Arch Grants, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit seeking to catalyze economic development in the City of
St. Louis, today announced it will be increasing its annual non-dilutive grants awarded to early-stage
businesses to $75,000 ahead of the launch of its 2022 Startup Competition, a 50% increase from 2021.
Its plan is to award approximately 20 grants later this year. Arch Grants also announced an increase in
relocation grants for companies relocating to St. Louis for the program from $10,000 to $25,000 in 2022
and beyond, meaning that companies that relocate to St. Louis through Arch Grants’ annual Startup
Competition will receive a $100,000 grant.
“This significant increase in our funding of extraordinary entrepreneurs will ensure St. Louis continues to
stand out as an attractive place for early-stage companies to grow,” said Gabe Angieri, Arch Grants’
Director of Development and Strategy. “Arch Grants is committed to building upon the success we have
had to date in driving economic growth for this region, and this is just the latest exciting step in
advancing our vision for sustained and long-term regional growth through entrepreneurship and
innovation. It certainly won’t be the last.”
For the past 10 years, Arch Grants has been on a worldwide search for innovative, diverse early-stage
startups looking to take their businesses to the next level. The 2022 Startup Competition will award
startups with $75,000 in non-dilutive grants, and access to an ecosystem of resources, in exchange for
headquartering their businesses in the City of St. Louis for at least one year. In order to qualify for its
$25,000 relocation grants, companies must move to St. Louis from outside of Missouri and/or 150 miles
from St. Louis.
“We’re excited to take this dramatic step to increase the size of grants for local awardees to $75,000,
and for out-of-state awardees to $100,000,” said Jerry Schlichter, Arch Grants’ Board Chair. “We’re
confident that this increase, along with the possibility of an additional follow-on Growth Grant of
$100,000 in non-dilutive capital, will attract even more highly talented entrepreneurs to St. Louis.”
Applications for the 2022 Startup Competition will be accepted from March 18 until April 15. Interested
parties can sign up today at www.archgrants.org/competition to receive Competition information and
reminders. As of March 18, this link will officially house the application for the Competition. Each year,
applications are evaluated by hundreds of investors and industry experts from the St. Louis community
and around the country.
Arch Grants seeks applications for its 2022 Startup Competition from:
– Founders with validated idea-stage to pre-Series A companies
– Companies with an innovative and scalable business model
– Technology-enabled businesses from all industries
– Diverse founder teams who have a desire to help the St. Louis ecosystem grow
– Founding teams who can move 51% of their leadership, or one Founder and 51% of their team
to St. Louis for the program year
– Businesses ready to headquarter and/or locate significant operations in the City of St. Louis
In addition to non-dilutive funding, Arch Grants offers an expansive resource package to its awarded
Companies, including:
– Memberships to exclusive St. Louis resource groups and access to discounted professional
services
– Connections to a community of advisors, business leaders and industry experts
– Access and introductions to venture capital firms and angel investors
– Tailored wraparound support services for one year, and ongoing concierge assistance for as long
as portfolio companies continue to operate in St. Louis
ABOUT ARCH GRANTS
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Arch Grants’ mission is to transform the economy in St. Louis by attracting and
retaining extraordinary entrepreneurs. Since 2012, Arch Grants has awarded more than $11 million in
cash grants to attract or retain 207 early-stage businesses in St. Louis, invigorating the city’s startup
scene with new talent and ideas and helping to shape the future economy of the region. Of the total
cash grants, more than $10 million has been awarded through Arch Grants’ annual Startup Competition
and $600,000 has been awarded in in non-dilutive grants through Growth Grants. Through its program,
Arch Grants’ portfolio companies have gone on to create over 2,300 jobs in the St. Louis region,
generate over $479 million in revenue and attract over $411 million in follow-on capital.