ICYMI: MTC says it’s moving forward with select entrepreneur programs despite steep state funding cuts

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.

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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.”

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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.