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
This Kansas gardener sued to sell fruit and honey; Now her town will allow urban farming
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Ottawa city officials are trying to strike a balance between people who want to produce food and the interests of their…
Godfrey Riddle wants to build you a home; How Civic Saint’s eco-friendly bricks could reshape the foundation of affordable housing
Winning $55,000 in a recent national LGBT pitch competition provides Godfrey Riddle the building blocks for a hard pivot — shifting the focus of his lifestyle company Civic Saint from handmade retail goods to earthen bricks used to sustainably create artful, affordable homes. “Affordable housing is a problem I’ve been pondering since my family lost…
KC Cattle Company steaks its reputation on wagyu hot dogs; Why this rural MO business enlists veterans on its new mission
WESTON, Missouri — Patrick Montgomery struggled to find his way after his service in the U.S. Army, he said. Now on a new mission — his venture KC Cattle Company — Montgomery is helping other veterans at a similar crossroads. “The military does some things really well and they do some things really poorly,” he…
KC-area startup earns spot in first-ever AWS accelerator for emerging GovTech companies
A Lee’s Summit-based startup focused on developing tech for the criminal justice industry has been selected for Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) inaugural GovTech Accelerator cohort. eHawk — led by co-founders Bart Cooper and Ted Green, a former bail bondsman and trial attorney — is one of 13 companies tapped for the program. The Kansas City-built…