Eleven more startups are receiving Arch Grants Thursday. In exchange for locating in St. Louis, the businesses will receive $50,000 and a year of support in areas ranging from accounting to marketing.
Some companies receiving the grants are already located in St. Louis, such as the recent Washington University and Saint Louis University graduates behind Chrona Sleep. Other companies are relocating, including two international companies.
Some Arch Grant recipients have also returned to St. Louis after moving away.
Arch Grant Executive Director Ginger said the mix fulfills her organization’s goal of both retaining and attracting talent.
The startups also represent a range of industries including biotech, computer hardware and software to manufacturing and fashion.
The 11 Arch Grant recipients for Winter 2015 are:
Arch Innotek—Bio-tech company developing a way to produce fermented carotenoids, a classification of food with yellow, red and orange pigments with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. (St. Louis)
Babyation—Designs products for parents. First product is a breast pump with a tech interface described as quiet and discreet. (Branford, Connecticut)
Chrona Sleep—A variation on wearable technology, this company offers a pillow that tracks and optimizes sleep. (St. Louis)
GWR—A seat belt and safety restraint company making a fresh start in the United States. (Barcelona, Spain)
Hemadvance—Bio-tech company developing a new molecule to diagnose and manage blood-clotting disorders with a goal of fighting cardiovascular disease. (St. Louis)
Hummingbird Technologies—tech company developing an in-home gardening system that grows plants for the user without the need for time or effort. (Chicago)
The Normal Brand—clothing brand marketed for the Midwesterner. (St. Louis)
Olio City—app that helps users “discover” their city based on their interests. (St. Louis)
Scopio—connects photographers with buyers interested in their content using social media. (New York, NY)
Swizzle—Content management tool for web video promotion. (Seoul, South Korea)
Taptl —Invented transparent displays that turn windows into touch screens. (Miami, FL)
This is the first year Arch Grants has split award recipients into two cohorts, one in the summer and one in the winter. This cohort of award recipients brings the total number of businesses supported by Arch Grants to 76 since the program launched in 2012.
The eleven recipients will be officially announced Thursday evening at the Arch Grants annual gala.
Follow Camille Phillips on Twitter: @cmpcamille.
