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EQ

Immunophotonics New Leadership “Great News” Says Outgoing CEO

2 weeks 3 days ago

Immunophotonics has a new CEO. “It’s great news for the company – really awesome folks that are putting their reputation on the line to push this through the next phase!” outgoing CEO Lu Alleruzzo told bizblip. Aleruzzo stays on in an advisory capacity, working closely with co-founder and CIO Tomas Hode. New Faces:  CEO Miguel […]

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EQ Community Network

Capacity continues acquisition streak

4 weeks ago

Support automation company Capacity completed its thirteenth acquisition with the purchase of Indianapolis-based KLaunch, expanding the company’s conversational AI capabilities and strengthening its presence in government, healthcare and nonprofit sectors. “As customer expectations keep rising, KLaunch represents another strategic piece in our compound startup approach – building an omnichannel platform to address the full spectrum […]

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EQ Community Network

Beauty Brand Startup Secures $10,000 AI Funding

4 weeks ago

Shades of Color has closed a $10,000 crowdfunding round on Kiva to enhance its AI-powered marketplace for beauty shoppers. The St. Louis-based startup plans to use the funding to expand conversational features and improve visual product recommendations, making online and mobile shopping more intuitive for customers. “We are working to enhance our technology, to add […]

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EQ Community Network

EXCLUSIVE UPDATE: FinLocker closes Series B extension with MTC participation

1 month 2 weeks ago

FinLocker completed the final tranche of its $17 million Series B round, with the latest investment led by the Missouri Technology Corporation, a state-backed group supporting emerging technologies. The St. Louis-based company will use the funds to scale business development in the mortgage sector and expand its financial readiness platform for consumers. “We’re using the […]

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EQ Community Network

DEMIblue Launches Nonprofit; Eyes Canada

1 month 3 weeks ago

Beauty tech company DEMIblue Natural Nails is preparing for international expansion, beginning with Canada. The startup, founded six years ago to provide healthier nail care alternatives free of toxic chemicals, is also launching a nonprofit initiative called DEMIblue Cares. The program will deliver manicures, wellness workshops, and education to breast cancer survivors while using the […]

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EQ Community Network

Coworking Guide to CIC St. Louis, the Original Shared Workspace in CORTEX

6 months 2 weeks ago

Over the past several years, CIC St. Louis has housed over 1,300 companies with more than 13,000 total employees. Over 1,100 companies have “graduated” (defined as leaving the CIC facilities for their own spaces). Globally, CIC companies have raised over $17 billion in venture capital; total capital raised is closer to $74 billion.

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Mike Fabrizi

Funding for API Innovation Center Reaches $20M, Opens Lab on UMSL Campus

6 months 2 weeks ago

Last year, EQ introduced readers to the API Innovation Center, located in St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation District. In this short article, Mike Fabrizi reports on continued progress, including a major funding infusion, the opening of a state-of-the-art lab on the University of Missouri at St. Louis (UMSL) campus, and the API Innovation Center’s awarding a contract to a local biosciences firm for the manufacture of key medicines for which there are presently limited or no domestic sources.

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Mike Fabrizi

Arch Grants Awards $1.7 Million to 20 Startups

10 months 1 week ago

Arch Grants has awarded $1.7 million in non-dilutive grants to 20 startups, constituting the nonprofit’s 2024 Cohort. Over 300 volunteer judges selected from over 550 applicants to Arch Grants’ annual Startup Competition, each awardee has committed to being headquartered in St. Louis for at least one year. 

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Jonathan Allen

How Saint Louis Zoo’s Wildcare Park Benefits Our Region

10 months 1 week ago

Mike Fabrizi examines the forthcoming Wildcare Park’s impacts on our region.

Some of these are economic, which stem from the construction project itself, increased Zoo operations, spending by visitors, more tax revenue, and increased property values.

In addition to economic impacts, however, there are also the benefits stemming from enhancing our region’s “creative community”. They make our Saint Louis an even more attractive place in which to live, and tend to attract the “creative” and “entrepreneurial” classes, as do other cultural and civic institutions.

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Mike Fabrizi

Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Innovation Center (APIIC) is Reshoring a Vital Industry and Restoring Health Security

10 months 2 weeks ago

As part of EQ’s building a contextual map of the St. Louis innovation and entrepreneurial scene, we interviewed Anthony Sardella, the Chairman and CEO of the Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Innovation Center (hereafter referred to as the API Innovation Center), an independent business leveraging our region’s bioscience and manufacturing strengths to solve a vital twenty-first century challenge. We thank Tony and his staff for generously sharing with us their expertise, their enthusiasm for the API Innovation Center’s mission, and their assistance with this narrative. What follows stems from this interview and the API Innovation Center’s published reports.

The post Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Innovation Center (APIIC) is Reshoring a Vital Industry and Restoring Health Security appeared first on EQ.

Mike Fabrizi

TGI’s Generative AI for Geospatial Challenge Kickoff Event was Really Good: 7 Reasons Why 

11 months 1 week ago

The Taylor Geospatial Institute's recent "Generative AI for Geospatial Challenge" kickoff conference highlighted a crucial transformation: geospatial technology is no longer just for experts.

Once the domain of technical specialists with security clearances, the field is becoming accessible to everyone through innovations like "Queryable Earth" and "Digital Twins."

This democratization, powered by generative AI, arrives at a perfect moment for St. Louis, which has invested heavily in becoming a geospatial hub.

The shift from expertise-driven to accessibility-focused could be key to realizing the city's ambitions in the sector.

The post TGI’s Generative AI for Geospatial Challenge Kickoff Event was Really Good: 7 Reasons Why  appeared first on EQ.

Jonathan Allen

Mission Control Acquired by LeagueSpot

11 months 4 weeks ago

The co-founders celebrating an exit are SLU student alums who joined the St. Louis startup ecosystem following graduation. In our view, this acquisition news reflects well on the city's ongoing efforts to develop a student-to-startup pipeline that retains talent in the region.

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Jonathan Allen

Shared Services in the St. Louis AgTech and BioTech Innovation Districts

1 year 4 months ago

EQ's resident expert in economic complexity theory, Mike Fabrizi, explains the different shared services offered by St. Louis' innovation districts. From lab equipment to utilities management, shared services cuts down on outsourcing costs and increases the chance of your AgTech or BioTech startup succeeding in these resource intensive sectors.

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Mike Fabrizi