UPDATED Aug. 8, 2023
The success of a startup can often rely on finding the right help when needed. That might be a key investor, accelerator program or support group that helps a young company achieve its next stage of growth. For entrepreneurs, a city’s ecosystem — the community of startups, funding mechanisms and support groups that serve that region — matters.
This “ecosystem at a glance” guide is designed to provide an introduction to the startup ecosystem in St. Louis for those new entrepreneurs and can be a refresher to veteran startup founders needing a reminder of the region’s resources. It details the startups, investors, accelerators, innovation hubs, schools and entrepreneur support groups that define the region’s technology and innovation fields. This guide will continue to be updated with new names as St. Louis’ innovation economy grows.
Here’s your guide to the startup ecosystem in St. Louis.
Notable companies
Balto: "Balto unites agents and supervisors with AI to power better agent performance. Agents and managers trust Balto's real-time guidance to prevent missed sales opportunities, costly compliance."
C2N Diagnostics: "Developing and accelerating novel diagnostics and therapies for Alzheimer’s disease."
Capacity: "An AI-powered support automation platform that connects your entire tech stack to answer questions, automate repetitive support tasks, and build solutions to any business challenge."
Clever Real Estate: "Clever helps people make smarter real estate decisions and save money."
Denim Social: "A social media management company that provides publishing, advertising, and compliance for financial services companies."
EmpowerMe Wellness: "Committed to transforming health care in senior living, EmpowerMe Wellness is relentless in our pursuit of opportunities to improve the lives of seniors. As a fully integrated health care provider, we offer exceptional on-site therapy, diagnostic lab testing, and pharmacy services."
FinLocker: “A secure personal financial management tool that aggregates and analyzes a consumer’s financial data to provide a customized journey for the consumer to achieve loan eligibility for a mortgage and other financial transactions.”
Intramotev: "Intramotev has developed an autonomous freight car that can be used in standard railroad interchange service."
MediBeacon: “A medical technology company specializing in the advances of fluorescent tracer agents and transdermal measurement."
OptiFunder: "A fully-integrated and automated warehouse management system for mortgage originators."
Pluton Biosciences: "At Pluton Biosciences, novel microbes are tapped for their commercial possibilities as we develop solutions for agriculture and climate."
SimpleRose: "We use ground-breaking methods to solve large, complex business optimization problems and provide the fastest, most reliable results."
SteadyMD: "Powers high-quality telehealth experiences for digital health care companies, labs, pharmacies, large employers, and other health care innovators."
Summersalt: "A generation-defining apparel brand, providing wardrobe essentials for women who are going places."
TCARE: "Powered by high-tech and human touch, TCARE supports caregivers through the complexities of caregiving to help health plans, employers, and families get to a place of better care.
Wugen: “Developing off-the-shelf cellular therapies for cancer.”
Higher education institutions
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Venture investors
Ascend Venture Capital: "A St. Louis-based venture capital firm focusing on data-centric technology."
Ascension Ventures: "A strategic healthcare venture fund and innovation catalyst with more than $1 billion in capital under management. Venture and growth equity investments in healthcare information technology and services, and medical devices and diagnostics."
BioGenerator: “Creates and grows innovative companies through its two complementary approaches — investing through BioGenerator Ventures and comprehensive startup support through BioGenerator Labs. The parent of BioGenerator is BioSTL.”
Capital Innovators: “Provides Seed and Series A venture investments into attractive high-growth startup companies in verticals including technology and consumer products that are ready to scale through its strategic guidance and network.”
Cultivation Capital: “A venture capital firm that manages a family of funds focused on early-stage investing. Most of our initial investments are during a startup’s Seed or Series A phase, and our initial checks range from $100k – $3.5M. Our industries of focus include life sciences and health tech, software and IT, agriculture tech, and geospatial tech.”
Enterprise Holdings Ventures: "Enterprise Holdings Ventures operates within Enterprise Holdings. We are strategic venture capital investors committed to supporting emerging transportation technologies, platforms and innovations designed to improve our lives through mobility and transportation."
FINTOP Capital: "A team of entrepreneurs that built the foundations of fintech. Our firm invests in the next generation of FinTech operators that are changing the way our financial institutions and their customers move, track, and interact with money."
iSelect Fund: "iSelect is not just a venture capital fund, it is a network of innovators, problem solvers and investors thinking differently about big problems in food, health and nutrition."
Lewis & Clark AgriFood: “As a late-stage, growth equity-focused fund, we arrive in the sweet spot between seed/early stage and the buyout phase, minimizing risk and maximizing return.”
Lewis & Clark Ventures: "Partnering with visionary founders to build iconic B2B software companies. Lewis & Clark Ventures is an early stage venture firm managed by former founders and operators. We invest in late seed through Series A companies."
Prolog Ventures: “We back startups focused on supporting healthy lives in a healthy world.”
RiverVest Venture Partners: "A leading venture capital firm building life science companies to address significant unmet needs of patients and deliver consistently strong results to investors."
SixThirty: "A global venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies at the intersection of health, wealth and privacy. Our unique platform brings startups and institutions together to collaborate, creating a force multiplier for both."
St. Louis Arch Angels: “We are a select group of accredited investors with diverse expertise and experience, seeking high potential start-up ventures drawn from the St. Louis startup ecosystem to fund and support, resulting in success of our funded companies and out-sized returns for our members and corporate partners.”
Yield Lab: "At The Yield Lab, we've made it our mission to enable entrepreneurs to sustainably revolutionize agrifood systems. We do this by investing in and accelerating high-impact early-stage companies all around the world."
Accelerators and Incubators
Capital Innovators: "Provides seed funding, mentorship, resources and connections through its unique high-touch accelerator, which has scaled over 180 startups from around the globe."
WEPOWER Accelerator: "A 10-week entrepreneurship development program for Black & Latinx entrepreneurs. Through the Accelerator, we support founders with curriculum, connections, community, and access to capital through grants. We also support founders with interest-free loans in partnership with Kiva and a founder-focused investment fund."
MedLaunch: "MEDLaunch is a student-driven, biomedical and entrepreneurship incubator in the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship at Saint Louis University. The program is the product of collaborative efforts between the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, School of Law, Chaifetz School of Business, School of Science and Engineering and College for Public Health and Social Justice."
Sling Health STL: “A student-run health care accelerator that brings together health care professionals and students from numerous university programs to develop and commercialize solutions to real-world healthcare problems.”
Diverse Business Accelerator at Greater St. Louis, Inc.:"The Diverse Business Accelerator is for ethnically, racially, and gender-diverse business owners looking to advance their enterprise’s capacity to grow. In the span of three months, program participants will learn how to develop actionable business expansion goals, market, and communicate their services, make meaningful business connections, and identify the capital and resources required to support growth."
Stadia Ventures: "The accelerator is designed to launch sports and esports startups to the next level, through the combination of investment, mentoring, and connections to top industry executives in North America and across the world."
UMSL Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Accelerator: “A first-of-its kind program that puts underrepresented entrepreneurs at the center of a purpose-driven, university-led accelerator that begins with a non-dilutive $50,000 capital injection.”
Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator: "We work toward a low carbon future by advancing clean and sustainable technologies on their paths to market. And we provide a proven and risk-reduced opportunity for corporate and investor engagement."
Major innovation hubs
39 North Agtech Innovation District: "39 North recognizes that St. Louis has an opportunity to leverage its proximity to farms and food producers, its world-class research institutions, and its vibrant innovation sector to create, attract, and retain the most promising agri-food tech innovators to feed, fuel, and build the future. In 39 North we are working to create a more secure, agile and sustainable world."
Cortex Innovation Community: “A vibrant, 200-acre hub of business, innovation, and technology integrated into St. Louis' historic Central West End and Forest Park Southeast neighborhoods, surrounded by nationally-ranked universities and medical centers and abundant cultural and recreational assets.”
T-REX: “An innovation and entrepreneur development facility dedicated to strengthening the economic vitality of St. Louis.”
OPO Startups: "An innovation hub and co-working center for digital startups. Anchored by the renovated 1909 'Old Post Office' and including six additional surrounding buildings, the campus provides over 50,000 square feet of space in Historic Downtown Saint Charles. OPO offers affordable workspace and access to mentors, potential investors, programming, educational resources, and a community of local entrepreneurs."
Entrepreneur/startup support groups and industry groups
1 Million Cups St. Louis: "A weekly event for entrepreneurs to present their startups to the innovation community at CIC @ Center for Emerging Technologies."
API Innovation Center: "A non-profit organization dedicated to enabling the delivery of market-competitive commercial supply of U.S.-made Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to address critical needs in the healthcare supply chain while fostering job growth throughout the St. Louis region.
Arch Grants: "Through our unique and groundbreaking annual Startup Competition model, we provide up to $100,000 in equity-free grants and access to an ecosystem of resources, helping early-stage startups grow and scale."
BioSTL: “BioSTL has introduced nationally-acclaimed initiatives in startup creation and investment (BioGenerator), strategic business attraction (GlobalSTL), physical environment (including the Cortex Innovation District and BioGenerator Labs), entrepreneur support (BioSTL Fundamentals), seed and venture capital, a diverse and inclusive workforce, and public policy.”
Center for Emerging Technologies: “The largest and oldest Innovation Center in Missouri. CET is nationally recognized for providing the infrastructure and resources needed for early-stage, high-growth companies in the fields of information technology, bioscience and consumer/manufactures products to innovate and thrive.”
Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship: "Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship within the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business helps entrepreneurs combine their passion with business skills to produce high-performing organizations."
Economic Development Council of St. Charles County: "The EDC’s mission is to be a catalyst fostering growth, so businesses, institutions, communities and individuals succeed in St. Charles County and the St. Louis region. Its award-winning services include business attraction and expansion, business financing, business incubation, business counseling and training, community marketing and public policy initiatives."
Minority Entrepreneurship Collaborative Center for Advancement (MECCA) at Harris-Stowe State University: "Serves as a hub of campus and community entrepreneurial activities fostering the growth of emerging entrepreneurs and cultivating the next generation of entrepreneurs from minority and under-resourced communities as future business owners."
Missouri Technology Corp.: “A public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to promote entrepreneurship and foster the growth of new and emerging high-tech companies."
MoSourceLink: "Helps aspiring startups and established businesses find the right business resources to start, scale or accelerate."
NEXT Missouri: "A statewide advocacy coalition dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs, driving economic growth, and creating jobs in Missouri."
SCORE St. Louis: "SCORE St. Louis mentors are highly successful and seasoned business professionals and entrepreneurs with the experience and knowledge to help you achieve your small business goals."
Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship: “We have opportunities and resources to support entrepreneurs from idea to launch and beyond. We are dedicated to providing programs, services, and opportunities for all members of the (Washington University) community.”
SLUStart I-Corps: "Designed to help academic researchers, community inventors and innovators, and aspiring entrepreneurs in the St. Louis region extend their focus beyond academia, the laboratory, and the workshop so that they create successful products and services that deliver real value.”
St. Louis Mosaic Project: "An initiative of the non-profit World Trade Center-St. Louis and managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, works specifically to connect foreign-born entrepreneurs to resources and mentors that can help them start, grow, and scale their business."
STEMSTL: "A collaborative consortium committed to equitable access to high-quality STEM learning and employment opportunities for all learners in the St. Louis Metro region."
Taylor Geospatial Institute: "Serves as the central hub of the most comprehensive and holistic geospatial research community on Earth. Located in St. Louis, MO, the TGI comprises eight of the Midwest’s outstanding research institutions."
TechSTL: "Modeling the core value of inclusivity in innovation, TechSTL is democratizing membership to build the largest, most diverse – and therefore strongest – tech council in North America."
The BALSA Foundation: “The BALSA Foundation’s mission is to promote social equity and prosperity in the St. Louis region by empowering first-time entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.
The Global Center for Cybersecurity at Cortex: "A not-for-profit membership collective using a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging lens to foster workforce development, collaboration, and innovation in the cybersecurity industry.
The Yield Lab Institute: "The Yield Lab Institute drives sustainable agrifood tech innovation, globally. We believe that sustainably feeding the growing global population will require an increase in diverse innovation, entrepreneurs and startups in the area of agrifood technology."
Venture Cafe St. Louis: "Venture Café St. Louis connects a community of innovators and entrepreneurs through freely accessible high-impact programming and events."
Did we miss a company or organization that should be on the list? Let us know by emailing nrubbelke@bizjournals.com.
