Advanced Manufacturing
The Columbus-based welding AI company signed an MOU with HII, the nation's largest military shipbuilder, to bring autonomous welding to Navy shipyards. It's the second shipbuilding deal in a week for the startup, which has raised more than $300 million to modernize American manufacturing.
Spotlights
Forget the AI hype cycle. Ohio’s tech leaders are moving toward implementation, focusing on agentic workflows, energy infrastructure, and applied AI in regulated industries. From manufacturing to healthcare, the focus is on ROI and high-stakes deployment. Discover what’s next for the ecosystem.
Financial Services
Erebor Bank just became the first newly chartered national bank of Trump's second term — with $635 million in VC capital to finance defense-tech and hard tech, from a headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. It's the biggest bet yet on a post-SVB banking landscape.
Ratmir Timashev is funding dedicated sales teams for 100 of the world’s best B2B software startups — built and paid for in Columbus — with a target of 2,000 new tech workers in the city within five years.
One year after Palmer Luckey promised to bring "hyperscale" defense manufacturing to central Ohio, the vision is becoming concrete reality. Arsenal-1's first autonomous jets will roll off the line by Q2—a timeline that would've been impossible just a decade ago.
The new $60M fund is backed by nearly 1,000 Midwest industrial owners and aims to modernize America’s legacy sectors. Heartland flips the VC script by using factory bosses as investors, giving startups built-in customers to solve the region's labor gap.
Ohio’s future isn’t just a concept—it has names. We narrowed triple-digit submissions to the top 25 innovators 35 and under. From AI to medtech and beyond, these leaders are bridging the gap between legacy strength and the digital frontier. Meet the 2025 class defining Ohio’s next chapter.
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Vixiv CEO Aaron Chow uses machine learning to automate lattice generation, creating parts that are simultaneously lighter and stronger. His Cincinnati-based technology bridges the gap between design and production, helping manufacturers optimize components and solve the skills gap.
The Columbus-based welding AI company is bringing its tech to the shipyard floor through a new collaboration with Saronic, the autonomous vessel maker that's betting software-led manufacturing can crack the U.S. shipbuilding capacity problem.
Ratmir Timashev is funding dedicated sales teams for 100 of the world’s best B2B software startups — built and paid for in Columbus — with a target of 2,000 new tech workers in the city within five years.
Deloitte’s Braden Thompson highlights Ohio as a public sector leader in future-proofing digital architecture. By migrating legacy systems to the cloud and utilizing human-centered design, the state has transformed the OHID platform into an award-winning portal serving 8 million residents.
Four OhioX leaders name the tech trend that will shape Ohio most over the next 18 months. Their answers all point to one theme: AI's real impact won't come from the technology itself — but from how organizations deploy it.
This Cleveland startup uses NASA-inspired infrasound technology to neutralize wildfires without water or chemicals. Named a CES 2026 Innovation Award Honoree, Sonic Fire Tech leverages Ohio’s manufacturing base to scale its revolutionary acoustic suppression systems.
Project Medtech founder Duane Mancini helps startups navigate the "Valley of Death" by bridging the gap between medical discovery and commercial success. His Cleveland-based firm provides the regulatory, clinical, and financial strategy needed to turn Ohio into a global entry point for health tech.
Congress approved $9.5M in federal funding for Columbus State's Ohio Center for Advanced Technologies, completing a $60M financing package for the 100,000 sq. ft. facility. OCAT will train workers in advanced manufacturing, biotech, and IT as employer demand surges across central Ohio.
Ohio's transformation from potential to performance is accelerating. From a $4.35B fintech challenger to autonomous jets shipping this spring, here's what happened across the state in recent weeks—featuring the founders and leaders building the future in the Heartland.
Srini Koushik argues that AI Fluency, not just literacy, is the only defense against systemic risk. By moving beyond "machine-speak" to a native understanding, leaders can use a 5-pillar framework to navigate "unknown unknowns" and re-architect competitive strategy.
As enterprises struggle to control AI and cloud spending in real time, this Cincinnati startup's $4.45M raise signals a shift from passive dashboards to autonomous intervention—positioning the region as a hub for AI infrastructure governance.
Federal policy shifts threaten massive coverage losses by late 2026. The AI firm founded by Explorys' Steve McHale just raised a Series A to keep vulnerable populations enrolled—using agentic AI to navigate bureaucratic friction.
