The George Shultz Innovation Fund, managed by the Polsky Center, provides up to $250,000 in co-investment funding for early-stage tech ventures. The fund focuses on startups emerging from the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, supporting a diverse range of innovative projects across these institutions.

Notable portfolio companies include DrLullaby, Flow Medical, memQ, NanoPattern Technologies, and OrisDX. The fund primarily offers grant funding, with occasional seed investments. It serves as a crucial resource for proof-of-concept capital, enabling promising technologies to advance from academic research towards commercialization and market impact.