Elevate Ventures announces finalists for $1 million IN-Prize pitch contest
For this year’s contest, 10 of the 25 finalists are Indiana-based startups. In last year’s contest, only two finalists were based here.
Small Biz Startups
Indianapolis tech startup Arrive calls off planned merger
Smart-mailbox startup Arrive AI, which in December announced plans to merge with Canada-based Brüush Oral Care Inc. and become a public company, says it has called off the deal.
New High Alpha startup, Luster, offers AI-powered sales training
Luster, which launched out of Indianapolis-based venture studio High Alpha, offers a software platform that creates custom training sessions for salespeople. The company had its public debut this week and already has landed a few paying customers.
Local tech exec R.J. Talyor launches marketing startup with $2M in seed funding
Talyor is the CEO and one of the four locally based co-founders of Backstroke, which uses generative artificial intelligence to create customized marketing emails at scale
Indianapolis-based tech startup Holder ceases operations
Holder, a blockchain-focused marketing tech firm, launched out of Indianapolis venture studio High Alpha in 2022. Its CEO told IBJ the company was too early to market in an emerging industry.
Elevate Ventures moving HQ to prominent downtown building
Elevate Ventures, which occupies a 6,000-square-foot office on the north side of Indianapolis, will relocate to a much larger space at 1 Virginia Ave. within the next few months.
Sports Tech HQ initiative lands $4.5M in state funding
The goal of Sports Tech HQ is to build Indiana’s sports technology sector, in part by luring startups here and helping them connect with the state’s existing sports ecosystem.
Indianapolis-based Paxafe secures $9M investment
Paxafe’s software helps customers identify and avoid potential logistical disruptions in shipments of temperature-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals and foods.
New ed-tech accelerator announces its first four participants
The program, a joint effort between Butler University, Indianapolis-based TechPoint and Wisconsin-based gener8tor, offers $100,000 investments to each of the participating companies.
Tech firm MadeLabs moves from Chicago area to Fishers, eyes local growth
MadeLabs serves software-as-a-service companies and does everything from building software products for clients to helping them integrate or modernize their existing products.
Lafayette-based co-working group offering entrepreneur training in Indianapolis
The seven-week program, called MBXax, covers topics including sales and marketing, business models, product/market fit and go-to-market strategies.
Online marketing firm Pneuma planning to relocate from Denver to Fishers
Online marketing firm Pneuma Media LLC plans to hire 26 people over the next five years, the company announced Tuesday.
Ireland-based startup Wiistream to establish U.S. HQ in Indianapolis
Wiistream’s introduction to Indianapolis came last year via One-Zero, a sports tech conference that takes place twice a year: in Dublin, Ireland, in the spring and in Indianapolis in the fall.
Fishers-based Membershine planning to add 61 jobs
Membershine, which launched in 2020, offers an online platform for membership-based groups such as homeowners associations.
Indianapolis startup Dwellane aims to provide local context for online house-hunting
Dwellane, founded by a longtime Indianapolis real estate agent, offers a website where users can both search for local homes and learn about the neighborhoods in which those homes are located.
Notre Dame IDEA Week extending its reach to Indianapolis this year
IDEA Week is an annual entrepreneur and innovation festival that takes place in the South Bend-Elkhart region. This year, the weeklong festival will extend its brand to events in Indianapolis in hopes of forging stronger connections between the two regions.
Legislature considers easing regulations for startups
Indiana is routinely touted for its positive business climate, but the state ranks 44th among states when it comes to creating new entrepreneurs, according to a recent study from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
Local tech firm ShipSigma combining business, basketball in event next month
Carmel-based ShipSigma is hosting what it calls its ShipSigma Summit on Feb. 16-17, specifically timing the event to capitalize on the All-Star Weekend activities in Indianapolis.
IEDC, Indiana startups headed to CES show in Las Vegas
This will be the third straight year the Indiana Economic Development Corp. has attended the splashy CES tech trade show in Las Vegas. But this year, it will be bringing some special guests to provide first-hand accounts of the state’s startup-friendly culture.
Pacers sign uniform patch sponsorship deal with Fishers-based Spokenote
At Wednesday’s home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers will debut their new Spokenote patches, which feature a black-and-white QR code. No other major sports team has ever had a QR code on its jersey until now, the Pacers said.