Ohio State opens San Francisco innovation hub to connect midwest startups with VC capital
The Third Coast Foundry creates a Silicon Valley foothold for university-backed startups, offering direct access to investors, programming and partnerships while aiming to keep company growth, talent and operations anchored in the region.
The Ohio State University is expanding its startup footprint to Silicon Valley, joining a coalition of Midwest research institutions to open a shared innovation hub aimed at connecting founders with investors and partners.
The Third Coast Foundry officially opened June 23 in San Francisco’s South Park neighborhood, a 3,500-square-foot space positioned in the middle of one of the country’s most active venture capital and AI corridors.
University leaders say the goal is straightforward: give Midwest startups a direct line to coastal capital without relocating their companies.
“Third Coast Foundry is both a physical presence and a bridge between the Bay Area and the Midwest,” said Shereen Agrawal, Ohio State’s associate vice president of student innovation and entrepreneurship.
The hub brings together nine major research universities, including Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, Purdue, University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin and Washington University in St. Louis. Collectively, they represent nearly $10 billion in annual research spending and a talent pipeline of more than 300,000 students.
For Ohio State, the move reflects a broader push to commercialize research and keep startup growth anchored in the region while tapping into larger funding networks.
The opening event included a Midwest Deep Tech Demo Day featuring early-stage companies emerging from university labs.
Ohio State-affiliated startups showcased included:
- Empower Battery, developing next-generation electric vehicle battery technology.
- ForgeNest, an advanced manufacturing AI and robotics company built on licensed Ohio State research.
- RedNOx, a climate tech startup commercializing solid-state nitrogen oxide sensors.
- Relantic, an enterprise AI company founded by Ohio State researchers and alumni.
The facility will host investor meetings, programming and alumni events, including participation from students in Ohio State’s Summer Catalyst entrepreneurship program.
The bigger opportunity
Midwest universities consistently produce high volumes of research and spinout activity, but founders often face challenges accessing early-stage venture capital. Third Coast Foundry is designed to close that gap—creating a physical landing point in Silicon Valley while keeping companies rooted in the Midwest.
