Time runs out for Missouri angel investor tax credit push as legislators close session early
May 23, 2025 | Startland News Staff
A last-minute effort to pass legislation to boost Missouri entrepreneurs and innovators was thwarted earlier this month when state lawmakers abruptly ended their legislative session, said Jason Wiens, who led advocacy for the creation of a new Show-Me State angel investor tax credit.
Amid “escalating partisan tensions” May 14 — and headline grabbing speculation about how Missouri would use state incentives to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals baseball club — Senate Republicans invoked a rare procedure to end a Democratic filibuster, then both houses quickly adjourned, Wiens explained.
Jason Wiens, Rise Policy, NEXT Missouri
Legislative casualties included several entrepreneurship-focused proposals championed by NEXT Missouri, which Wiens supports through his work as founder of Rise Policy, a social impact-focused government relations firm.
ICYMI: Advocates want a startup-boosting Missouri angel investor tax credit
“Like you, we’re disappointed that more of our priorities didn’t cross the finish line to reach the governor,” he said in a message to supporters of NEXT Missouri, noting failed initiatives included advocacy for the angel investor tax credit and funding for the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC).
“Entrepreneurship and innovation are nonpartisan issues that can uniquely drive economic growth across Missouri,” Wiens continued. “Policymakers understand this but seem to lack a sense of urgency to act.”
Under the proposed Missouri Angel Investment Incentive Act backed by NEXT Missouri, eligible investors would receive a state income tax credit equal to 40 percent of their investment in qualifying businesses — or 50 percent if the business is located in a rural county. Investors could claim up to $300,000 in credits annually, and no more than $75,000 per business.
How to get engaged
Missouri lawmakers voted May 9 to cut all funding for MTC. Advocates at NEXT Missouri are organizing a stakeholder conversation to discuss reversing the funding decision.
The virtual gathering is planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 10. Click here to register.
“In conversation after conversation this year, we heard legislators express support for getting more private capital to Missouri entrepreneurs,” Wiens recalled, noting that with “good sponsors and enthusiastic engagement” the legislation (HB 235/SB 461) had cleared House and Senate committees with strong bipartisan backing.
“Heading into the final weeks of session, NEXT Missouri secured an agreement to incorporate the angel investor incentive into a Senate-passed bill on a related topic,” he continued. “We were working until the last moment to get that bill on the House floor and passed when session ended early.”
Wiens vowed to continue pushing forward on NEXT Missouri’s legislative priorities.
The organization’s advocacy for the now-defunded MTC resumes early next month as NEXT Missouri rallies stakeholders for a conversation about next steps after the 100-percent cut to MTC.
“While this outcome is deeply troubling, we’re committed to the hard work ahead that’s needed to educate legislators and build support for funding MTC again,” Wiens said.
Click here to register for the 1 p.m. June 10 call about MTC’s future.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
New Startland reporter wants to immerse herself in KC’s culture of innovation
Two months ago today, I packed up the last of my belongings in my Columbia, Mo. apartment. And to be frank, I was slightly embarrassed to be moving back in with my parents in Independence, Mo. A recent graduate from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, it seemed that almost everybody I knew was…
Exclusive: John Fein departing Techstars to lead new $7M Midwest venture fund
After three years with the Kansas City-based Sprint Accelerator, John Fein is moving on to lead a venture fund that has ambitious Midwestern plans. Fein, who’s served as the managing director at the Techstars-led accelerator since 2014, will serve his last day with the organization on July 31. With decades of fast-paced startup experience, Fein…
Mid-America Angels set for second consecutive record-breaking year
The Mid-America Angels is poised to make 2016 a record-breaking year. The area investment group already has deployed $1.7 million via seven deals in the first six months of 2016, setting pace for its biggest year of investment in its ten-year history. In 2015, the firm set a record for its amount of capital deployed,…
With a fresh $2M, Athlete Network sets ambitious growth goals
Athlete Network has scored a slam dunk with a $2 million seed round raise. The Lenexa-based firm that created a social network for athletes announced Thursday it had closed its first funding round after bootstrapping for two years, Athlete Network CEO Chris Smith said. The platform aims “to keep athletes competing in life” by enabling…