Artificial Intelligence
A new workforce academy will train electricians, plumbers and fiber technicians with stipends, credentials and direct job pathways. The effort targets a growing labor gap as data center expansion accelerates across key states, including Ohio.
Startups + VC
Spun out of Ohio's veteran venture studio, this new independent, for-profit firm aims to bridge the coastal funding gap by targeting enterprise AI, deep tech, and life sciences. Backed by a strong Central Ohio network, the team delivers critical talent, customers, and execution strategy.
Healthcare
A mulit-city expansion marks the regional execution of Hikma’s $1B onshore strategy, positioning the Ohio Discovery Corridor as a primary firewall against critical U.S. drug shortages while reinforcing the Midwest's rise in advanced biopharma manufacturing.
Capital + Deals
The Lausanne-based preemptive identity security company is expanding into North America as the first international portfolio addition for Ratmir Timashev’s venture platform. Under the partnership, local operators will run stateside marketing and sales from Central Ohio.
Workforce + Education
The defense tech company has opened recruitment for its "Barracuda" air-breathing autonomous air vehicle lines. Newly hired technical teams will deploy to Ashville's massive Arsenal-1 campus to stand up the company's third active manufacturing line by winter 2026.
Startups + VC
More than half of Central Ohio’s 55 venture deals in 2025 involved Rev1-backed companies. Led by growth in AI, software, and life sciences, the regional ecosystem continues to secure meaningful exits and concentrate activity around anchor institutions like Rev1.
Capital + Deals
The evergreen platform added 18 new institutional and private investors in Q1, expanding its total backer base to 155 across the state. Total active deployment reached $217M across 33 multi-asset investments, including a $25M manufacturing expansion.
Statewide Roundups
From a 249-person gathering in Cleveland to 827 leaders in Columbus, the milestone data points reveal how the state's flagship tech conference has expanded. The multi-state draw brought together 55 speakers, 30+ sponsors, and a waitlist that grew into triple digits.
Capital + Deals
The Columbus private equity firm is backing the Miamisburg engineer’s growth strategy through regional hiring and targeted M&A. The deal aims to accelerate AI, software, and advanced automation deployment for Fortune 100 industrial manufacturers like Cargill and Nestlé.
Statewide Roundups
The fifth annual Ohio Tech Summit drew 827 founders, operators, investors, and policymakers to Ohio State — sold out, with travelers in from Pittsburgh to Denver. Inside a day on applied AI, re-industrialization, and the Ohio companies turning the state's structural advantages into products.
Partner Content
Columbus-based Aplos Data emerged from stealth as a Platinum Sponsor of the Ohio Tech Summit. Specializing in Palantir Technologies, the firm unifies fragmented tools into a single operational layer, helping organizations "Operate as One" through real-world AI implementation.
Statewide Roundups
The 2026 Ohio Tech Summit brings together Fortune 500 executives, investors, and founders at The Ohio State University on May 14. Featuring leaders from Nationwide, Path Robotics, and a keynote by Ratmir Timashev, the sold-out event explores the future of AI and re-industrialization.