average patent quality, this year's roster spans industry giants and nimble startups alike.
Leading the charge in food and biopharma is the Finder Group, utilizing fungi-producing microbes discovered in Yellowstone hot springs to develop everything from alternative proteins to oral biologic therapies.
In wireless tech, ISCO International is expanding beyond interference defense, exploring how cellular networks can act as large-scale sensors to detect national security threats like unauthorized drones.
Meanwhile, Stevia pioneer Pure Circle continues to lead sugar reduction innovation, earning new patents to solve complex beverage formulation challenges in a market driven by demand for cleaner labels.
Ray's Marketplace is tackling future cybersecurity threats by developing quantum-proof encryption and blockchain tools to protect digital gift card systems.
Handling massive computational strain is top of mind for Oceant, whose software enables ultra-fast analytics across petabytes of data, a necessity as artificial intelligence scales up computing demand.
Trading Technologies International and CME Group are also leveraging AI and low-latency matching engines to help traders manage tens of millions of data updates per second in an increasingly 24-7 financial market.
Transform SR Brands picked up patents for collaborative group shopping carts and gesture-controlled appliances.
And when it comes to sheer patent quality among large corporations, insurance leader State Farm took the top spot, holding nearly 3,000 active patents ranging from autonomous vehicle alerts to generative AI.
You can read John Pletz's full story on the region's innovators at chicagobusiness.com. An iconic downtown Chicago office tower is on the market, not because the owner is looking to turn a profit, but because its lender decided taking the keys wasn't even worth the trouble.
From quantum security to biotech and data analytics, Chicago companies are pushing boundaries and securing the patents to prove it.
Evaluated by intellectual property firm Ocean Tomo based on average patent quality, this year's roster spans industry giants and nimble startups alike.
Leading the charge in food and biopharma is the Finder Group, utilizing fungi-producing microbes discovered in Yellowstone hot springs to develop everything from alternative proteins to oral biologic therapies.
In wireless tech, ISCO International is expanding beyond interference defense, exploring how cellular networks can act as large-scale sensors to detect national security threats like unauthorized drones.
Meanwhile, Stevia pioneer Pure Circle continues to lead sugar reduction innovation, earning new patents to solve complex beverage formulation challenges in a market driven by demand for cleaner labels.
Ray's Marketplace is tackling future cybersecurity threats by developing quantum-proof encryption and blockchain tools to protect digital gift card systems.
Handling massive computational strain is top of mind for Oceant, whose software enables ultra-fast analytics across petabytes of data, a necessity as artificial intelligence scales up computing demand.
Trading Technologies International and CME Group are also leveraging AI and low-latency matching engines to help traders manage tens of millions of data updates per second in an increasingly 24-7 financial market.
Transform SR Brands picked up patents for collaborative group shopping carts and gesture-controlled appliances.
And when it comes to sheer patent quality among large corporations, insurance leader State Farm took the top spot, holding nearly 3,000 active patents ranging from autonomous vehicle alerts to generative AI.
You can read John Pletz's full story on the region's innovators at chicagobusiness.com. An iconic downtown Chicago office tower is on the market, not because the owner is looking to turn a profit, but because its lender decided taking the keys wasn't even worth the trouble.
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