Deadlines approach for $100K, $500K co-investment opportunities for MO startups
October 12, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
It’s easy to form an idea. It’s more difficult to take it to market.
The Missouri Tech Corporation’s IDEA Funds seek to facilitate the commercialization process for high-tech Missouri technologies, via a variety of co-investment opportunities.
The IDEA Funds divide financing into four components that correspond to four stages of growth for entrepreneurs, from pre-investment to high-growth enterprises. For the Missouri TechLaunch and Seed Capital Co-Investment Program, applications are now open, with a Nov. 15 deadline.
The Venture Capital Co-Investment Program and the High-Tech Industrial Expansion Program are not taking applications in November.
MTC’s future is uncertain. The agency’s budget was cut substantially from nearly $23 million in 2017 to $3.4 million in spending authority for 2018.
More recently, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ office released a report suggesting MTC existing programming be replaced with a privately-managed innovation fund.
Here’s more about the funding opportunities:
MTC will award pre-seed funding — no more than $100,000 per individual award — to Missouri startups that are committed to a discovery in one of the following high-tech industry clusters: animal health, plant science, biomedical science, applied engineering, or defense and homeland security.
Startups must have less than 500 employees and will be evaluated on their market potential, proof of concept and intellectual property development. Applicants must also be in partnership with a Missouri research university or inst ution, or be willing to establish one. For more information about the opportunity, click here.
Seed Capital Co-Investment Program
High-tech startups that have succeeded in proving concept, but need access to seed capital might be eligible for the Seed Capital Co-Investment program.
With a maximum funding amount of $500,000 per individual, this grant is designed to accelerate private investment in Missouri companies who are looking to conduct competitive analysis, advanced prototype design and other advancements of intellectual property development.
Eligible applicants must have a committed leadership team, a third-party investment commitment and a viable plan. To apply, click here.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
This Dirt Beast works the soil for $2 an hour; why harvesting joy from his urban farm fills the bag
Rows of peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and other vegetables now grow where more than a dozen Kansas City lots once sat vacant. The essence of Dirt Beast Farm is seeded in this soil, creating the ecosystem through which Jameson Hubbard has spent nearly a decade turning open land into food, flowers, and a space for neighbors…
CoBuild founder razes his social venture; now he’s banking its mission’s success on a new blueprint
Closing his startup CoBuild was bittersweet for Tate Williams, but the mission that drove the company isn’t going away. Instead, he’s carrying it forward in a new role at the Central Bank of Kansas City. Williams officially shut down CoBuild this January. The construction startup, launched in 2018, had built a reputation for opening doors…
ATHENA honorees: Lifting up the next generation elevates us all; give them a reason to dream
When women lead, communities rise, Dana Foote said, lifting up two ATHENA award winners whose work in Kansas City has created outcomes more meaningful than mere professional success: “the ripple effect of leadership.” “And I see that in the room tonight,” continued Foote, national managing partner of audit operations for KPMG, sponsor of the Greater…
Photos: Folklore transformed this rooftop for one-night; its $100K impact on small biz lasts even longer
A packed rooftop event that started five years ago as a small gathering among friends has grown into a sold-out celebration that not only highlights music, food, and tradition, but also invests back into local nonprofits and entrepreneurs, said Luis Padilla, founder of Folklore and its popular small business grant program. “That balance of culture…