Securing that initial round of pre-seed funding is always exciting. Not only does your founding team feel they have a viable business idea on their hands, but you have convinced an outside funder to buy into your vision as well. While this is an important first step, what do you do next? Navigating the critical…
Posts By: Syed Barizuddin
While stress is often a normal part of life, the intensity and frequency of today’s stressors are causing many people to experience frustrating (and even debilitating) levels of anxiety and depression. As of 2024, the American Psychiatric Association reported that 43% of adults in the United States felt as if their anxiousness was increasing, leading…
There’s a somewhat romanticized ideal of the budding entrepreneur who spends every last bit of personal wealth to bootstrap a business. Yet for many early-stage founders and their families, risking it all isn’t a feasible or responsible decision. That’s where angel investors can help. Angel investors are able to invest in alternative investments such as…
The process of curing cancer involves multiple complex steps, but current research indicates positive progress. In fact, one Missouri Innovation Center (MIC) client, Endevica Bio, has made great advancements in the cancer treatment space. The company’s latest biotech drug addresses cachexia, a potentially life-threatening wasting disease that can make cancer recovery challenging — or even…
Having a strong core team is essential for all businesses. But for startups and early-stage ventures with dreams of continuous growth and scalability, it’s a critical component. A team that can’t work together will struggle to innovate, and that’s not conducive to long-term success. That’s why purposefully constructing and nurturing team culture matters. When leaders…
An incubator is only as good as the companies that come out of it. Missouri Innovation Center has been able to walk alongside multiple innovative entrepreneurs as they sought the resources, support, and focused space where they could turn their ideas into real-world companies. Some of these brands have emphasized consumer products, others deep tech….
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum, especially at the organizational level. To fuel big, bold ideas, teams typically do better when they come together to share ideas. As they bounce concepts, they find that it’s easier to innovate quickly, learn from one another’s varied experiences, and ultimately help their organizations remain competitive within today’s fast-moving…
Startups require funding, and funding often comes through successful networking with investors. A key part of that networking process is presenting pitches that stand out. These need to be compelling narratives backed by sound data and inspiring aspirations that can quickly grab an angel investor or venture capitalist’s attention and draw them into your startup’s…
The Missouri Innovation Center provides support for high-growth business ventures in the biotech and life sciences space. Along with offering a robust incubator environment with offices, wet labs, and other resources, a large part of MIC’s success has come from its unique approach to mentorship. Mentors play a critical, ongoing role in the business-building process…
Investing is a necessary part of the startup process. Too often, founders look at investor networking as a daunting responsibility. The emotional element that comes with inexperience can get in the way of what should be a positive opportunity for growth and funding. Missouri Innovation Center exists to provide much-needed support to high-growth startups —…