Many may wonder why Columbia, MO could be such a great place for biological research or technology related start up companies, but there are a variety of reasons that draw businesses to our area and facilitate fast growth of young companies.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Here in Columbia, we have Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI), the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), Centennial Investors, our organization, and a large community of active independent investors that support our entrepreneurial market. Within the University of Missouri there are organizations like C.L.I.M.B. that support student entrepreneurship, and every year there is a vibrant Startup Weekend event hosted in our area that has lead to the creation of multiple businesses over the years.
There’s always lots of entrpreneurial events happening in and around Columbia. Check out the Mid-Missouri Entrepreneurial Calendar to see a complete list of upcoming events.
Research Facilities
Many of our clients choose to stay located in Columbia, MO or move to our area based on access to research facilities. Through our state of the art facility, nearby facilities in our immediate area at Research Park, and University of Missouri partnerships for access to high-tech equipment and lab spaces – we are able to offer our clients an unmatched set of capabilities with extreme convenience that is attractive. In addition, the university provides an agriculture department, medical program, veterinarian program, and engineering program which allows for in-depth, multi-channel research collaboration. Many similar businesses to the companies we support do not experience a similar convenience.
A Great Place To Be
Columbia provides access to university research teams, low living costs, plenty of entertainment options, and is a city that is well rounded and diverse. With a population just over 100,000 but rapidly growing, there is a lot of excitement and buzz in our area about new companies up to interesting things. With a supportive community to back you and a small enough business sphere that you can quickly make the right connections, Columbia, MO is a the perfect city for a new technology related business to flourish.
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri was founded in 1839 in Columbia, Mo., as the first public university west of the Mississippi River and the first state university in Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase territory. Today, MU is a $2.1 billion enterprise and an important investment for the state and nation. The University brings the best and brightest to Columbia, attracting more valedictorians, Curators Scholars and Bright Flight Scholars than any other college or university in Missouri. Mizzou graduates more than 8,000 students annually, granting 25 percent of all bachelor’s degrees, 23 percent of master’s degrees and 65 percent of all doctoral degrees earned at Missouri’s public universities. Roughly 1 in 3 degrees are in math, engineering, information technology, health and other science fields.