Startups + VC
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.
Advanced Manufacturing
The semi-autonomous fighter, built for the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, took 126 days to assemble on a line that started three months ahead of schedule and can produce up to 150 aircraft a year — 143 workers hired in under 12 months are first of future 4,000 people on site.
Startups + VC
Powered by a double opt-in matchmaking tool, this fourth annual gathering extends meeting blocks to 20 minutes for nearly 1,000 attendees. Expanded corporate innovation teams join the Huntington Convention Center floor to offer direct pilots, partnerships, and customer relationships.
Startups + VC
SpaceX alumni behind 1872 are using one of Ohio’s largest seed rounds to build an AI-native factory model for energy, utility and industrial customers, aiming to cut steel fabrication lead times from months to weeks with software, robotics and physical AI.
Startups + VC
Columbus-based RWX has expanded its partnership with Ratmir Timashev’s OH.io, marking the platform’s first deal with a local startup. OH.io will run RWX’s go-to-market engine under a revenue-share model, allowing the CI/CD cloud infrastructure team to focus on product development.
Advanced Manufacturing
The O.H.I.O. Fund has launched Ohio 4.0, a statewide campaign framing the state’s manufacturing roots as its greatest asset in the age of physical AI. The initiative argues Ohio is positioned to lead the nation's next economic era as supply chains reshore.
Startups + VC
Cleveland-based Auxilium Health closed an oversubscribed $3.4 million seed round to move its Aer biomaterial platform toward FDA clearance and first-in-human studies, aiming to prevent infection by stopping bacteria from attaching in the first place.
Advanced Manufacturing
A Case Western Reserve–led coalition of more than 70 partners has landed a coveted National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines award, unlocking up to $160 million over 10 years to wire AI, automation and robotics into the region’s industrial backbone.
Startups + VC
Founders, investors, operators and creators converge in Cincinnati July 14–16 for Black Tech Week, with sessions on capital, AI, corporate partnerships and career pathways plus JobsOhio-led programming linking attendees to statewide tech and startup resources.
Startups + VC
Seed funding from global and Ohio investors backs a Dayton startup betting that ultra‑compact laser links can ease a growing satellite data bottleneck and position the state at the center of the space‑based data infrastructure race.
Startups + VC
The equity-free Trailblazer program provides non-dilutive capital and hands-on mentorship to pre-seed and seed-stage founders. Beyond tapping a network of 200 service providers, the group will present their traction to Ohio's investment community at a showcase on August 27.
Capital + Deals
The Columbus-based startup solves a massive bottleneck for early-stage automation companies by embedding fractional sales teams to navigate complex enterprise deals. Backed by new capital and institutional scale, the acquisition aims to position the region as the country's premier tech corridor.