Indianapolis tech firm ShipSigma plans expansion, 125 new jobs
Founded in 2018 as Parcel Optimization Technologies LLC, ShipSigma said the new jobs will offer an average wage of nearly $42 per hour.
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IBJ Podcast: Inside the risk-taking mindset of Maven Space’s co-founder, CEO
Leslie Bailey believed so much in her concept for a women-focused co-working and networking haven that she wasn’t interested in expending the energy to find investors—especially when women-led businesses historically get so little attention from funders.
Can economic summit bring rave reviews for Indiana’s business climate?
With electronic dance music pulsing against a neon-on-black backdrop, a “Young Professionals Coffee Rave” on Thursday kicked off Indiana’s inaugural Global Economic Summit for hundreds of visitors from across the United States and 30 other nations.
Indianapolis-based ed-tech startup XR Technologies to launch teacher licensure program
Indianapolis-based XR Technologies, which hires math teachers with non-traditional backgrounds and places them in classrooms around the state, has received approval to launch a teacher licensure program that the company says will help it scale its reach beyond the state’s borders.
Black businesses booming as pandemic recedes
In the early months of the pandemic, Black-owned small businesses closed at twice the rate of other businesses. But in 2021, Black-owned small businesses were created at the fastest clip in at least 26 years.
IU Health, Wunderkind, Market Wagon, RxLightning among winners at Mira Awards
A total of 16 individuals, companies and organizations were named as winners in TechPoint’s annual Mira Awards. Awards were presented at a black-tie gala Saturday night.
Wechsler to step down from Launch Fishers leadership
The founder and CEO of Launch Fishers and the Indiana IoT Lab has announced plans to leave his leadership roles this summer.
AgriNovus to launch tech-focused challenge to combat hunger
The challenge, to be called HungerTech, will invite participants to come up with tech-focused ideas for improving grocery delivery access for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
TechPoint to honor Bill Oesterle with annual Trailblazer Award
Angie’s List cofounder Bill Oesterle was chosen to receive the Trailblazer Award at TechPoint’s sold-out Mira Awards gala later this month.
IU’s entrepreneurial culture expands with Founders & Funders Network
IU Ventures and its affiliated programs offer “a sense of optimism and sense of constructive change” for entrepreneurs—so much so that one decided to move his company from Chicago to Bloomington.
Black quality of life initiative accepting first round of grant applications
The initiative is a partnership between the Indianapolis Urban League, the National Urban League and the African American Coalition of Indianapolis, and is funded with a $100 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant awarded in August 2020.
Startup Quiptu aims to offer peer-to-peer rental platform for outdoor gear
Quiptu, which is short for “equipment to you,” is a startup whose platform will offer a place where the owners of outdoor gear can connect with people interested in renting that gear.
Meeting platforms grow even as COVID wanes
Online gatherings are here to stay, but after two years of Zooming, people are looking for something more than the standard videoconferencing sites can offer.
Initiative will pair Black-owned businesses with downtown spots
The moves are part of a larger effort to help the city’s core recover from the pandemic, and they’re getting help from a not-for-profit that has emerged as a local leader in diversity initiatives.
Indiana Black Expo launches training program for Black business owners
IBE President and CEO Tanya Mckinzie said the initiative grew out of the organization’s pandemic work with local Black business owners and a survey of nearly 1,000 such businesses.
Advocates for female entrepreneurs want Elevate Ventures’ next CEO to be a woman
Members and supporters of The Startup Ladies, an Indianapolis company that supports female entrepreneurship, sent an open letter to Elevate Ventures detailing their concerns that Elevate marginalizes female founders.
Distillery will be fairgrounds’ first year-round retail tenant in two decades
HI & Mighty will open at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in June 2023, making and selling alcoholic spirits in Southwest Pavilion, a building that’s been used for storage in recent years.
Indianapolis-based SEO firm Demandwell lands $5M in seed funding
Demandwell, which offers search-engine-optimization software, says the investment will help it reach growth goals that include tripling its revenues and headcount over the next year.
Shipping container boutique hotel planned for Haughville neighborhood
An Indianapolis company is building a boutique hotel using repurposed shipping containers to accommodate guests seeking unusual experiences in the heart of the city.
High Alpha startup Castiron lands $6M in seed funding
High Alpha launched Castiron in October. The startup offers a platform for culinary artisans to sell their products, connect with customers and run their businesses.