Entrepreneurship

About

16 Tech is an urban innovation district being developed in the historic Riverside neighborhood and within the Indiana Avenue Cultural District on the northwestern edge of downtown Indianapolis. Here, where Fall Creek meets the White River, innovators and entrepreneurs in the fields of life sciences, technology, advanced manufacturing, and engineering will come together to leverage their varied skill sets, draw inspiration from the region’s top-ranking research universities and global corporations, and channel their combined creative energy to plant the seeds for Central Indiana’s future economic growth.

Ways to Engage

It’s a place where forward-thinking entrepreneurs can partner with creative thinkers from major corporations and where an app developer can bounce ideas off of a biomedical researcher. At 16 Tech, it’s this unencumbered access to different perspectives and capabilities – united by a common drive for innovation – that will lay the groundwork for truly groundbreaking discoveries.

50 acres. No boundaries.

The 16 Tech Innovation District offers unparalleled opportunities for innovators to connect and collaborate, laying the foundation for groundbreaking discoveries. Whether you are a solo entrepreneur, a start-up company, or an established company pursuing new ideas and innovations, 16 Tech has a place for you.

Development at 16 Tech will focus on creating additional spaces for innovation, living, recreation, and retail. There are many exciting development opportunities within the 16 Tech Innovation District including new construction and building rehab, and mixed-use residential and retail.

About

AgriNovus Indiana promotes and accelerates the growth of the agbioscience community. 

AgriNovus and its stakeholders work every day to make Indiana the home to unparalleled agbioscience talent and innovation. This means we care as much about our vision as we do execution. We also know it takes more than a single program or investment to accomplish this goal.

Ways To Engage

• Talent Development
• Build a talent pipeline to meet the needs of agbioscience employers
• Fuel Entrepreneurship
• Unlock the potential to accelerate innovation in the agbiosciences
• Grow Businesses
• Accelerate economic development through building, attracting, and retaining agbioscience companies

About

AnalytiXIN was established to develop a digital community, including a place-focused collaboration hub in Indianapolis that will strengthen connections and encourage engagement of academic data science R&D talent with their industry peers to drive sustained innovation within Indiana.

Ways to Engage

The initiative is intended to drive sustained innovation within the State and enable Indiana companies to grow their digital capabilities and appropriately skilled workforces at all levels. The emphasis is on life sciences and manufacturing – two of Indiana’s most important and prolific economic drivers.

About

Ascend Indiana exists to give every Indiana employer access to the skilled workforce necessary to thrive, and every Indiana citizen the opportunity to pursue a meaningful career path. Ascend Indiana is a catalyst across industry sectors to help connect the supply of skilled talent to demand from employers through proven, scalable programs and innovative solutions. The organization collaborates with corporate, education, and community partners to identify and address challenges within the talent pipeline. 

Ways To Engage

We work with you to understand your talent needs and develop a scope of work that outlines your vision for a talent pipeline to address your recurring, high-demand workforce gaps.

We identify and secure partnerships with education institutions to build your talent pipeline.

We guide you and education partners through a structured process to develop a strategic plan detailing each component of the program lifecycle.

We support you in developing a launch plan to generate maximum publicity for all partners involved. 

We offer ongoing project management to support the achievement of benchmarks agreed upon during the development of the talent pipeline.

About

Our mission is focused on promoting the rapid development, testing, commercialization, and advanced learning of safe, reliable, high-performance, and lightweight energy storage systems for our commercial, defense, academic partners and industry.

Ways to Engage

• Battery Manufacturing
  • Assisting with the development of manufacturing processes and capabilities, to fast track to full-scale manufacturing.
• Testing, Evaluation, and Certification
  • Providing a large array of testing capabilities, which include battery cells through to full-scale large-format battery systems.
• Technical Consultation and Training
  • The BIC provides in-depth experience, a vast network of expertise, industry training and advancement learning.
• Membership
  • The BIC network is a collaboration between key partners in commercial, academia, and DoD sectors. Our members today include startup companies working on cutting-edge materials and technology, to large multi-national industry leaders. Membership with the BIC enables your company to network with our other members, along with support and training opportunities.

About

BioCrossroads is a catalyst for life sciences ideas and advances Indiana’s signature strengths in the life sciences by connecting with corporate, academic, and philanthropic partners; facilitating investments in promising startups and building new enterprises; and educating through conferences, reports and market development knowledge. The initiative supports the region’s existing research and corporate strengths, while encouraging new business development. It has formed several new nonprofit organizations, including Indiana Health Information Exchange, BioCrossroadsLINX, OrthoWorx, Datalys Center and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute.

Ways to Engage

Starting from a firm foundation of proven academic and industry assets, BioCrossroads has launched several businesses and industry/academic collaborations in life sciences that exist to pursue new, innovative opportunities. The organization also has provided a platform for the launch of other enterprises, including funding and science education initiatives.

About

Boomerang Ventures is on a mission to help solve the most pressing healthcare challenges facing the world today through our venture fund and studio and thus ensure a better quality of life for all.  We do that by building, launching, and funding new healthcare and life sciences companies with the potential to disrupt legacy technologies and processes to improve patient outcomes and lower the cost of health care. 

Ways to Engage

Venture Fund

• Boomerang Venture Fund is a Midwest-based, early-growth stage fund that works with dynamic individual and corporate entrepreneurs who have big ideas and want to build great companies in health care and life sciences. We are led by a strong team of venture partners and couple our capital with deep experience in business and investing, an extensive network of resources, and proven success in launching and exiting companies in health care and life sciences.

• Boomerang Studio is a new model for entrepreneurship, combining company building with venture funding and milestones to accelerate time to market. But we’re more than that. We focus entirely on early-growth startups in the healthcare and life sciences sectors in digital health, diagnostics, and life sciences tools that have the potential for true, measurable disruption. Opportunities where our experienced team of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry executives can make a difference. A big difference. We’re also different in that we work with individual entrepreneurs and founders as well as corporations, universities, and healthcare entities that need a commercialization resource for ideas developed within their organizations.

About

We are ClearObject. Our company’s story is simple: it’s your story. ClearObject brings the IoT stories of our customers to life every day, providing the security, innovation, and dedication to reinvent your business. At ClearObject our business is connections. We specialize in bringing disparate parts together into a cohesive, productive solution. This idea of connection is infused in everything we do, and that includes our team. We are more than a collection of individuals working near one another.

Ways to Engage

• We are an IoT systems integrator that designs, develops, deploys, and manages innovative, connected solutions and digital data products. Our Big Data engineers, system administrators, and technical team become an extension of your organization, meaning you don’t have to hire additional IT staff in house. Backed by years of award winning industry experience and a network of partners, we provide a variety of compliance and security options and effective delivery that is consistent with Virtual Private Cloud best practices.

About

Conexus Indiana accelerates, promotes and grows Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries.

Ways to Engage

• We identify emerging technologies, systems, and processes, and provide the resources for Indiana to be global leaders in digital transformation and the next industrial revolution.

• We strengthen our industries’ competitiveness by connecting business, education, and public-sector leaders to create strategies, build platforms, and execute programs for continued growth.

• We motivate and prepare talent to fill the thousands of high-tech job opportunities available today and the millions of new jobs still yet to be imagined.

• We share compelling stories about Indiana’s makers and movers to increase awareness of the industries’ impact on Indiana’s economy and on people’s lives.

About

The Mill is Bloomington’s center for coworking and entrepreneurship. Our members are startups, freelancers, techies, remote workers, creatives, side hustlers, and small companies.

Ways to Engage

Coworking Space Membership Options

• Part-time Membership

• Full-time Membership

About

One part venture capital firm. One part entrepreneurial development advocate. 

Ways to Engage

• Elevate Ventures is the State of Indiana’s venture development partner. Their recently launched Smart & Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Fund supports innovation in manufacturing, manufacturing technology, and supply chain. The $3M fund is an early-stage investment fund targeting investments from $100K to $500K and empowers manufacturers and manufacturing entrepreneurs to decide whether their ideas have potential by connecting them with existing manufacturers, interested angel investors, and other funds. Elevate caters to all aspects of startup companies by providing robust advisory services and has the capability to support the right idea with up to $4M. Elevate manages 13 funds, is industry agnostic, and has invested over $113M+ in the last decade into 400+ startups. Companies interested in learning more can apply here. 

About

The Emerging Manufacturing Collaboration Center (EMC2) is a cross-sector manufacturing innovation center that enables its members to design and deliver cutting edge manufacturing technologies. Founded through a public-private-partnership, the Center will operate a functioning 60k ft2 manufacturing floor that will serve as a showcase for new capabilities as well as a platform for collaborative research and development, especially focused on technology insertion and adoption. EMC2 will also have offices, shared office space, collaboration environment, and a 100-person training/workshop classroom that can be divided into two 50 person rooms. The Center will support the long-term growth of the State of Indiana’s manufacturing industry, which is a key driver of Indiana’s economy.

Ways to Engage

• The new facility, Emerging Manufacturing Collaboration Center (EMC2), will be located at the 16 Tech Innovation District and is expected to open by summer 2022. EMC2 will allow new and existing manufacturers to utilize state-of-the-art equipment, including GE Additive’s Binder Jet technology, to train employees, conduct third-party pilot manufacturing, and increase awareness of products and software applications. Additionally, GE Additive will extend its Binder Jet Beta program at the facility, collaborating with Indiana businesses and industry and academic partners to fuel Binder Jet-enabled R&D in additive manufacturing, factory automation, advanced software development, and manufacturing readiness.

About

ESN was founded on the principle of cross-industry collaboration, understanding the answers to our global energy challenges does not – and cannot – reside within one company or institution. It takes a collective approach, across typical industry boundaries, to develop realistic solutions. By drawing on a rich diversity of established and emerging companies and institutions globally, ESN leverages each organization’s strengths to collectively make up a world-class energy technology cluster with expertise that spans the “energy ecosystem.” This ecosystem includes transportation, generation, transmission and built environment – four areas which ESN strives to address with its projects. Each project ESN organizes is a systems-level project that touches multiple aspects of this ecosystem.

Ways to Engage

ESN offers several different types of services for its clients and partner organizations:

• Multi-Company Projects: Multi-company collaborations that accelerate new technology commercialization through commercial scale pilot projects.
• Consulting Services: Business services ranging from market studies to project development and management.
• Workshops, Strategic Planning and Research: Provide facilitation and lead strategic planning and research efforts.

About

We’re a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists.

The gener8tor platform includes more than 40 different programs spanning accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences, upskilling and fellowships.

While operating across 28 cities, gener8tor has earned the prestigious status of being a nationally ranked, GOLD-tier accelerator by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project and been named one of Fast Company’s 2020 Most Innovative Companies.

Ways to Engage

Events

• The OnRamp Manufacturing Conference brings together the manufacturing industry’s leading corporations, investors, and startups. The conference highlights innovations disrupting the manufacturing industry, the leaders making such innovations possible, and how new technologies and business models will reinvent the industry.

Startup Accelerator Programs

• gBETA is a program of nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. gBETA accelerates the growth of early-stage companies through its network-driven program. gBETA supports five teams per cohort and requires no fees and no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA program alumni have raised $125M+ in capital and created 1,500+ jobs across the US and Canada.

About

Heartland Ventures is a Midwest-based venture capital firm connecting large Middle America companies with vital technology being developed on the coasts. Our proven model helps corporations embrace a competitive, early-adopter approach while helping startups spark meaningful conversations with key corporate decision-makers. Since 2016, we’ve invested in seven portfolio companies, facilitated over 114 startup connections for Heartland corporations, and created over $65 Million in pipeline revenue for our portfolio companies.

Heartland Ventures is based in the Midwest with a full-time presence in South Bend, IN, Columbus, OH and Indianapolis. Because we work so closely with coastal startups, you’ll also find us frequently in San Francisco/Silicon Valley and New York City.

While many of our investments fall within Manufacturing, Logistics, Real Estate, Construction and Human Resources because of the high concentration of these businesses in our region, we have an extensive network that spans a wide variety of industries.

Ways to Engage

Venture Fund

• Raising a round <$5mm and you already have a lead investor
• B2B strategy and a target market within Real Estate Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, Construction Technolgy, Logistics Technology and/or HR Technology
• Your technology (product) is developed and the primary focus for this raise is on growing sales
• We’re focused on adding value
• Our decision-making process is focused on one key factor: can we add value to your startup?
• We will determine if we can help de-risk your aspirations of Midwestern expansion by generating customer validation… even before we invest!
• We can have an immediate impact on expediting the sales process with key accounts from within our network of industry-leading executives.

About

HG Ventures invests in early stage and growth stage companies developing advanced materials and systems for transportation infrastructure, environmental services, and specialty chemicals.

Ways to Engage

• HG Ventures will invest at the pre-revenue and pre-product stage, but we want to see the beginnings of a dedicated, full-time executive team. Our geographic focus is in the United States, but we are open to opportunities in other countries.

• Generally, HG Ventures will invest up to $20 million in each portfolio company, but we have the ability to invest more depending on the opportunity. We are flexible with regard to initial investment amounts, including participation in relatively small financings. We take a long-term approach to building value. We focus on value creation milestones with no fixed expectations for liquidity.

About

High Alpha partners with talented entrepreneurs to conceive, launch, and scale new businesses. We are constantly exploring and validating new business concepts. We design, prototype, and validate our top concepts during our quarterly Sprint Week process, which serves as the primary forcing function for launching new startups.

Ways to Engage

There are multiple ways to engage with High Alpha: Venture Studio, Venture Captial, or Corporate Innovation.

HIGH ALPHA STUDIO

• We design and build B2B SaaS companies with world-class founders.

HIGH ALPHA CAPITAL

• We invest in exceptional founders building disruptive enterprise cloud software.

HIGH ALPHA INNOVATION

• We partner with corporations to drive transformative innovation.

About

IN3 – the Indiana Innovation Institute – works with academia, industry, and government to create a hub of national security innovation that helps solve critical defense priorities. We are building an ecosystem of economic growth that is speeding new investment and advancing partnerships, jobs, and the talent pool in Indiana. 

We connect regional, state, and national partners through a variety of means. This includes convening research and business teams to solve emerging technical challenges for the Department of Defense (DoD). We expect that these discoveries will impact a range of critical industries including medical, transportation, and many more.

Ways to Engage

IN3 is focused on the following critical technical areas:

Hypersonics

• Hypersonics presents a serious national security threat – one that urgently requires a range of robust capabilities. We are furthering hypersonic technology through better modeling, improved simulation capability, and increased collaboration. We aim to provide clients with added tools and talent to give them an edge in this rapidly-developing technological and operational field.

Cyber-Physical Systems

• We are helping our partners develop and deploy new technologies, solutions, and systems that provide the foundation of our critical infrastructure – from defense to national intelligence, from medicine to manufacturing, and more.

Trusted Microelectronics

• Our experts work throughout the microelectronics supply chain and life cycle to increase the trust and reliability needed in today’s environment. Our work spans the field – from design to fabrication, from packaging to testing, and more.

Artificial Intelligence

• AI is essential – and increasingly becoming more so – in our government and commercial sectors. From supply chain operations to driverless cars and from maintenance to health, we are focused on improving capabilities and effectiveness. Whether the need is data-set quality improvement or real-time analytics, we work with technology leaders to build a range of solutions.

5G

• As we build the next generation of communications technology – used by both civilian and military networks – we are partnering with experts in research, development, risk mitigation, and implementation.

About

Indesign has a wide range of engineering capabilities to provide full turn-key product development. We can also provide specific design engineering services to complement your existing design engineering staff. Indesign has worked effectively with a large number of clients in joint development projects.

Ways to Engage

How to partner with Indesign

• Systems Engineering: Requirements development, system architecture
• Electrical Design: Circuit architecture, schematic, PCB layout, PCB assembly, circuit testing
• RF & Wireless Design: RF architecture, circuit and antenna design, RF testing
• Firmware & Software Design: Software architecture, BSP, drivers, applications, integration testing
• Mechanical Design: Industrial Design, mechanical architecture, MCAD layout, prototypes, mechanical testing
• Testing: Unit testing, software system testing, hardware testing
• Project Management: Project scheduling, project tracking, project coordination
• Human Factors Design: User Interface design, feature operation, user testing

Indesign has a variety of facilities and equipment to support our engineering services.

• Circuit design – Five electrical design labs with a wide variety of electronic equipment; PSPICE for circuit simulation.
• PCB design – Multiple Cadence Allegro and Altium PCB design workstations; bare PCBs are fabricated by outside board shops.
• PCB assembly – Machine placement equipment and a solder reflow oven are used for automated assembly of PCBs containing SMT and BGA components. Assembly technicians provide supplemental hand assembly capability.
• Software design – Three software design labs with a variety of software development systems and test equipment, including a wide variety of wired and wireless protocol analyzers and logic analyzers.
• Mechanical / MCAD design – Multiple CAD workstations (PTC Creo and SolidWorks); ANSYS for finite element stress analysis; Autodesk Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for thermal and fluid analysis; a mechanical lab for mechanical part modification and mechanical testing; prototype mechanical parts are fabricated by external vendors.
• Testing – Three test labs for system testing, ESD testing, environmental testing, and RF (screen room) testing. General purpose test tools include systems for requirements and test case management, and LabVIEW for the development of test and measurement applications.
• Project Management – Computer aided tools for schedule management, budget tracking, staffing, and project planning.
• Component Sourcing – Indesign’s component engineer maintains relationships with electronic component vendors and has access to component availability, pricing, and component samples.

About

The Indiana 5G Zone is advancing the transformation of physical industries by powering Smart Cities, Smart Logistics, and Advanced Manufacturing. Our cross-sector demonstration lab is the first of its kind to enable government, business, and academia to design and commercialize groundbreaking testbed offerings with immediate practical applications.

Ways to Engage

When you join the Indiana 5G Zone, you join a community of like-minded individuals and innovative organizations diverse in industry. The lab is utilized by private companies, nonprofits, government, and academia. These organizations’ interests for 5G are diverse – logistics, agriculture, national security, and manufacturing to name a few. Come be part of this community to connect, learn, and grow.

• Every week the 5G Zone offers member exclusive events. These events include weekly roundtables to collaborate and connect with other individuals in the industry, quarterly events highlighting a member and showcasing demos, and more. 

• Membership comes with access to opportunities to help you thrive. You’ll be the first to test new technologies, review white papers of practical 5G “firsts” happening in the lab, and join a global network of 5G innovators like you. 

• Located in one of the top industrial states, the Indiana 5G Zone is a natural fit for advancing manufacturing into the 5G era. 5G will streamline processes and increase profitability through AI, machine learning, and higher-connectivity robotics.

About

The Indiana IoT Lab is a facility in Fishers, Indiana designed to bring the emerging IoT sector together as a lab for innovation and collaboration. Individual memberships start at $1,000 annually. 

Ways to Engage

Discover

• Networking with our members, sponsors, and partners expands your knowledge, presents alternate perspectives, and provides free-flowing ideas going beyond a singular focus, breaking down barriers to innovation.

Define

• The IoT Lab has partnered with organizations which specialize in leading Design Thinking Sessions to assist in defining your product, enhancing the customer experience, and finding your “why.”

Develop

• Access to design software, coding hardware, soldering irons, test and measurement equipment, a laser cutter, CNC machines, and a complete wood shop, allows for rapid prototyping to condense project timelines.

Deploy

• When your project is complete, the IoT Lab is able to support deployment through a vast network of partners eager to see you succeed.

About

Launch Indy is a brand new coworking space in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. This hub of collaboration and innovation is designed to help entrepreneurs launch their successes. Our space gives these entrepreneurs, startups, and creatives the space they need to flex their creativity and grow in completely new ways. By providing a coworking space for high-impact entrepreneurs to be part of a community, we can drive economic development, help create a new generation of successes, and build a stronger city.

Ways to Engage

Join Launch Indy

• You’re looking for a place to collaborate with other entrepreneurs. You want to be inspired and innovative. Our co-working space gives you the room and amenities to make your latest endeavor successful.

About

Located in the heart of the 16 Tech Innovation District, Machyne is a membership-based makerspace that provides high-tech tools, flexible spaces and resources needed to bring big ideas to life.

WHERE MAKERS COME TOGETHER.

• Machyne is, above all else, a community. It’s a welcoming place where makers come together to dream big, support one another and have some fun. Our members are diverse in experience and united by a passion for creativity, collaboration and camaraderie.

A WELL-EQUIPPED 21ST CENTURY WORKSHOP.

• Machyne offers a full suite of powerful tools and equipment. From woodworking and metal fabrication to 3D printing and laser technology, we have the equipment and support you’ll need to make virtually anything.

A PLACE TO BUILD NOT ONLY THINGS, BUT BUSINESSES.

• Machyne is perfect for people who want to turn their project into a viable entrepreneurial venture. Through Machyne’s own programming and a close relationship with 1776, the nation’s largest network of entrepreneurial incubators, members have access to an abundance of resources within the 16 Tech Innovation District to help launch and grow successful businesses.

About

The Midwest Tech Bridge encompasses a vibrant innovation ecosystem already aligned to Navy and Marine Corps interests. Located on the world’s third largest Naval installation in Crane, Indiana, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane) anchors the Midwest Tech Bridge through broad collaborative partnerships in the Command’s mission sets of Strategic Missions, Electronic Warfare, and Expeditionary Warfare that are serving to accelerate the development and transition of technology to Department of Defense (DoD) end users.

Ways to Engage

The Midwest Tech Bridge resides at the crossroads of not only Navy and Marine Corps mission sets, but connects the nearby Air Force and Army Research Laboratories as well. The Indiana Innovation Institute (IN3) serves as our Partnership Intermediary Agreement for this effort, and we look forward to building the tech bridge to gain broader access and leverage efforts across the region.

About

We are a partnership of experienced entrepreneurs who help visionaries shape their ideas, craft them through a repeatable process, and move them forward with capital and talent. As the first Benefits (B) Corporation venture studio, we provide an alternative to the traditional system. As such, we hold ourselves accountable to both financial success as a business, while supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Indiana. We are the studio by designed and operated by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, with entrepreneurs.

We believe in entrepreneurship for all. We want to ensure all aspiring business owners have the opportunity for economic prosperity through entrepreneurship.

To do that, you need three things:

1. A pathway to GROW (programs, coaching, training, workshops, Masterminds)
2. A place to WORK (physical space, office space, conference center)
3. A way to GIVE (time, talent, treasure)

Contact us to get started.

About

Working together, Northeast Indiana is a magnet for the best businesses and talent and is recognized as one of the nation’s most prosperous regions.

Ways to Engage

Supporting Your Business

• Provide confidential project management 
• Support the planning of your project 
• Plan customized site tours 
• Connect the region’s political, business, and community decision-makers
• Work with partners to provide demographics and market reports 
• Assist with obtaining local professional service providers 
• Identify other resources that could be valuable

About

iNDustry Labs exists to serve the businesses in the South-Bend Elkhart Region embarking on this digital transformation journey to become more productive, resilient, and skilled. As an integrated platform with multidisciplinary expertise, creative talent, cutting-edge resources, and access to a global network, iNDustry Labs provides a competitive advantage for those businesses, and in particular the manufacturers, we are so fortunate to claim in the region.

Ways to Engage

iNDustry 4.0 Assessment & Transformation Plans

• Understanding how emerging technologies and business models are redefining your business, and, more specifically, knowing where your business stands today compared to its potential is fundamental to developing a strategy for advancement. iNDustry Labs has developed diagnostic tools and a process to develop a digital transformation plan tailored to each business.

Advanced Engineering & Analytics Services

• To activate your digital transformation plans, iNDustry Labs draws upon the University’s resources in research and development, commercialization and technical talent. Throughout the process, iNDustry Labs provides hands-on assistance, advisory services and project management talent for end-to-end support of your needs.

Applied Learning and Training Programs 

• The skills and talent of your workforce are the most important factors for your growth and resilience. The LIFT Network has developed and expanded an array of programs to upskill the Region’s existing workforce as well as to increase the supply of talent with the relevant skills and knowledge-base power your business in the digital future. As a University-wide resource that is tightly integrated into the Region’s LIFT Network, the iNDustry Labs team is well-positioned to match your company’s talent and training needs with key partners on-campus and throughout the region. 

About

IN-MaC mobilizes our resources, expertise and network to invigorate manufacturing talent pipelines and advance abilities to overcome the barriers to achieve Industry 4.0. Areas of concentration include the Intelligent Manufacturing Testbed (IMT), Education & Workforce Development (E&WD), and the Industry Implementation Program (I2P). IN-MaC is hosted by Purdue University in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University.

Our offerings include industry projects to translate industrial IoT and advanced machining skillsets. We conduct regular seminars and hands-on workshops to help companies prepare for digital transformations, and work with educators and communities to embolden the talent pipeline. We support companies in implementing new methods to make quicker, better-informed decisions and welcome all inquiries to discuss how we can help you be more successful.

Ways to Engage

IN-MaC catalyzes the development and translation of technologies and capabilities to support manufacturers for sustained growth and success. Our Testbed discovers and demonstrates tools and applications across digital networks (IoT, OT and IT) that enhance value for companies of all sizes.

Intelligent Manufacturing Testbed (IMT) 

• IN-MaC administers Purdue’s Intelligent Manufacturing Testbed in conjunction with the Manufacturing Design Lab (MDLab) and Digital Enterprise Center (DEC). The Testbed provides a platform for research in smart manufacturing and the digital twin, and a collaboration space to develop and demonstrate new tools and methods (industry, university). Our testbed also prepares students and the workforce for careers in advanced manufacturing.

Industry Implementation Program (I2P)

• IN-MaC’s I2P provides short-term expertise to manufacturers when implementing high-impact, high-return projects within and across their value chain. Areas of specialization include: digital engineering, product and process simulation, production optimization, product lifecycle management, supply chain integration, and data intelligence. The program is delivered by Purdue faculty and staff experts and compliments Indiana’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

Education and Workforce Development

• IN-MaC activates the formation of manufacturing skillsets through a variety of programs and experiences for K-16 students, educators at all levels, and incumbent workers. We augment education pathways and create opportunities to develop technical literacy, cross-discipline agility, design thinking and problem-solving skills across a range of ability and experience levels.

About

The Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) provides high value, affordable solutions to help businesses increase profitability. As advocates for Indiana’s thousands of manufacturers, our staff leverages resources in both the public and private sectors to help identify areas of improvement, streamline processes, and ultimately increase competitiveness.

Ways to Engage

Developing capabilities in line with Indiana manufacturing priorities, including an increased capacity to deliver innovation and growth services to small and medium-sized manufacturers.

Innovation and Technology

• Additive Manufacturing
• Collaborative Robotics Assistance
• Cybersecurity
• Digital Manufacturing & Design Assessments

About

We are innovation experts who specialize in software and new product development. Led by a team of highly experienced engineers, software developers and designers, and supported by creative and skilled interns from one of the top STEM colleges in the country, Ventures has a 20-year track record as an essential resource for clients ranging from individual entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 corporations. 

We specialize in the “innovation space,” meaning we excel at ushering new ideas from start to finish while discovering the best solutions along the way for our partners. We are located on a beautiful 100-acre campus in a 35,000 square-foot facility equipped with modern labs, rapid-prototyping, CAD and 3D-printing resources and the latest software development tools. We pride ourselves on offering excellent service, outstanding client communications, imaginative approaches and a long tradition of producing tremendous results.

Ways to Engage

Our expertise includes software development, mobile app design, rapid prototyping, new product development, and more. What ties everything together is our love of innovating and helping you reach your goals.

Capabilities / facility

• Fast-paced proof of concept development
• New product development
• System-level prototyping
• Creative problem-solving
• High-level design concepts
• Troubleshoot complex systems
• Develop electro-mechanical and electro-pneumatic systems
• Test and measurement systems
• Forecasting development issues

About

SEP is one of Indiana’s largest software product development firms with 140+ employees and clients that span from Fortune 100 to scale-up companies. We were founded by engineers who wanted to build a better place to work. A place where people wanted to thrive. Where their talents shine through. Where the culture nurtures them from day one. The founding principles are evident today in the way we craft exceptional products, in how we collaborate—and in the way we tackle what matters most.

Ways to Engage

Execute critical business functions with our Desktop applications. We bring decades of experience in building applications that empower users to calibrate, configure, monitor, and even diagnose physical products. In the laboratory, at the airport hanger, and at the hospital bedside, our clients trust SEP to craft desktop software that matters more. We can help you navigate even the most complex ecosystems because we’re experts at building distributed systems, integrating systems, and building desktop applications inside complex environments.

About

A knowledge-driven, highly connected region that serves and provides access to a global innovation economy. Recognized for our world-class higher education and community partnerships, superior access and connectivity and high-performing communities, South Bend – Elkhart is the proud home to the University of Notre Dame and a region of connected innovation hubs.

About

We grow, engineer, and activate tech ecosystems. Tech ecosystems need resources like talent, innovation, companies, capital, community, promotion, research, and policy. Attracting, harnessing, and coordinating these resources is critical for success.

Ways to Engage

We bring together Indiana’s tech companies, philanthropies, government, universities, and talent to create opportunity. Nonprofit and industry-led, we want to change the world for the better, one great idea at a time. We’re making Indy’s tech ecosystem the strongest among mid-size cities and Indiana’s the strongest among Midwest states.

About

This program supports disruptive Hardtech companies focused on pioneering next-gen solutions that serve our core business needs, from materials science to sustainability.

Ways to Engage

• Work closely with The Heritage Group Ventures team, a corporate venture arm that invests $50M per year into hardtech startups

• Access The Heritage Group’s lab resources & global network of over 40+ portfolio companies at The Center in Indianapolis, Indiana

• Previous cohorts have raised a combined $12.5M & secured over 14 pilot projects during the accelerator program 

• Engage with 100+ mentors hand-picked to support your entrepreneurial journey

About

Indiana is the right place, with the right people, and the right setting to push your business forward.

Looking for a place to start or grow your business and really make an impact? The time is now, and Indiana is the state. We offer the environment, skillset and people to help you gain a competitive edge and make a difference.

Ways to Engage

Advanced Manufacturing

• Consumer excitement around the future of manufacturing is palpable. Companies are poised to deliver on this sentiment and bring futuristic technologies to life. With Indiana’s strong legacy in automotive manufacturing, a deep pre-existing network and supply chain, and attractive benefits for employees including financial incentives, the future of advanced manufacturing has never looked more promising for today’s companies.  

• For leaders looking to make strides in the manufacturing space, Indiana offers a supportive environment with benefits for employees and companies in equal measures. It’s one of the reasons Indiana has the second largest automotive industry in the U.S., and we invite you to bring your disruptive, savvy business plans to Indiana and let us help you reach your biggest, most ambitious advanced manufacturing goals. 

Logistics and Transportation

• With the meteoric rise of e-commerce and logistics, there’s an undeniable opportunity to capitalize on the logistics and transportation industry. For decades, Indiana has been solidifying its infrastructure and leveraging its position as a centralized hub for U.S. logistics and by designing favorable business conditions for companies across the entire industry to increase profitability.  

• Now we need sharp, pragmatic leaders to expand into our market and get ahead of growing demand. Straddling the line between America’s steel belt and agricultural heartland, Indiana is interwoven with major highways and rail lines. Access to the Great Lakes and the Ohio-Mississippi river system enables Indiana to have the only statewide international port system. Major airports, along with the second-largest FedEx hub in the world, gives Indiana a global reach by air. We promise real possibility in Indiana. Let’s make it yours together.

About

Trek10 is a Premier Tier Consulting Partner for Amazon Web Services (AWS) based in Indiana. We help companies design, build, manage, monitor, and operate their cloud infrastructure along their digital transformation journeys. Massive scalability, heavy automation, high uptime, and remarkably low operating costs are our hallmarks.

Ways to Engage

Trek10 works with your team through every stage of the cloud journey, teaching as we trek along with you. We excel at meeting the customer where they are, whether in their first phase of cloud adoption or looking to manage, operate, and optimize a well-established footprint. We pride ourselves on tailoring and delivering a solution that accelerates time to value on AWS for our clients.

Ways to Engage

Coaching

The Velocities staff is committed to supporting entrepreneurs throughout their entire entrepreneurial journey. We offer advising on pitch decks, pitches, business plans, product-market fit and more.

Access to Capital

Through our partnership with The Mill, the Chamber and Elevate Ventures, we provide entrepreneurs with access to several sources of capital in our region to take their company to the next level.

Co-working space

The Mill is home to dozens of startup companies. The Mill offers coworking amenities, diverse community, specialized entrepreneurial support for accelerating startups and more. 

EIR

Velocities’ Entrepreneur In Residence Cy Megnin has been an entrepreneur, founder and advisor for two decades. Cy is a mentor to startups across the region with offices at both the Chamber and the Mill.

About

Over the last decade, VisionTech has emerged as one of the Midwest’s most active angel investing groups, adding fuel to the innovation economy by injecting capital and business acumen into some of the nation’s and region’s hottest early growth companies. 

We’ve built an expansive and engaged network of accredited investors across the states of Indiana and Ohio; investors who roll-up their sleeves and dive into screening, due diligence, investing, and mentoring. We ensure a robust deal flow by focusing on the life sciences, SaaS, IoT technology, advanced materials, supply chain, and hardware. We host on-line and in-person investor events and apply a robust due diligence process designed to de-risk our investments. We partner with other angel, venture, and state-backed investment groups on attractive deals. And finally, we maintain close relationships with our portfolio companies.

Ways to Engage

VisionTech is the preferred partner for entrepreneurs across the Midwest and the nation. Among our strengths are our leadership team; a tight-knit network of accredited angel investors across Indiana and Ohio who are passionate about investing in early-stage, early-growth startup companies; and our record of success.

VisionTech also works to entrepreneurs’ advantage with our deep rolodex. We have relationships with other angel investing groups in the Midwest and across the country as well as with state and university-sponsored investment entities, venture firms, and venture studios that can help commercialize technologies and accelerate growth. It’s not uncommon for us to participate in each other’s deals or refer startups in industries not in our wheelhouse. Either way, startups win by maximizing exposure and engagement with top notch investing groups.

About

WHIN’s mission is to develop its ten-county regional community as a very large scale, living laboratory for education and scientific research related to Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The Wabash Heartland Innovation Network is an alliance of 10 counties in north-central Indiana, funded by the Lilly Endowment, devoted to working together to fuel prosperity by harnessing the power of internet-enabled sensors to develop our region into a global epicenter of digital agricultural and next-generation manufacturing.

Ways to Engage

Next-Gen Manufacturing

• Develop Manufacturing Testbeds (DMET): Purdue’s Michael Golden Labs/Indiana Manufacturing Institute, enabling real-time analytics of manufacturing processes and delivery systems
• Education: Develop content to increase regional employees’ productivity using smart, IoT-empowered tools
• Implementation: Develop digital supply chain network model for participating manufacturers that can be used by procurement managers

Digital Agriculture

• Develop Ag Testbeds: Purdue/Ivy Tech (ABE, ACRE, Ivy Tech farm, and regional sites)
• Education: Career-ready certificates & ag producer/business trainings for digital readiness
• Implementation: Sensor application/adoption

Regional Cultivation Fund

• Education: Provide and increase job readiness, training, and educational opportunities for current and future workforce
• Vitality: Increase attractiveness/usefulness of physical space for community benefit
• Connectivity: Engage and connect residents in the Wabash Heartland Region

Wisebev’s goal is to save you time and money, and help you avoid the pitfalls many beverage companies experience when developing a product and bringing it to market by offering novel beverage systems that are fully ready for commercialization.

Wisbev is your trusted beverage partner and an extension of your innovation pipeline, as well as your marketing and research and development resources.

At Wisebev we’ll bring your beverage to market, following our end-to-end process. Contact us today to see how we can get your beverage to market, or to your next trade show, the right way so your set up for success.