In the wake of the shutdown of one of the area's most celebrated start-up companies, technology marches on in Peoria.

Firefly Energy may have declared bankruptcy, short-circuiting a vision of the battery of the future, but other start-up companies continue to pursue high-tech dreams.

At the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, 801 W. Main St., work goes on across a variety of categories, from heart sensors to intelligent water heaters, said executive director Shad Sleeth.