Opportunity for Tech Entrepreneurs: Ohio Lays Groundwork for Tech Success

Written by Kevin Volz.

Ohio means opportunity. The chance to take an idea from notes on a napkin and turn it into a thriving business. The prospect of building an empire out of intelligence, keen intuition and business savvy. Tech entrepreneurs in this state are determined, and taking advantage of the opportunities in Ohio’s growing technology economy.

Print Syndicate in Columbus started out as one of these ideas more than two years ago. The company turns social media trends into art for apparel, home goods and electronics cases. The company has grown exponentially since 2012 and was just named to Forbes’ list of America’s most promising companies in 2015. Print Syndicate is a portfolio company of TechColumbus, part of the state’s network of resources for technology entrepreneurs.

“TechColumbus connected us with our attorney, local mentors and helped give my co-founder Mike Limes and me the lay of the land in Columbus,” said Tanisha Robinson, co-founder of Print Syndicate.

The state of Ohio is here to help entrepreneurs like Limes and Robinson through the Ohio Third Frontier, an initiative to create new technology-based products, companies, industries and jobs.  It provides major funding to TechColumbus and other partners across the state focused on assisting technology startups that are seeking investment capital, and have the potential to grow substantially. These startups get critical business advice from seasoned entrepreneurs and business professionals. They receive help with business services such as legal, intellectual property protection, tax, accounting and marketing. In addition, companies can get help recruiting top talent and putting together high-caliber boards. This network can open doors for entrepreneurs by getting them in front of key investors and customers, and help them deliver a compelling message. Startup companies can also get access to state-of-the-art incubation facilities, business accelerators, research institutions, industry associations and many other resources.

Ohio’s six regional partners here to assist technology entrepreneurs include Rocket Ventures in Toledo, JumpStart Inc. in Cleveland,  TechColumbus in Columbus, CincyTech in Cincinnati, Accelerant in Dayton and TechGROWTH in Athens.

“By supporting entrepreneurs and startups, we are laying the foundation for Ohio’s technology economy,” said David Goodman, director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “We are supporting job creation and making Ohio the place for innovators.”

Each of these entrepreneurial partners and their top companies will be individually profiled over the coming months as part of the Opportunity for Tech Entrepreneurs series.

Explore the map below, click each section to visit that region’s technology entrepreneur support partner.