Chicago-based AI-powered software company that is addressing the reverse-logistical challenges faced by B2B distributors and manufacturers announces Pre-Seed round. Chicago, IL, April 23, 2024 — Continuum, a pioneering technology firm specializing in digital networks for B2B distributors and manufacturers, announces the successful closure of an oversubscribed $1.7 million pre-seed funding round. This financial milestone marks a significant commitment to enhancing digital transformation beyond traditional ecommerce. “We’ve seen firsthand the rapid advance in customer experience and effici ..read more

The Mill, based in Bloomington, IN, announced that applications are open for Code/IT Academy. The Mill announced that applications are open for Code/IT Academy, a free 10-week training to grow Indiana’s tech talent pool and help Hoosiers access higher-paying jobs in the digital economy. Thanks to a $1,370,325 grant awarded from the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), Code/IT Academy is in the midst of a 10-county expansion in the Indiana Uplands region. As of today, applications are accepted from residents of Monroe, Crawford, Washington, Daviess, Orange, a ..read more

It’s time for the projections slide. Find more helpful tips from Brett: Demystifying the Go-to-Market slide. This is a guest post from Brett Brohl, Managing Partner at Bread & Butter Ventures. View the original post here. We’re continuing our series that deep dives into the individual slides that comprise a seed stage pitch deck. In today’s post, I’m going to dissect the projections slide — an important element that offers visibility into how you believe your startup will scale. This slide tends to be all over the place! I have seen everything from a screenshot of an excel sprea ..read more

Showing Springfield, MO like never before: Eway. This is a guest post from Missouri State University’s efactory. View the original post here. Marquez Williams always had an entrepreneurial mindset and knew he wanted to start his own business. But he wasn’t exactly sure what kind of business he wanted to run. He started a t-shirt business, a moving company, and even started an Uber-like service before it was “Uber.” Then the road to Eway, LLC just opened up for him. Williams and his brother, Trey Northern, visited Tulsa, OK. There, they noticed a new means of transportation in t ..read more

We’re kicking off our fourth annual Midwest Madness tournament! Which of these Midwest cities will take the cake in 2024? Make sure to follow along on X and LinkedIn to find out. Fear not, your favorite spring event has returned: March Ma….Midwest Madness! Four years in and we’re prepping for the best season yet. Brought to you by the team at Midwest Startups and M25, we pit the cities from our annual Midwest City Rankings against each other in a fun, competitive bracket-style tournament for Midwest Startups glory. On top of that, we’ll select one Community Champion—someone who has emerge ..read more

For the 2024 Render Competition we are deploying $1.2M all in one night. Our Render Capital competition will be only one event out of a power packed 48 hours of capital, content, and connections. This is a guest post from Render Capital. View the original post here. When you think of Kentucky — what is the first thing you think of? Venture capital? Probably not. More than likely, you think of bourbon and the Kentucky Derby. Our team at Render Capital is changing the venture capital landscape of Southern Indiana, Louisville, and Kentucky as a whole by being headquartered here. In fact (las ..read more

Improving lives by improving water: Former Fortune 500 Executive and scientists launch new ingredient brand Chicago-based Hydrosome Labs launches new water solution to deliver active ingredients to cells more efficiently and completely. An innovative start-up, Hydrosome Labs, with an experienced team combining scientists, advisors, and businesspeople from the likes of Nestle, Chobani, Procter & Gamble, Argonne National Labs, and Goldman Sachs, has developed a natural and chemical-free process improving the power of water through the emerging science of ultrafine bubbles. The innovative pro ..read more

mHUB announces 2024 HardTech Summit and Fourth Revolution Awards to celebrate the Midwest innovation ecosystem. This is a guest post from the team at mHUB. View the original post here. Leading innovation center for hardtech and manufacturing mHUB has announced the dates for its highly anticipated 2024 HardTech Summit and 7th Annual Fourth Revolution Awards. This dynamic two-day event is set to unite hardtech entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and industry, fostering a vibrant celebration of the burgeoning Midwest innovation ecosystem. Kicking off the festivities on the evening of Wednes ..read more

Chipp, a North Dakota-based AI startup, announces $800K pre-seed. Fargo, ND February 20, 2024 — Chipp, an enablement tool that allows a broader range of builders to build and monetize AI applications, raised an $800k pre-seed round led by M25 with participation from Rex Salisbury’s Cambrian Ventures and North Dakota-based gener8tor 1889. AI is quickly reshaping industries, influencing our daily lives and ushering in a new era of innovation. It’s easier than ever to use and play with AI; however, it’s harder to get real business value from it. Since so much effort has been devoted to the devel ..read more

Demystifying the Go-to-Market slide It’s time to tackle another piece of a seed pitch deck — the Go-To-Market (GTM) slide. Find more helpful tips from Brett: Unlocking the market opportunity slide in your pitch deck. This is a guest post from Brett Brohl, Managing Partner at Bread & Butter Ventures. View the original post here. Some startups fail to include this slide in their deck, costing them another great opportunity to differentiate your company and allow potential investors into your head. The best GTM slides help visualize how you plan on bringing in revenue, sales and marketin ..read more