Rico Grant, owner of Gallery at Gumbo in Over-the-Rhine.
Corrie Schaffeld | CBC
Main Street Ventures is doling out its latest round of grant funding, selecting six startups for nearly $90,000 in new funding.
Here are the latest recipients:
- Band Connect: A medical device company founded by a University of Cincinnati alum. Band Connect is aiming to begin two regulator-approved clinical trials with an initial focus on chronic and post-acute rehabilitation for mid-back, shoulder and neck conditions.
- Gallery at Gumbo: A part barbershop, part art gallery, Gallery at Gumbo is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Rico Grant. Grant hopes the Over-the-Rhine space will help drive community conversations, with rotating exhibitions.
- HydroLabs: HydroLabs is creating a wearable patch that offers users hydration guidance.
- Tether: Tether aims to be a resource for discovering photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists, videographers, and production specialists in Greater Cincinnati who help organizations create the imagery for magazines, social media feeds and business advertising campaigns.
- Tracks Technology: Tracks Technology invents technology needed to help understand the animals in national zoos, local shelters and your home.
- Smoove Creations: Smoove Creations is a custom sneaker outfit. It is considered one of the most successful companies to emerge from Northern Kentucky University.
Combined, Main Street Ventures supplied $88,099 in total funding. Four of the recipients received launch grants, while two received leap grants, officials said. Main Street Ventures did not disclose which companies received which grant.
Launch grants support companies still designing their product but have evidence of consumer engagement to validate their business model. Leap grants, meanwhile, support businesses making revenue to help scale their community impact and increase the odds of survival.
