We’re on a worldwide search for innovative, diverse early-stage startups looking to take their business to the next level. The Arch Grants Startup Competition awards innovative, scalable, and job-creating startups with $50,000 non-dilutive grants and access to an ecosystem of resources in exchange for headquartering their business in St. Louis for at least one year. Competition applications are evaluated by over 400 investors and industry experts from the St. Louis community and around the country.
Fill out the form below to receive a reminder when applications open for the 2022 Startup Competition cycle.
We Champion…
- Founders with idea stage to pre-Series A companies
- Companies with an innovative and scalable business model
- Technology-enabled solutions
- Diverse Founder teams who have a desire to help the St. Louis ecosystem grow
by supporting founders with…
- $50,000 equity-free funding + $10,000 for relocation
- Ala carte programming, fundraising support, and access to the Arch Grants network of business leaders, industry experts, donors, and startup Founders
- Exclusive discounts and talent acquisition support
- Eligibility for additional funding of up to $100,000 as your company grows
- Endless promotion and support by Arch Grants Staff and Community
and all we require is…
- The Company locate their headquarters in the City of St. Louis for at least one year
- 51% of the founding team or one founder and 51% of the team need to live in St. Louis for the program year
- At least one founder is working on the company as their primary or full-time professional role
Without the Arch Grant, we wouldn’t have been able to file the provisional patents, which allowed us to obtain [crucial] data. We also received a lot of amazing feedback about our business model, which was honestly more valuable than the funding.
How It Works
Application Submissions
Community Judge Review
Finalist Pitch Day
Awarded $50K at Annual Gala
2021 Timeline
- April 1:
Applications Open - April 30:
Applications Close - June:
Preliminary Judging
- July:
Finalists Selected - Mid-July:
Finalist Pitch Week
- August:
2021 Arch Grants Awardees Notified - October 11, 2021-October 12, 2022:
Programming and Support
Questions about the competition?
We’ve got answers.
Be a Part of the Movement
We champion extraordinary entrepreneurs to create positive change – for St. Louis and for the world. Join us by applying to our Global Startup Competition, becoming a financial supporter, volunteering your time or amplifying our message.