State match funding programs supports start-up high-tech innovation

Since 2017, Tennessee has wisely supported economic growth and high-tech innovation by providing state matching funds to start-up companies receiving federal SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) awards. These state matching funds are vital to help start-ups overcome hurdles they so often experience during their earliest stages and foster the […]

UCF Researchers Awarded SEED Funding to Investigate Nano and Digital Technologies

ive UCF researchers have been awarded more than $450,000 in SEED funding thanks to a new collaboration between the UCF Office of Research and the international nano and digital technology research and development company imec. Researchers from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Optics and Photonics, College of Sciences, and College of Medicine are expected to commence […]

MSU Conquer Accelerator’s newest group focuses on financial technology businesses

Six businesses focused on financial technology are part of Conquer Accelerator’s sixth cohort that runs through Aug. 6. The businesses will receive $20,000 and mentorship over the course of 10 weeks. The selected companies are CrossBraining, Frizzmo, Nickels, Rebound AI, Safety Sit and Tandem. “The goal is to help a company go from product solution fit to product market fit,” said Tom Stewart, Conquer Accelerator […]

Duke U medtech startup Xilis raises $70M; Google Ventures, Duke Angels 

Xilis, a startup founded by two professors at Duke University focusing on technology to boost precision health and oncology, has landed $70 million in new funding with Google Ventures among the backers. The two-year-old company had previously raised close to $5 million. “Our vision is to transform cancer care in diagnostics and reshape drug development […]

Miami University-based investment fund adds to portfolio

A Miami University student-led investment fund has added a pair of new startups to its portfolio targeting diversity, equity and inclusion. The Social Impact Fund, one of the only undergraduate-led funds of its kind in the nation, announced investments this week in Cincinnati’s Queen City Certified, which offers employer certification and cohort-model programming for workplace […]

7 lessons on building an inclusive accelerator via Science Center’s Launch Lane 

Here are some lessons learned that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to their success in building an accelerator that is as effective in scaling startups as it is equitable and inclusive. 1. Anonymous review infuses equity in the selection process. As part of the selection process, applicants submitted a two-page document about their venture, and […]

 Chicago startup Rheaply raises $2.2M from Microsoft climate fund, MIT

Rheaply, a Chicago startup that specializes in recycling and sourcing unused items, has raised new funding from Microsoft and MIT. The startup, led by CEO Garry Cooper, landed $2.2 million from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund and MIT Solve’s investment arm, Solve Innovation Future. Founded in 2015, Rheaply has set out to strengthen the “circular economy,” a term […]