InvestMidwest, the region’s largest and oldest venture conference is set to take place April 12–13 in Saint Louis, Missouri. According to executive director Claire Kinlaw, this year’s conference is set to be the most diverse and exciting yet.

“We have 28 companies, we are looking at a couple more. There will actually be 30 companies by InvestMidwest, in a month. They are coming all over the Midwest, with a few also out of the country, so few from Canada,” said Kinlaw. “And one that‘s a bit intriguing is from Germany.”

Several of the startups have been bizblip ‘darlings’… going back to our ideation (under the 4thEst8 brand) in 2020. Sheila Buswell of Buswell Biomedical is a Pitches Get Stitches pitch competition (a bizblip property) alum, as well as a bizblip ‘Hold My Beer: 90 under 90″ awardee. Boat Planet was first reported on in the spring of 2021.

Michael Kiel, Boat Planet CEO

“We’re big on being native Missouri, and hiring locally because we launched in Missouri and plan on growing the business in Missouri,” Boat Planet CEO Michael Kiel told bizblip.  We’re nationwide and we’re scaling with a new revenue model based on a webapp and mobile app to better serve boaters and marine businesses.”

Presenting companies include:

  • AgTech:
    • Auxilium MD
    • Corbiota GmbH
    • Edison Agrosciences
    • Eiwa
    • Farm Health Guardian
    • GenoTwin
    • Insigum AgTech
    • Phinite
    • Solis Agrosciences
    • The Bee Corp
  • MedTech
    • Amplified Sciences
    • Axolotl Biosciences
    • BenMedica
    • GreenMark Biomedical
    • Healium XR
    • Kilele Health
    • Life 365
    • OxaluRx, Inc.
    • Surgimatrix
    • Zea Biosciences
  • Info/Data Tech:
    • Applied Bioplatics
    • Boat Planet
    • Buswell Biomedical
    • DataPlant
    • Farm to Flame Energy
    • HabiTerre
    • Quint Workspaces
    • SampleServe
    • Sawback Technologies