Marvin Abrinica, Wunderfund CEO ad founder Wunderfund, which was founded in 2017, is an equity crowdfunding portal where anyone can invest in early stage companies for as little as $50. Since its founding, it has made over 30+ successful offerings. We chatted with Wunderfund’s CEO and founder, Marvin Abrinica about what they do and [...]

AKRU gets funding Cincinnati-based startup AKRU, which seeks to increase access to real estate investing through tech, has received funding from Los-Angeles-based Draper Goren Holm, a VC firm that specializes in the fintech and blockchain space. High school students and technology Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced a new pilot internship program called The High School Tech Internship Pilot [...]

1628 Ltd., downtown Cincinnati’s coworking space has launched a new program called Women Empowered (WE). WE's founder, Tamara Schwarting, saw entrepreneurs like herself struggling to gain access to support systems that could help their businesses thrive. The cornerstone of WE is the digital hub which provides access to a women-owned business directory, resource center (including [...]

Flying cars Prototypes of flying cars are being tested and refined in Southwest Ohio. Dayton’s Parallax Advanced Research is poised to be at the center of the next flight revolution. Hearty launches professional network Hearty has announced the launch and funding of a new Professional Recommendation Network, where people help each other find opportunities. Hearty is [...]

David J. Adams, Cincinnati Innovation District It’s been just over a year since the unveiling of the Cincinnati Innovation District (CID), a purpose-built model that attracts talent as well as Fortune 500, midsize, and startups. We spoke to David Adams, the first chief innovation officer for the University of Cincinnati and architect for [...]

Cincy and FinTech Read about how Cincinnati has become a hotbed of FinTech innovation, leading to a number of startups creating a new generation of FinTech businesses. RFID tech in penguins A zookeeper at The Cincinnati Zoo has been perfecting RFID tech in the inhabitants of the two penguin exhibits to get information about how often they swim. [...]

Photo by PixieMe for Shutterstock At the end of March, PayPal announced that its checkout will allow cryptocurrency like bitcoin, ether, bitcoin cash, and litecoin to be converted into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies when making purchases. Also in March, an affiliate of Fidelity Investments filed with the SEC for approval for [...]

The Sandbox  NKU celebrated the opening of The Sandbox, which will be an innovation lab and home to eSports, a new varsity sports program for students to compete in live video game events like Madden NFL or Rocket League. gBETA Cincy deadline April 16 gBETA, a program of gener8tor, is a free, 7-week accelerator program [...]

Image courtesy Contact CI Virtual Reality tech is evolving at a staggering rate. A technology that lets users experience other worlds using the sense of sight and hearing is now moving to a new human sense: touch. It’s called VR haptics and a company in Cincinnati is at its forefront. Craig Douglass, along [...]

UC develops drone prototype  UC inventors have announced that they’ve developed a semi-autonomous drone prototype to dispatch medicine or supplies to people’s homes. The team hopes that the drone will help bridge the digital divide that was exacerbated by COVID-19. Renozee's app available Renozee’s newly launched app—which allows investment property owners and contractors to bid [...]

Eron Bucciarelli, Senior Manager of Product at the E-Comm Accelerator at Kroger. If you Google Eron Bucciarelli, you’ll see that he was the original drummer for Hawthorne Heights, a rock band formed in Dayton, OH. The band’s 2004 release, The Silence in Black and White, and its 2006 album, If Only You Were [...]

1819 graduates ten startup teams  UC’s Venture Lab startup accelerator at the 1819 Innovation Hub has graduated ten new startup teams, one of which hails from NKU. Other universities represented include Xavier University, University of Dayton, Wright State University, and Cincinnati State. UC studies HT-006 Speaking of UC, the school has partnered with Hoth Therapeutics [...]

Nabeel Kaukab, Jaan Health Jaan Health is a Cincinnati-based healthcare technology company that creates innovative reimbursement solutions for physicians and provider groups. Its artificial intelligence-driven patient communication technology is called Phamily. Cincinnati Future spoke to Nabeel Kaukab, the company’s CEO and founder. Tell us about your company. Kaukab: The company’s name is Jaan [...]

CID on track  The Cincinnati Innovation District (CID) said it’s on track to reach its goals of ultimately creating 20,000 new jobs and $3 billion in annual economic impact to the region, while accelerating STEM graduates by 15,000 students and research by $2 billion. Kroger partners with 80 Acres Farm 80 Acres Farms, one of [...]

Chris Hjelm, Kyle Schlotman, Brad Zapp and Kim Banham of Connetic Ventures Cincy’s Connetic Ventures has launched a Scout Program as a way to build a strong brand for sourcing deals and differentiating itself from other funds. Cincinnati Future spoke with Kyle Schlotman, managing partner and CIO of Connetic Ventures about the move. [...]

COVID tech Cincy’s Bayzi Corporation has developed and is manufacturing antimicrobial steam devices that will very quickly eliminate microbes and bugs and also provide a quick way to clean dust and grease. The technology can also be used to fight the spread of viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Private equity firm raises $27M A new private equity [...]

Image by Viacheslav Lopatin for Shutterstock Cincinnati has a reputation for manufacturing, insurtech and fintech but it’s also home to some of the most exciting health care research in the nation, particularly in terms of pioneering cancer treatments. Here’s a look at some of the trails that are being blazed in that arena [...]

Automation tech patents The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted Cincy’s Ensemble Health Partners two patents for its innovative automation technology. The tech drives efficiency, productivity and results for health care providers.  AFVentures program participants selected Refinery Ventures--along with a16z, Lux Capital, Anduril, General Catalyst, and NEA—has announced their selection for the United [...]

Griffin Morris, Resquared co-founder Twice a year, Silicon Valley based Y Combinator (YC) funds category-defining ventures and provides them with mentorship. YC's alumni are valued at a combined $300B+ and include Dropbox, AirBnB, Stripe, Brex, and Podium to name a few. Last month, YC invested in Cincy-based Resquared, a marketing platform for commercial [...]

At-home COVID-19 test Kroger Health, in collaboration with healthcare tech company Gauss, is launching the first smartphone-enabled at-home COVID rapid antigen test kit available nationwide.  Cybersecurity scholarship The University of Cincinnati is establishing a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program with a $4 million award from the National Science Foundation. It is a full scholarship and living [...]