About Entrepreneur Startup Business Development
To accelerate place-based economic development by attracting, retaining, and supporting extraordinary entrepreneurs through equity-free startup funding and access to a robust support network in St. Louis.
Focus Areas
startup fundingtechnology-enabled startupseconomic developmentjob creationfounder support and capacity building
Who They Fund
start-up organizations (early-stage)growth-stage organizations/enterprises
Funding Style
seed/startup fundinggrowth-stage scaling supportproject-specific grantsearly-stage capacity building
About Entrepreneur Startup Business Development
Entrepreneur Startup Business Development Corporation backs early-stage and scaling companies with equity-free startup funding tied to place-based economic development in St. Louis. Its core model is to attract, retain, and support entrepreneurs while pairing capital with a support network for founders building technology-enabled businesses and job-creating ventures. The foundation’s recent grants show that approach in practice. It awarded $100,000 Growth Grants to Native Pet in St. Louis and to Printerior in Wildwood, both follow-on awards for portfolio companies positioned to scale. The grant list also includes startup support for companies outside Missouri, such as Habiterre in Champaign, Illinois, and Roam Stay Inc in Everett, Washington, alongside multiple St. Louis recipients including Module Building Systems, Hands Free LLC, and Dataplant. That mix points to a funder that uses non-dilutive capital for launch support as well as later-stage expansion. Arch Grants programs connected to the foundation emphasize a founder pipeline: an annual startup competition, a fellows program, an innovation summit, and a lending partnership for founders who need access to fair capital. Across those efforts, the foundation works with startups and growth-stage enterprises rather than individuals, and its giving is structured around organizational launch support, scaling, and short-term catalytic funding.
What Entrepreneur Startup Business Development Funds
Technology-enabled startups are a clear priority. The foundation gave $100,000 startup grants to Prezerve Technologies in Boston, Acneaway Inc in New York, and Singularity Ag International Inc in Lewes, Delaware, all through its startup grantmaking. It also supports founder-led company building in St. Louis through operating and growth capital. Examples include $100,000 to Pana Mina LLC in St. Louis and $100,000 to Zpods LLC in Saint Charles, Missouri, both aligned with early-stage or growth-stage support. Job creation and economic development appear in the way the funder uses follow-on capital. A $100,000 growth grant to Essential Real Estate LLC in St. Louis and another to Generation Mindful LLC in St. Louis fit a pattern of short-term catalytic funding for businesses that are already underway and expanding. The foundation’s program structure also extends beyond grants through Arch Grants offerings such as the Fellows Program, the Innovation Summit, and the Founder Lending Program, which is aimed at expanding access to capital for founders in underserved parts of St. Louis City and North St. Louis County.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.9M
Total Assets
$25.9M
Total Revenue
$3.4M
Total Expenses
$3.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $75K and $100K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
Regional11 states funded
About 67% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ELIZABETH ZUCKER
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