1871 was recently ranked first in the UBI Global list of top university-affiliated businesses .Over the past few years, Chicago has been building up a robust tech startup ecosystem of its very own. Organizations such as Built In Chicago, the Illinois Technology Association, and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center has helped make networking in the digital tech world more accessible, and more scalable in terms of growth. According to Built In Chicago, between 2004 and 2008, there was an average launch rate of 25 startups per year. In 2012, there were 367 digital startups that launched, constituting an increase of 187 percent from the previous year alone. In a report done by the investment firm CBRE, it was reported that since 2011, the windy city has created more than 40,000 tech jobs. That’s an average of 10,000 jobs, per year. If you’re thinking about starting a new business, Chicago is the place to be. 1871, located in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, works with over 325 early-stage, high-growth Chicago startups. Their philosophy of cooperation is what makes 1871 such an influential startup incubation space:
