TechPoint, through the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, was awarded $50,000 in prize money for equitable access to entrepreneurship
INDIANAPOLIS –The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced TechPoint, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s (CICP) branded growth initiative for the state’s digital innovation economy, as a Stage One winner for the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). TechPoint, through CICP, will receive a $50,000 cash prize for its impactful and inclusive approach to nurturing a collaborative national innovation ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from ideas to market.
Also winning a cash prize from the GAFC was Evansville-based Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies.
TechPoint won the award for its plans to launch an Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovator network for Indiana-based companies and organizations. Those interested in joining or following this effort should visit https://techpoint.org/ai-innovation-network/.
“AI is the most dynamic and impactful tool in the market right now, and we know Indiana has the talent, skills and innovative ideas to use it in the most imaginative ways possible,” said TechPoint President and CEO Ting Gootee. “We want to ensure those working in this space have the support and network they need to keep Indiana at the forefront of this iterative and limitless technology.”
Chelsea Linder, TechPoint’s Vice President, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, said the AI Innovator Network will be modeled after the organization’s two other networks, which launched last year, that focus on founders and chief Innovation officers.
“We’ve exceeded expectations for engagement of those groups, so we know we are answering market demand for support services in those arenas,” Linder said. “Our internal research is showing rapid growth in exploration and adoption of AI in Indiana, and we fully expect our community to be part of the evolution of AI for business use.”
By fostering connections between entrepreneurs, mentors, partners, philanthropies, corporations, investors, and other shared resources, GAFC 2024 catalyzes strategic ecosystem partnerships to build community and organizational capacity for the successful launch, growth, and scale of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-based entrepreneurs.
Winners of the SBA’s GAFC Stage One phase were selected through a multi-tier review panel process with experts in entrepreneurship, business, innovation, and strategic planning both inside and out of the federal government.
GAFC Stage Two offers an additional $50,000 to $150,000 in cash prizes for growth accelerator partnerships. To learn more about Stage Two opportunities and to access the GAFC guidelines, visit: https://www.americasseedfund.us/accelerators
About TechPoint: TechPoint, is the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s branded initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy and overall tech ecosystem. The industry-led team is focused on working with public, private and industry partners to expand tech talent pipeline, enhance resource connectivity for enterprise organizations and startups alike, and elevate the industry by activating the community and amplifying stories of success. For more information about TechPoint or the Mira Awards, please visit www.techpoint.org. Media contact: Cheryl Reed: cheryl@techpoint.org
About the U.S. Small Business Administration: The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
