ICYMI: MTC says it’s moving forward with select entrepreneur programs despite steep state funding cuts
October 14, 2025 | Jake Ciancio
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and The Kansas City Beacon.
Click here to read the original story.
The Missouri Technology Corp. has released its annual implementation plan, announcing which programs will continue and which programs will be suspended for the 2026 fiscal year because of a lack of state funding.
The public-private partnership supporting the growth of technology startups in Missouri suspended two programs: the Physical Infrastructure Program, which provides entrepreneurs with physical resources and infrastructure, and the Regional Node Program, which offers funds to invest in regional entrepreneurial support centers. Since the 2023 fiscal year, those two programs have awarded nearly $6.5 million to support Missouri entrepreneurs.
Jack Scatizzi, executive director of the Missouri Technology Corporation, speaks with fellow InvestMidwest attendees in mid-April in Kansas City; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
MTC also is suspending the Research Alliance of Missouri Committee and one of four programs under the Innovation, Development, and Entrepreneurial Advancement Fund, a state-sponsored venture capital program.
“We looked at which programs were core to MTC’s mission,” said Jack Scatizzi, outgoing president and CEO of MTC. “If our mission is to catalyze innovation and support high-growth potential, that’s the best vehicle for us to achieve our mission.”
MTC also will continue its Investor Education Program, a grant program designed to increase the number of early-stage investors in Missouri, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative Program, a federal program that gives money to states to help small businesses get access to capital.
Scatizzi, who announced in August that he will be stepping down at the end of January 2026, said he feels that MTC is in a strong position going forward, even without state funding for this fiscal year.
“We’ve had an impact over the past three years,” Scatizzi said. “We’ve been able to put increased state dollars to work, and it’s delivering an impact.”
To fund its continuing programs, MTC will use its unobligated state funds, reserve funds and federal funds through the State Small Business Credit Initiative Capital Program.
The suspended Physical Infrastructure Program could return in 2027 if state funding returns, Scatizzi said, and MTC plans to evaluate the Regional Nodes Program before deciding on its future.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
10 emerging makers compete for cash prizes; AltCap, Strawberry Swing team up for fall showcase
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by AltCap, an ally to underestimated entrepreneurs that offers financing to businesses and communities that traditional lenders do not serve. Amid the historic charm of Alexander Majors Barn, 10 Kansas City-area artisans stepped into the spotlight as AltCap and Strawberry Swing teamed up to host the Emerging…
MidxMidwest returns: Seizing opportunities from one-on-one founder-VC meetups more important than ever, organizers say
It’s a critical time within the startup funding ecosystem, Dan Kerr and Maggie Kenefake agreed, noting the slow tick of investments across the region present a core challenge — and opportunities — to be addressed by this fall’s MidxMidwest event. “If you look at capital, 80 percent went to the biggest three states again, and…
Brookside couple envisions upscale neighborhood escape in former Michael Forbes spot
A couple who first met as servers at a restaurant on the Country Club Plaza are setting the table for a new venture in Brookside: an “elevated” neighborhood bistro and bottle shop that’s expected to open in early 2025. After a light remodeling, Hannah Koenig and Avery Bailey plan to open CRU in late January…
KC Pioneers scored Kansas City a spot on the ‘gaming wave’; why this pro esports teams views its hometown as a championship asset
In the globe-spanning esports market, most of the top competitive gaming teams keep their hometown — if they have one — ambiguous to the public. With the industry expected to touch 1 billion people worldwide by 2029 and players untethered to physical locations, it’s simply an unimportant biographical detail to many. And potentially limiting for others.…