Startup Competition

Startup Competition

The 2025 Startup Competition Application Window has closed

Thank you to everyone who applied. We will reach out regarding application status in June. Please refer to the timeline below for important dates and our FAQ page for more information on our Startup Competition, and don’t hesitate to reach out to competition@archgrants.org with any questions.

Want to receive reminders and updates regarding the 2026 Startup Competition cycle? Click here.

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…

  • $75,000 equity-free funding + $25,000 for relocation + eligibility for additional Growth Grants funding of up to $100,000
  • Ala carte programming, fundraising support, and access to the Arch Grants network
  • Exclusive discounts and talent acquisition support

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

Questions about the competition?

We’ve got answers.

Review Our FAQ Page

2025 Timeline

February 19

Application Window Opens

March 31

Application Window Closes

Early-to-Mid May

Preliminary Judging

Mid-July

Finalists Selected

August 5

Finalist Pitch Day

End of August

2025 Arch Grants Awardees Notified

Early October

Programming and Support Begins

Late Fall

New Cohort Introduced at neXus Gala

Be a Part of the Movement

We champion extraordinary entrepreneurs to create positive change – for St. Louis and for the world. Join us by becoming a financial supporter, volunteering your time, or amplifying our message.

Learn How to Get Involved
See More Founder Stories

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.

Erica Barnell

CSO and Co-Founder

Geneoscopy