We’ve Funded 114 Startups to Make a Difference in St. Louis

The Arch Grants Annual Report follows the economic impact of startups who receive $50,000 grants in equity free funding and relocate to St. Louis.

Today, I’m pleased to release our 2017 annual impact report. Typically, annual reports for non-profits focus on quantitative data, such as financials, but this year we wanted to tell the stories behind the numbers and add the dimension of qualitative data.

Browse the 2017 Arch Grant Impact Report website from desktop or mobile.

One year ago, I joined Arch Grants as Executive Director. No surprise, it’s been a busy 12 months! In November, we celebrated 2017s incoming cohort of 18 Arch Grant Recipients at our annual gala.

Since then, our new Recipients have made remarkable strides. To name just a few examples, SentiAR has raised $2.2 million in federal grants for their augmented reality technology for cardiologists. Adtech startup Lean Media has closed $500,000 in seed funding from local investors.

Going forward, Arch Grants Recipients will have a lasting effect on the entire region. For the past six years, Arch Grants has worked to attract and retain innovative entrepreneurs in St. Louis, and that cumulative impact shows.

Browse the 2017 Arch Grant Impact Report website from desktop or mobile.

That’s what our latest report is about. Our supporters since inception made a long term bet, and we still have a long way to go, but now we’re able to see that seed capital sprout. Revenue generated by Arch Grant Recipient companies is poised to overtake capital investment.

The Arch Grants 2017 Impact Report is available in print and online. Jump into our interactive digital version, right now, to get a taste of our latest Recipients’ first year, as well as highlights from the entire portfolio of Arch Grant companies. We believe in their ability to change St. Louis for the better, and we’ll continue to support them through new initiatives and overall growth in 2018.

Moreover, we’re noticing a marked increase in positive news coverage surrounding St. Louis’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. Our impact report includes a collection of news features about the city from 2017 that demonstrate St. Louis’s emerging reputation as an innovation hub.

Browse the 2017 Arch Grant Impact Report website from desktop or mobile.

Our Recipient entrepreneurs represent the best of the global community and the cream of the local crop of support organizations and partner accelerators that have helped them rise up. They are a diverse group of big thinkers and disruptors who have all seen a gap or an inefficiency in their industries.

Since our inception, we’ve funded a total of 114 companies. 74% of those companies are led or co-led by a woman, immigrant, person of color, or veteran.

Together, our Recipients have:

  • Created more than 1,200 jobs
  • Generated more than $89 million in revenue
  • Attracted $130+ million in follow-on capital
  • Won over 120 patents

As a St. Louis native returning after several years away, I’m personally inspired to watch an emerging vision of our future refracted through such talented people. Put simply, rewarding innovation works.

The city has changed so much since I grew up here – we’re seeing more growth and innovation than ever, and more initiative to make things happen than ever. Arch Grants is at the forefront of that movement.

Click here to visit the 2017 Arch Grant Impact Report from desktop or mobile.

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