Cortex-Affliated Startups Awarded 2025 Arch Grant Funding

Arch Grants, the St. Louis nonprofit that annually awards $75,000, equity-free grants to new businesses, said Friday it is providing $1.6 million in funding to 19 startups in its 2025 group, as well as adding three new companies to its fellows program.

Of the 19 companies in Arch Grants' 2025 class, 13 are based in the St. Louis region. Others will be relocating to St. Louis from California, Idaho, Indiana and New York, as well as Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, officials said.

As part of the Arch Grants award, each company commits to operating the business from St. Louis for at least one year. Grant winners from outside Missouri and at least 150 miles from St. Louis receive an additional $25,000 in grants to facilitate their relocation to St. Louis. After their initial year in the program, Arch Grants awardees who demonstrate the ability to expand operations in the St. Louis area are eligible for up to $100,000 in nondilutive follow-on funding through the organization's Growth Grants program.