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
They’re plating my jam! How a homecoming dance inspired this teen’s charcuterie business with family on board
Curating colorful boards of meats, cheeses, nuts and fruits always came natural to Bella Messmer, she shared; it wasn’t until after she started her charcuterie business that she learned that passion was passed down from her grandmother. “In the ’70s, Bella’s grandmother would host these lavish parties among other Miami socialites, and she would make…
We’re all going to die: What’s more inclusive than death? asks KC’s favorite doomed streetwear brand
Wasteland Society is for the strange; those who believe that there’s no such thing as “normal”; people who recognize the reality that sadness is part of life, and that’s OK, the duo behind the irreverent apparel company detailed. “Whenever people ask us what we stand for, I always say existentialism with inclusion,” said Peter Nonprasit,…
10 startups tapped for K-State accelerator; heavy emphasis on KC founders (and a chance at $100K in grants)
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Half of the entrepreneurs in a new K-State accelerator cohort hail from Kansas City with other founders joining from Topeka, Wichita and across the nation. The Kansas State University College of Business Administration has selected 10 high-potential startup ventures for participation in the Center for Entrepreneurship Accelerator program. The program is intended…
MO cannabis, MO workers: Businesses staff up as Show-Me marijuana market glows cherry
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the KC 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. COLUMBIA, Missouri — Marijuana employers across the state are hiring a flood of new…