Main Street Ventures, a local nonprofit that provides equity-free funding to entrepreneurs and startups in eight counties within the tri-state region, awarded grants totaling $222,246 to 12 local entrepreneurs in its first grant cycle of 2024 through Leap and Launch funding and the Cincinnati Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business x Main Street Ventures pitch event.
“Last year, we invested more than $1 million to support more than 60 entrepreneurs,” said Sean Parker, executive director of Main Street Ventures. “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary of supporting local entrepreneurs and startups, we are excited to announce our first grant recipients. By investing in these businesses, we are investing in the future of Greater Cincinnati. Armed with resources, capital and support, we look forward to the next 25 years as these businesses expand, innovate and improve our community.”
Launch Funding provides $5,000-10,000 in non-equity funding to emerging, pre-revenue companies in the prototype or product stage, increasing their chances of reaching the go-to-market stage and beyond. Leap Funding provides $10,000-30,000 in non-equity funding to promising, revenue-generating companies, expanding their community impact and increasing their chances of survival.
The companies receiving launch funding are:
Almost V’Gan is an upscale restaurant and lounge that offers a vibrant new atmosphere to those in the downtown Cincinnati area.
Common Kin is a brand focused on providing elegant design solutions that take into account limited space, with their initial products focusing on all-in-one cookware sets.
Leap Funding is available to the following companies:
Cincy Carbon (formerly Vale Technologies) builds and designs carbon dioxide conversion equipment with carbon capture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce new sustainable chemicals.
Cool Comforts develops innovative products that address women’s unmet feminine care needs.
Holm is revolutionizing website building for the modern entrepreneur by combining linkedin biosite setup with the depth and functionality of a traditional website.
Inflow is an AI-powered design platform that streamlines the design process for fast-changing businesses.
Mimi’s Macros delivers fresh, healthy meals to your door.
Noxsano leverages its proprietary technology in therapeutic delivery of nitric oxide to provide advanced wound care solutions for the veterinary and human healthcare markets.
Objectif Alchemy Studios is a custom framing and design studio located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Opal Haus is a community-centered facility located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana that fosters women’s connection, celebration and empowerment programming to strengthen community cohesion and social inclusion.
Taste on Elm is a cafe, specialty food market and wine shop located in Ludlow, Kentucky.
For the third year, Main Street Ventures funded the University of Cincinnati-Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program collaborative pitch competition. Participants from the group presented their projects to a Main Street Ventures team for industry feedback. The winner of the pitch competition will receive a Leap Grant from Main Street Ventures.
The University of Cincinnati Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Pitch Competition grant winners are:
Lil Goodie Shoppe is a seasonal soft serve ice cream shop that is open from March through September.
“We are incredibly honored to be the first business in Dearborn County to receive a Main Street Ventures grant,” said Opal House Founder Brittany O’Bryan. “This funding will greatly strengthen our ability to engage with the community and support a diverse range of events.”
Applications for the next cycle of Launch and Leap funding will open in July.
These grants were made possible through collaborations with Ohio Third Frontier, the Hubert Family Foundation, the McDonald Family Foundation, the P&G Foundation, the Jacob G. Schmidlup Trust, the Northern Kentucky Entrepreneurship Fund, and Blue North and Horizon Community Fund.
