.png){kind=small}
State of Startups: Kentucky Q1 FY26 Startup News
- Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation
- Nov 7
- 5 min read
The State of Startups: Kentucky report is shared live each quarter during an online update from Kentucky’s six regional innovation hubs. Read below for highlights from Q4 FY25 and register online to hear the next report in real time.
Welcome to Kentucky
Joining the SOAR Innovation team this month is Danna Barnett, their new Director of Entrepreneurship, serving the eastern Kentucky region.
We’re also celebrating the creation of a new venture capital firm: New Ventures VC, launched by Jackson Andrews, founding Managing Director of Endeavor Midwest. New Ventures joins Coolwater Capital’s accelerator for emerging VCs and aims to fill the funding gap between angel investors and coastal VC firms. Andrews launched New Ventures VC to assist Midwest tech companies.
VSimple, an AI-powered workflow platform that unifies documents, tasks, approvals and communication, is relocating to Louisville with plans to create over 200 new jobs.
Caza Innovations, a research partner for science and technology commercialization, has relocated to Bowling Green, further strengthening the region’s deep-tech activity.
Recent Wins
Congratulations to the 30 Kentucky companies selected for this year's Inc. 5000 list, based upon their three-year revenue growth percentage. Ranking in the top 500 were three consumer brands:
RD1 Spirits (Lexington) – No. 280, 1,344% growth
Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck (Florence) – No. 372, 1,072% growth
WILDE Brands (Winchester) – No. 402, 994% growth
On the Business First Fast 50 list, two early-stage Louisville companies were listed:
Cornbread Hemp — #2, 323.58% growth
eBlu Solutions — #14, 59.05% growth
Three Kentucky founders were selected as the newest Endeavor U.S. Entrepreneurs following Endeavor’s National Selection Panel held in Detroit:
Theresa Reno-Weber, GoodMaps (Louisville)
Brad Cummings, EQL Games (Louisville)
Jordan Mitchell, ENCON Equipment (Nicholasville)
Congratulations to Julia Regan, founder of RxLightning, on joining the Endeavor Southeast Board following her recent exit.
The Community Foundation of Louisville’s Vogt Awards selected their 2025 cohort, who will each receive $25,000 grant funding, a $25,000 SAFE note and acceleration programming:
Due Gooder
Essential Innovations
KidVestors
Nongo
Proper Pilots
Revitalized Solutions
The Awesome Inc Fellowship program recently selected four companies for their accelerator program:
Besti Co., led by Amanda Miah
Pebble, led by Aaron Jordan
Proper Pilots, led by Tim Tweet
Sofab Inks, led by Blake Martin
Two Louisville startups won $1M each at the Rally Conference in Indianapolis:
Wicked Technologies (Healthcare category) – Alli Truttmann
Xena Intelligence (eCommerce category) – Akhil Suresh Nair
HempWood was named the Coolest Thing Made in Kentucky and is opening a new factory on the Murray University campus. They use patented technology to transform locally grown hemp fibers bonded with soy based adhesives into carbon-negative, formaldehyde-free hardwood.
Airtrek Robotics and Nichefire were selected from over 560 applications to showcase at this year’s Venture Atlanta Conference.
Congratulations to Katie Trauth Taylor, CEO of Narratize, who was named Tech Entrepreneur of the Year at Aviatra Accelerators’ Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
Founders Shawn Rubel (Eezy) and Jeremy Jacobs (UnDesked) were named inaugural members of Bowling Green’s Regional Technology Hall of Fame.
Garnet Gazelle, founded by Zach Hill, was selected as SOAR's 2025 Startup of the Year and was honored at the SOAR Inspires Awards.
Santerre International received a $100,000 Challenge Grant from the Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp.
Repatient, a company that combines simple payment plans and digital billing platforms to increase financial flexibility and optimize efficiency, announced its collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
Climavision and Virtual Peaker formed a partnership to combine advanced weather prediction modeling with AI-driven virtual power plant technology.
EQL Games, a gaming company specializing in developing interactive and engaging video games, announced a game development studio partnership with Chance Lottery.
Feedcoyote announced a new partnership with Nvidia, where they will bring AI to Feedcoyote’s business network platform designed to connect, collaborate and manage short-term gigs among freelancers.
Exits
A startup exit is when the founders and investors of a startup cash out — usually by selling the company or taking it public. It’s essentially the endgame for most startups, where all the effort (and risk) ideally turns into a financial reward.
We have no exits to celebrate this quarter.
Capital
Since January 1, 2025, Kentucky has had 58 startups funded with $166,706,698 in early-stage investment.
Of note this past quarter:
In the Amplify region, Virtual Peaker, a developer of an energy assessment platform that monitors and manages residential electric demand, raised $11.34 million of venture funding from Veriten and other undisclosed vendors.
In the Blue North region, Narratize, who's preparing to launch its groundbreaking Product Knowledge Hubs, completed their funding round, bringing their total raised to $5 million. The Product Knowledge Hubs will help major companies like Boeing and NVIDIA accelerate product development.
In the CREATE region, UnDesked raised $3M in a seed round led by Nashville Capital Network. Undesked, a digital workplace platform aimed at supporting non-traditional work environments, is a digital workplace platform aimed at supporting non-traditional work environments.
Kentucky Innovation Hubs News
Big congratulations to Dave Knox, the Blue North team and their partners on the grand opening of northern Kentucky's newest entrepreneur center, SparkHaus, in downtown Covington.
Buddy Steen with CREATE was announced as an inaugural member of the Regional Tech Council’s Hall of Fame in Bowling Green!
We were also excited to see SOAR’s own Latasha Friend featured in The Wall Street Journal for her leadership of the MakeMyMove talent attraction program.
About the Kentucky Innovation Hubs
The Kentucky Innovation Hubs, managed by KSTC and funded by KY Innovation at the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, are a network of six regional centers across the state with the purpose of driving economic development through entrepreneurship and innovation. Each Hub acts as their region’s “front door” to deliver services — while leveraging local partnerships and regional organizations — and assists entrepreneurs across industries and stages of development as they advance their businesses.
Key Services Provided by the Hubs for Tech Startups
Startup Coaching:
Provide tailored, consultative coaching to numerous startups, helping founders refine their business models and strategies.
Facilitate access to essential resources such as capital, customers, mentors, and talent.
Access to Capital:
Assist startups in securing funding through various channels, contributing to their financial stability and growth.
Organize pitch events and investor meetings to connect startups with potential investors.
Customer Acquisition:
Support startups in identifying and reaching their target markets, leading to increased customer acquisition.
Provided strategic introductions to key industry players and potential clients.
Mentorship Programs:
Match startups with experienced mentors who provided guidance and support throughout their entrepreneurial journey.
Conduct regular mentorship sessions and workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of founders.
Talent Development:
Help startups in sourcing and recruiting top talent to build strong, capable teams.
Offer training programs and workshops to improve the capabilities of startup teams.
Strategic Introductions and Networking:
Facilitate networking events and strategic introductions that encourage collaboration and partnerships within the ecosystem.
Enable startups to connect with industry experts, potential partners, and other key stakeholders.
Through these initiatives, the Kentucky Innovation Hubs have significantly contributed to the growth and success of startups, strengthening the state's tech economy and fostering a thriving entrepreneurial environment. We are committed to maintaining this momentum and continuing to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who drive Kentucky's vibrant startup ecosystem.