TechColumbus TechStart Program Wins National Award for Building Entrepreneurial Capacity in Central Ohio

(Columbus, OH – October 26, 2009) Ohio Third Frontier Funding Drives Startup Investment, Job Creation.The TechColumbus TechStart program, funded by Ohio Third Frontier program, has been awarded a State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) Excellence in Technology Based Economic Development (TBED) Award for the program’s efforts in supporting and developing viable entrepreneurial companies.

The nationwide competition honors outstanding achievements in technology-based economic development. SSTI recognized TechColumbus in the Building Entrepreneurial Capacity category, pointing to TechStart’s $11.5 million investment in technology startups and the 912 jobs created as a result of those investments.

“This recognition of the groundswell in Central Ohio around technology entrepreneurship reinforces the great outcomes occurring here and throughout Ohio,” said Ted Ford, TechColumbus president and CEO. “The Ohio Third Frontier program, from which our program is primarily funded, is creating jobs, new innovative companies and attracting venture capital from around the country.”

TechStart is TechColumbus’ $22.5 million initiative driving the launch and acceleration of technology-based companies in Central Ohio. One part of the program, TechGenesis Grants, provides investments up to $50,000 for early-stage companies to research their business ideas and do product prototyping.  The other, the TechColumbus PreSeed Fund, provides up to $500,000 for more established companies with the potential to become high-growth businesses that can attract follow-on capital. Both funds are available to technology companies in the 15-county Central Ohio region. 
Another Ohio organization also won a TBED Award. JumpStart, based in Cleveland, was the winner in the Increasing Access to Capital category. Like TechColumbus, JumpStart receives significant support from the Ohio Third Frontier program.


About TechColumbus
TechColumbus is a nonprofit organization that focuses on technology-based economic development in the 15 counties of central Ohio. TechColumbus accomplishes this by:

• Providing professional development and technology business assistance to both large and small companies that rely on technology for business success
• Managing a 62,000 square foot technology business incubator that has been recognized as one of the best in the country
• Managing TechStart, the $22.5 million Central Ohio Entrepreneurial Signature Program, with a mission to create, finance and launch new tech companies in central Ohio
• Assisting in the development of facilities for tech companies
• Working with state and local organizations to attract new tech companies to the region

For more information about TechColumbus  visit the website

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