Capital + Deals
The Case Western spinout will use the capital to automate production of its 100-year optical discs. By slashing archive energy costs by 90%, the Solon startup aims to challenge legacy systems and capture the booming market for training massive AI datasets.
Advanced Manufacturing
Central Ohio is about to build the Air Force’s next generation of semi‑autonomous “robotic wingmen,” as Anduril’s FQ‑44 Fury fighter and Lattice mission autonomy software move from rapid prototyping into full production at the new Arsenal‑1 campus.
Workforce + Education
The Columbus-based R&D organization is awarding $968,000 to 16 Central Ohio nonprofits, expanding STEM programs that will reach more than 14,000 students and 1,400 educators while shifting the focus toward artificial intelligence, aviation, and applied engineering.
Beam Benefits founder Alex Frommeyer is back with Stack Health, a Columbus-based startup aiming to upend the U.S. insurance market. By shifting coverage from employers to individuals, Stack uses AI to help Ohio workers build personalized, cost-effective health bundles.
Months ahead of its July target, Arsenal-1 in Pickaway County is open and ready for production. The billion-dollar mega-factory will begin assembling autonomous combat drones in a matter of days, with 4,000 jobs and a $2B economic impact on the horizon.
One year after Palmer Luckey promised to bring "hyperscale" defense manufacturing to central Ohio, the vision is becoming concrete reality. Arsenal-1's first autonomous jets will roll off the line by Q2—a timeline that would've been impossible just a decade ago.
Ohio’s future isn’t just a concept—it has names. We narrowed triple-digit submissions to the top 25 innovators 35 and under. From AI to medtech and beyond, these leaders are bridging the gap between legacy strength and the digital frontier. Meet the 2025 class defining Ohio’s next chapter.
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Resilience’s move from San Diego to Blue Ash cements Southwest Ohio as a million‑square‑foot hub for sterile injectables and advanced packaging, tying corporate leadership directly to its expanding West Chester manufacturing network and new high‑skill jobs in the region.
Advanced nuclear’s biggest bottleneck—fuel—may finally be easing as Oklo secures domestic HALEU from Centrus’s Piketon plant to anchor a 1.2 GW campus in Southern Ohio, linking local enrichment, new reactors, and surging AI data center demand in one project.
With over 12,000 startup jobs created locally in the last five years, Cincinnati is growing fast enough to challenge hubs like Nashville. Now, Cintrifuse is deploying a fresh 30-student cohort to ensure the region's top collegiate tech talent stays and builds in Ohio.
By offering non-dilutive funding instead of demanding company ownership, this accelerator program helps regional startups build early traction. Founders gain access to a specialized provider network that de-risks their businesses before they ever pitch to investors.
Facing a projected shortage of more than 540,000 skilled workers over the next decade, Ohio is launching a $300 million workforce initiative. The program aims to reach roughly 25,000 Ohioans by providing financial incentives for hybrid work-and-education models in critical industries.
Dayton’s aviation innovation legacy met its culinary scene as autonomous logistics company Dexa and All The Best Delicatessen executed Ohio’s first commercial drone sandwich delivery. Under clear skies, the FAA-certified aircraft completed a flawless 1.5-mile suburban round trip.
Ohio’s booming data center corridor is taking center stage in Columbus, as lawmakers hear how one tech giant’s infrastructure buildout is tied to new jobs, grid capacity, and water restoration projects that aim to benefit communities across the state.
A new workforce academy will train electricians, plumbers and fiber technicians with stipends, credentials and direct job pathways. The effort targets a growing labor gap as data center expansion accelerates across key states, including Ohio.
Drawing on a powerful papal encyclical, a veteran tech executive critiques Silicon Valley's trend of prioritizing metrics over human dignity. Contrastingly, Midwest institutions and companies offer a sustainable model of responsible capitalism that views human capacity as a lasting asset.
Built from the ground up for low-cost, scalable mass production without special tooling, the Remora UAV leverages a 100% domestic supply chain in Northeast Ohio. Backed by regional manufacturing hubs, the leadership team aims to close the national security gap in global drone development.
Spun out of Ohio's veteran venture studio, this new independent, for-profit firm aims to bridge the coastal funding gap by targeting enterprise AI, deep tech, and life sciences. Backed by a strong Central Ohio network, the team delivers critical talent, customers, and execution strategy.
Co-founded by institutional veterans, a new AI-native platform for multifamily real estate investors slashes deal evaluation times from hours to minutes. It enables teams to underwrite up to ten times more volume by integrating localized data and live lending market insights.
