Once a rising star, Wellfount collapses with little warning
The company raised about $50 million and had big plans for its product, Redbox-style vending machines in nursing homes that dispensed medicines for patients.
Small Business
Articles
Uneasy about the economy, some businesses hold off on hiring
Small business owners, especially those who learned hard lessons from the Great Recession about overstaffing, are playing it safe.
Tiny-house enclave by Lucas Oil Stadium offers tourists pint-sized lodging
The so-called Tiny House Hotel is a big part of an effort to attract fans of miniature abodes to the city.
Local tech startup aims to reinvent currency exchange market
An Indianapolis-based startup is aiming to reinvent the currency exchange market by connecting international travelers directly to the currencies they need.
Bill Oesterle’s new firm TMap seeks to use big data to reverse brain drain
The company’s goal is to find talented people who live out of state but have a connection to Indiana—then lure them here to live and work.
Founders, employees of Westfield financial firm accused of $10M fraud
Prosecutors allege that the defendants engaged in a 13-year-long scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration.
Coal mining in distress? Not to this Fishers startup
American Resources Corp., formed in 2015, specializes in buying distressed coal assets from struggling or bankrupt coal operators.
Tech upstart Kerauno raking in the venture capital dough
The communications-workflow software is super-charging its growth with what many believe is a record haul of venture capital, in the form of a $25 million Series A round of funding.
Entrepreneurs using south-side food makerspace to create businesses
The Food Beauty Center, a new food-focused makerspace in Garfield Park aims to serve entrepreneurs two ingredients for success—collaboration and commercial kitchen space.
Little Nugget app turning into big business for new entrepreneur
Carrie Griffith thought there would be a demand for her photo editing and cataloging app, Little Nugget, which she developed during her first child’s nap time. But even she has been surprised at how quickly her new business has grown. Now she’s looking for funding to speed up growth even more.
Community centers land funds to expand job-training programs
Local Initiatives Support Corp. and the Citi Foundation are providing $700,000 to four local organizations who plan to help 700 workers in Indianapolis find quality jobs.
Venture firm invests $8.3M in local startup with fat-replacement product
Indianapolis-based Epogee LLC has developed a fat substitute to reduce the calories in sweets and other comfort foods. The new investment will allow the firm to scale up.
IU fuels startups with new program to help faculty, staff with business ideas
Indiana University has launched a support program at all its campuses that school officials hope will lead to an onslaught of startups coming out of the school.
Small firms put out for-sale signs
In central Indiana and nationwide, a number of small companies are changing hands right now—and for a variety of reasons. Among them: a strong economy, plentiful buyers and an aging population of owners who are eyeing retirement.
Not-for-profit for visually impaired names blind CEO
Jeffrey Mittman served for 21 years in the U.S. Army, including several combat tours. He was blinded in 2005 when the vehicle he was driving in Iraq was hit by an improvised explosive device.
Small businesses still feeling federal shutdown hangover
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the five-week closure cost the economy $11 billion, and $18 billion in federal spending was delayed.
Fishers IoT Lab nearly maxed out in less than a year
The Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers has fast become an oasis for tech firms big and small, as well as freelancers helping companies turn their ideas about internet-connected devices into products.
Mentor program seeks to boost Hispanic-owned businesses
The soaring Hispanic population can be a powerful engine for growth in the Indiana economy—potential that some of the state’s best-known businesses are embracing.
Q&A: ‘Heart mission’ is growing business
For the past seven years, Darla Hall has been in the business of making sports-themed coloring and activity books and storybooks for children, as well as coloring books for adults.
Out-of-state firms are sweeping up Indiana’s tech startups. Is that a good thing?
Experts are mixed on whether the buyout barrage is cause for concern or validation of success.