11 Businesses To Receive $50,000; Total of 66 Startups and $3.65 Million Granted Since Inception
ST. LOUIS, MO – June 18, 2015 – Arch Grants, a non-profit providing $50,000 equity-free grants and
pro bono support services to entrepreneurs, will introduce today the first 11 of the 2015 Global Startup
Competition Recipients. This announcement is the first of two in 2015, with the second set of grants
being announced in November.
Arch Grants has awarded $3.65 million to grow 66 early-stage businesses since the organization
launched in 2012. These companies have created more than 250 jobs in Missouri, generated $16
million in revenue, and raised $49 million in capital funding as of March 31, 2015.
“Arch Grants is a game-changer. It’s transforming our entrepreneur scene and attracting international
attention for the jobs startups create, the revenue they generate and the follow-on capital they attract,”
said Mayor of St. Louis Francis G. Slay. “With Arch Grants, I know the St. Louis region will continue to
grow as a hub of innovation by attracting and retaining dynamic entrepreneurs and the companies
they create.”
Since the launch of the competition, Arch Grants has attracted applications from entrepreneurs from
62 countries and, in the United States, across 41 states plus the District of Columbia. In addition to
receiving a $50,000 non-dilutive cash grant, pro bono services are awarded to recipients eager to
locate or retain their businesses in St. Louis, including accounting, legal, marketing, design,
communications, web hosting, human resources, and financial and information technology consulting.
At 5 p.m. today, the recipients will be publically recognized at Startup Voodoo in Hotel Lumiere. The
announcement will include:
Remarks by Mayor Slay
Remarks by Arch Grants leaders Ginger Imster and Jerry Schlichter
Photo and interview opportunities with recipients
Below are the Summer 2015 Arch Grants Global Startup Competition Recipients:
Appbase:
https://appbase.io
San Antonio, Texas
Appbase.io is the first streaming database service for search and analytics queries. Businesses use
Appbase for a managed real-time database infrastructure so they can focus on building their product.
Applied Particle Technology:
http://www.appliedparticletechnology.com
St. Louis, Mo.
Applied Particle Technology specializes in an innovative, energy saving, high efficiency, air
purification technology to address the challenge of providing clean indoor air in commercial buildings
and specialty filtration applications.
Better Weekdays:
St. Louis, Mo.
Better Weekdays is a mobile job matching platform that helps universities improve job placement
outcomes of its graduates, and helps companies hire these candidates based on job compatibility and
culture fit.
http://www.crisisgo.com
Mount Vernon, Ill.
The CrisisGo mobile app is a universal safety and communication tool for groups and organizations of
any size. With the app, group members use their smartphones to communicate with all other group
members and to respond to emergency situations with individualized action checklists, alert others
about dangerous situations, view building maps, obtain emergency contact information, review
attendance rosters and locate threatened group members with GPS technology.
HIPAAtrek:
St. Louis, Mo.
HIPAAtrek’s cloud-based software guides healthcare organizations, and companies working with
healthcare organizations, through creating, implementing and maintaining a customizable HIPAA
compliance program.
Invisible Girlfriend:
https://invisiblegirlfriend.com
https://invisibleboyfriend.com
St. Louis, Mo.
Invisible Girlfriend and Invisible Boyfriend helps those stigmatized for being single by giving them a
believable virtual partner who will text with them, leave them voicemails and send them handwritten
notes-letting them live their life free from society’s pressure to be in a relationship.
Jobsite Unite:
https://www.jobsiteunite.com
St. Louis, Mo.
Jobsite Unite is a mobile-first app that helps simplify, streamline, and record critical jobsite
communication for residential and commercial construction projects.
http://www.listo-movieapp.com
St. Louis, Mo.
Listo is an app that is revolutionizing the global entertainment industry by allowing people to watch
movies and TV shows in their preferred language, anywhere in the world.
Million Dollar Scholar:
http://milliondollarscholar.com
New Orleans, La.
Million Dollar Scholar is an ed-tech venture offering the first SaaS solution to help parents and schools
teach their students to gain financial aid opportunities to pay for college.
Scoville & Company:
http://www.scovilleco.com
St. Louis, Mo.
Scoville & Co makes medicine manageable by bringing hospital solutions into the home.
SmashToast:
Springfield, Ill.
SmashToast develops technology to connect the home to your smartphone.
“St. Louis was founded by entrepreneurs and immigrants and we are proud to support the next
generation of entrepreneurs and immigrants who are, once again, defining our region’s future,” said
Ginger Imster, Executive Director, Arch Grants.
“Our selection process is extensive because we seek to fund people who are committed to creating
jobs, and aspire to be future leaders for our region,” Imster said. “Our collective thanks to the
hundreds of community judges and industry experts who helped identify this first group of 2015 grant
recipients.”
The competition has evolved to include two groups each year, summer and winter. The second group
of 2015 Arch Grants recipients will be announced Nov.12 at the Third Annual Arch Grants Gala. The
cycle to identify the winter cohort is underway with rolling application deadlines of July 10 and Aug.
30, 2015.
About Arch Grants
Arch Grants creates an entrepreneurial culture and infrastructure to build successful companies in St.
Louis. The organization provides $50,000 equity-free grants and pro bono support services to
entrepreneurs eager to locate or retain their early-stage businesses in St. Louis. For more information,
visit archgrants.org.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
