Cincinnati startup booster Main Street Ventures has awarded a fresh wave of grants to companies looking to grow in the region.
The nonprofit, which provides equity-free funding, gave $224,592 worth of grants to 14 local startups and entrepreneurs during its third quarter grant cycle. The count includes three recipients from Launch It: Cincy, its summer-long program for undergraduate student founders.
The funds are split into two pools, Leap and Launch funding, and the recipients include tech startups and food businesses, among others. Since 2018, Main Street Ventures has distributed more than $3 million to more than 100 companies across the region.
“Every quarter, we are continuously energized by all of the small business owners we see who are working hard to turn their ideas into flourishing businesses, and this quarter was no exception,” Abby Ober, director of engagement at Main Street Ventures, said in a release.
Launch funding provides emerging, pre-revenue businesses at the prototype or product stage with $5,000 to $10,000 to increase the odds of reaching the market entry stage and beyond. Main Street Ventures does not disclose exact grant amounts.
Five companies received Launch grants, including:
- Aitrtrek Robotics, which creates robotic solutions to automate airport ground handling activities.
- Bailout Systems, a technology company developing a patented hands-free technology for the fall safety industry. Target customers include firefighters, military, rock climbers, arborists and more.
- Karneyium, an artificial intelligence-powered geographic information system that accelerates and democratizes clinical trials by unlocking new, untapped and underserved markets in the United States.
- Together Digital, a national network of women who work in digital marketing, advertising and tech who choose to share their knowledge, power and connections.
- Cereal Box Studio, a graphic and publication design studio, print shop and small press that supports clients in producing and publishing hand-crafted print editions utilizing risograph print techniques.
Leap funding, meanwhile, is for revenue-generating businesses. The grants range from $10,000 to $30,000 to scale and increase the odds of survival.
Six companies received Leap grants, including:
- Bosa, a community-powered goal management app that helps users collect, collaborate on and complete their goals. Bosa is an Ocean Accelerator alum and a Cincy Inno 2023 Startup to Watch.
- Concerted, a nonprofit tech platform that hopes to increase civic and community engagement while increasing access to live music and entertainment. Users can bank volunteer hours and then cash those in for free concert tickets and more.
- Safewave Technology, which provides the deaf and hard of hearing community with vibration-based safety and communication alerting at their workplace and homes. Safewave is a SoCap Accelerate graduate.
- Laughing Bees, a maker of locally sourced honey treats, including the World’s Best Honey Caramels, Gourmet Krispie Treats and more.
- Cream + Sugar Coffeehouse, a Black-owned coffee shop in based in Evanston that serves coffee, breakfast and lunch with a focus on locally sourced and plant-based ingredients.
- Davis & Biddle Properties, a Black woman-owned business opening a commissary kitchen in Price Hill.
Three additional companies received Launch It: Cincy grants. The program, founded in 2021 and now in its second year, provides the opportunity for undergraduate founders to spend the summer living, working and exploring Cincinnati, while building their small businesses.
Recipients included:
- Coarse Culture, a self-care company that specializes in whipped shea butter products.
- Noshable, a tech-enabled, grocery delivery service that allows for groceries to be pre-stocked in the fridge/pantry of short-term rentals for guests.
- Ryn, a mobile app that helps reduce the stress of getting dressed by leveraging AI to provide users with personalized outfit recommendations using their own clothes.
The grants were made possible in part due to funding support from Ohio Third Frontier, Cincinnati city council American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Hubert Family Foundation, the McDonald Family Foundation and the Northern Kentucky Entrepreneurship Fund in collaboration with Blue North and Horizon Community Funds.
