Dimension Inx ‘Graduates’ From Illinois Tech Incubator

Illinois Institute of Technology’s University Technology Park (UTP)  has announced the graduation of biomaterials platform company Dimension Inx from its tech incubator.

Dimension Inx, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance earlier this year for its 3D-printed bone regeneration product, credits Illinois Tech for providing a launching pad for the company’s growth and development. Dimension Inx was founded to create biomaterials that restore and rebuild tissue and organ function, and it specifically focuses on 3D-printed biomaterials that promote biological activity.

The company moved into Illinois Tech’s incubator in January 2019, starting with one office and lab space. With Illinois Tech’s and UTP’s support, Dimension Inx expanded, eventually outgrowing its space at the incubator and moving to Fulton Labs. “In the early stages, a company needs talent, capital, and infrastructure, and at Illinois Tech you’re able to get that,” Dimension Inx Co-Founder/CEO Dr. Caralynn Nowinski Collens said. “We were able to tap into Illinois Tech’s existing infrastructure and resources under very flexible terms. It’s a secret to many about what kinds of resources the university can offer through the Tech Park.”
 
The company’s first FDA-cleared product targets facial bone reconstruction, using a unique 3D-printed biomaterial designed to stimulate the body’s natural bone remodeling process. The company plans to launch the product later this year so surgeons can use it to fill bone defects.
 
“That’s really exciting for us, to go from what at first was a concept, and then a prototype, and then going through all the testing and the FDA regulation and getting to the point now where we can in fact use it for patients,” Nowinski Collens stated.
 
Nowinski Collens also noted the limited availability of incubator space in Chicago, suggesting the city has room for growth in this area. With a track record of success, UTP’s incubator is poised to continue fostering innovation and nurturing startups’ growth in the region. 
 
Joshua H. Siegel, director of UTP, shares the pride and satisfaction from seeing incubated companies succeed, and Dimension Inx is the latest example showing the relevance and vitality of UTP’s mission. “We are extremely proud of Dimension Inx’s successful journey from a small startup to an FDA-approved biomaterials company,” Siegel said. “They are an embodiment of what we strive to achieve here at the University Technology Park and a testament to our ongoing commitment to fostering innovation in Chicago. It’s through supporting these transformative companies that we enable significant breakthroughs in healthcare and beyond.”
 
Dimension Inx designs and develops therapeutic products to restore tissue and organ function. The company works shoulder-to-shoulder with biotech and medical device partners to help solve their most challenging materials problems.