Artificial Intelligence
Cleveland-based MorelandConnect has launched FOUNDATION, an AI platform for mid-market companies that unifies business data, delivers instant insights through chat, and enables secure, scalable automation—helping organizations adopt and deploy AI in weeks, not months.
Startups + VC
Cleveland-based Neuronoff raised $4.5M to bring its Injectrode—an injectable, minimally invasive chronic pain treatment—to market by 2026, offering a drug-free, surgery-free alternative to traditional neuromodulation therapies.
Startups + VC
Cleveland Clinic is partnering with DASI Simulations to co-develop an AI “co-pilot” system for heart procedures — using predictive modeling and real-time guidance to enhance safety and precision in TAVR and other structural heart interventions.
Startups + VC
Applications are open for the latest cohort of JumpStart’s Trailblazer Software Accelerator. This three-month program for pre-seed and seed-stage software startups offers up to $275,000 in non-dilutive funding and expert support for scaling.
Startups + VC
Cleveland’s Sonic Fire Tech raised $3.5M from Khosla Ventures and others to scale NASA-inspired infrasound systems that stop fires before they start—using no water, chemicals, or damage. The Ohio startup is aiming for 50 pilot installations by 2026 as wildfires grow more extreme nationwide.
Corprorate Innovation
Cleveland Clinic is teaming up with Silicon Valley’s Khosla Ventures in a new collaboration designed to fast-track the future of healthcare innovation. The partnership links Ohio’s world-class medical research and clinical expertise with one of the nation’s top venture firms.
Workforce + Education
A new robotics initiative in Cleveland Metropolitan School District classrooms was launched. The Experiential Robotics Platform (XRP) places over 1,000 low-cost robotics kits in schools, exposing students to coding, 3D printing, and engineering to prepare them for an AI-transformed economy.
Startups + VC
The energy of Ohio’s venture ecosystem was on display at Ohio VC Fest 2025 in Cleveland. Hosted by JumpStart, the two-day gathering united founders, investors, and leaders to spark connections and highlight Ohio's rapidly growing role as a key center for venture capital and innovation.
Startups + VC
Cleveland-based Splash Financial has secured more than $70 million in Series C funding, a round that highlights both the company’s rapid growth and the increasing role of Ohio-based capital in scaling local startups. The investment comes as Splash launches a new home equity line of credit (HELOC)
Startups + VC
JumpStart’s Ohio VC Fest is back in Cleveland this week, September 16–17. The two-day event brings together hundreds of founders, investors, and leaders for dealmaking, conversations, and collaboration. Why it matters VC Fest, in its third year, has become one of the Midwest’s signature gatherings for
Spotlights
JumpStart's CEO, Lorne Novick, sees Ohio VC Fest as key for creating "collisions" between founders and funders. The Cleveland event showcases Ohio's promising startups, helping entrepreneurs secure meetings and ensuring capital and opportunity flow through the state's growing economy.
Cleveland
[caption id align="alignnone" width="6967"] Anthony Joy, CIO of Cleveland Metroparks [/caption] Most people hear “parks” and think of hiking trails and picnic tables. But Anthony Joy, the first-ever Chief Information Officer for Cleveland Metroparks, sees something much more complex: a 25,000-acre