Press release: Main Street Ventures awards over $222k in grants to local entrepreneurs
Main Street Ventures, a local nonprofit that provides equity-free funding to entrepreneurs and startups in eight counties within the Tri-State region, has awarded grants totaling $222,246 to 12 local entrepreneurs during its first grant cycle of 2024 for Leap and Launch funding, as well as through the Cincinnati State Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses x Main Street Ventures Pitch Event.
“Last year we invested more than $1 million in funding to support more than 60 entrepreneurs,” said Sean Parker, Executive Director of Main Street Ventures. “We are excited to announce the first round of grant recipients in our 25th anniversary year of supporting local entrepreneurs and startups. By investing in these companies, we are investing in the future of Greater Cincinnati. Armed with resources, funding and support, we look forward to the next 25 years as these companies expand, innovate and elevate their businesses and our region.”
Launch Funding provides emerging, pre-revenue businesses at the prototype or product stage with $5,000 to $10,000 of equity-free funding to increase the odds of reaching the market entry stage and beyond. Leap Funding provides promising, revenue-generating businesses with $10,000 to $30,000 of equity-free funding to scale their community impact and increase the odds of survival.
The companies receiving Launch Funding are:
Almost V’Gan is an upscale restaurant and lounge that will provide a vibrant new atmosphere for people in the downtown Cincinnati area.
Common Kin is a brand focused on delivering elegant design solutions with limited space in mind, leading with its first product focused on an all-in-one cookware set.
The companies receiving Leap Funding are:
Cincy Carbon (formerly Vale Technologies) builds and designs carbon dioxide conversion devices through carbon capture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make new sustainable chemicals.
Cool Comforts develops innovative products to address women’s unmet feminine care needs.
Holm is revolutionizing website building for the modern entrepreneur by combining the set-up of link-in-bio sites with the depth and functionality of traditional websites.
Inflow is an AI-powered design platform that streamlines the design process for fast-moving businesses.
Mimi’s Macros offers home delivery of fresh and healthy meals.
Noxsano leverages proprietary technology for therapeutic delivery of nitric oxide to provide advanced wound care solutions for the veterinary and human healthcare markets.
Objectif Alchemy Studios is a bespoke framing and design studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Opal Haus is a community-centric venue in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, fostering connections, celebrations, and empowering programs for women, thereby enhancing community cohesion and social engagement.
Taste on Elm is a café, specialty food market, and wine shop in Ludlow, Kentucky.
For the third year, Main Street Ventures provided funding for a collaborative pitch competition for Cincinnati State Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Participants from the cohort pitched their projects to the Main Street Ventures team to receive industry feedback. The winner of the pitch competition receives a Leap Grant from Main Street Ventures.
The Cincinnati State Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses Pitch Competition Grant Recipient is:
The Lil Goodie Shoppe is a seasonal soft-serve ice cream shop open March – September.
“We are deeply honored to be the first business in Dearborn County to receive a Main Street Ventures grant,” said Brittany O’Bryan, founder of The Opal Haus. “This funding will significantly enhance our ability to engage the community and support diverse events.”
Applications for the next cycle of Launch and Leap funding will open in July.
These grants were made possible, in part, due to funding support from Ohio Third Frontier, the Hubert Family Foundation, the McDonald Family Foundation, The P&G Fund, Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust, and the Northern Kentucky Entrepreneurship Fund in collaboration with Blue North and Horizon Community Funds.
