Articles

Local distillers produce Indiana sorghum spirit

Two central Indiana entrepreneurs are making a new spirit from an old crop—supplied largely by an Amish farmer who doesn’t drink alcohol. The product is Sorgrhum, a distilled liquor made from the syrup of sweet sorghum, a stalk-like grain used as a sweetener before sugar cane became widely available.

Read More

Dog treat startup wins challenge

Self-proclaimed “foodie” Sherri Campbell knew she was onto something when she started making frozen treats for her three dogs, but even she didn’t expect to win the inaugural Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge.

Read More

Web startup aims to connect private businesses, investors

Private firms that need to raise relatively modest amounts of capital have a hard time finding money. Now three Indianapolis entrepreneurs think they have the answer: crowdfunding. Individuals make small investments that are aggregated to fund a business. Indianapolis-based Localstake wants to be the matchmaker.

Read More

Venture funding falls 12 percent in second quarter

Funding for U.S. startups fell 12 percent in the second quarter as venture capitalists poured less money into fewer deals than a year earlier. But the number of companies getting funded in the earliest stages of development reached the highest level in more than a decade.

Read More

Co-working spaces multiply, giving independent workers options

Co-working sites—shared office spaces designed to give entrepreneurs, free-lancers and consultants the tools they need to get the job done as well as the chance to interact with other professionals, sans cubicle—are gaining popularity nationally and, finally, in Indianapolis.

Read More

Richmond eyes ex-auto supplier site for tech park

Officials will be seeking approval from the eastern Indiana city's Redevelopment Commission to use money from a $5 million state technology park grant to buy 14 acres and two buildings that once belonged to Dana Corp.

Read More

For graying generation, startups are booming

Since the 1990s, the demographic makeup of new entrepreneurs has been steadily shifting toward baby boomers as they seek personal and financial fulfillment. Count Fountain Square Brewing Co.’s Bill Webster among them.

Read More

Progress spotty in narrowing tech field’s gender gap

Most technology firm startups are birthed by men in their 20s and 30s who have a background in computer science. To what degree women are underrepresented in the ranks of tech entrepreneurs is hard to quantify, but it’s a small universe.

Read More

BioCrossroads launches second seed fund

BioCrossroads Inc. has raised an $8.25 million seed fund in its second attempt to help startup life sciences companies grow to the point where they can attract venture capital or a corporate funder.

Read More

State’s latest startup: Startup Indiana

On April 25, local organizers will launch Startup Indiana, a regional affiliate of the Startup America Partnership. The national initiative—and its regions—brings together entrepreneurs, funders and other leaders to help promising startups succeed.

Read More