All Press Releases & News

Are you an innovator or entrepreneur with a startup or idea for a new business? Do you want a chance to pitch your startup to world-class investors and tech CEOs, and compete for a $1 million investment? The Startup World Cup regional qualifier hosted by Startup...

A near half-million dollar grant from the Walton Family Foundation extends the program for entrepreneurs and small business owners an additional three yearsStartup Junkie Foundation has been awarded another three-year grant from the Walton Family Foundation to...

Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, directed the Agency to provide additional deferment of principal and...

Fans for Arkansas’ largest startup party can now purchase tickets at a discounted rate. Tickets to Startup Crawl, which will be held in downtown Fayetteville on April 8, can be purchased for an “early adopters” rate of $20 through March 14. On March 14, ticket prices...

Startup Junkie, which oversees The Science Venture Studio (SVS) has launched EMPOWER, an accelerator focused on all women and non-binary people in STEM in Arkansas. Now in its fifth week of the program, SVS has engaged with the entrepreneurs to help them take a deep...

Mark your calendar: The Northwest Arkansas Startup Crawl will return to downtown Fayetteville, live and in-person, April 8. The fourth iteration of the festival honoring the region’s budding entrepreneurial community will once again bring together startups, live...

Startup Junkie, which oversees The Science Venture Studio (SVS) has hired three talented students from the University of Arkansas as Commercialization Fellows for the Spring 2022 semester. Each student has been paired with an early stage science and technology company...

The Science Venture Studio (SVS) has ended its Fall 2021 Cohort of Commercialization Fellows with much success and growth. Startup Junkie, which oversees SVS, hired two students last fall who were able to contribute their expertise to a company that worked with...

Entering 2022, food entrepreneurs need to be aware of the Arkansas Food Freedom Act, which went into effect on July 28th, 2021. The new legislation replaced the Cottage Food Law. According to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, The Arkansas Food...

EMPOWER will be launching the week of January 24, and the Science Venture Studio is seeking mentors to pair with five amazing women participating in this cohort. EMPOWER is a 16-week accelerator program for all women and non-binary people in STEM in Arkansas that have...

We have some exciting news to share - Startup Junkie Foundation is an Approved HubSpot for Startups Partner!This means you now have access to their Free CRM, Sales, Marketing, and Service tools. Additionally, if you're eligible, you can also now apply to receive the...

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced updated guidance for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program applicants to better serve small business owners in need, while funding remains available. Since its inception,...

Applications have been extended to December 22nd for EMPOWER, a 16-week accelerator for women, transwomen, and non-binary people in STEM in Arkansas that have an innovation that they would like to explore ways to bring their idea and/or research to market through...

Applications are now open for the Spring 2022 cohort of Commercialization Fellows with the Science Venture Studio (SVS).SVS is looking to hire two to three advanced Senior level or graduate level students, that can commit to 20 hours per week to work alongside the SVS...

$190,000 in Matching Loans Available for Relief for Hard-Hit Businesses and New Startup Business EndeavorsStartup Junkie Foundation will continue its Kiva loan program assistance offerings in Northwest Arkansas to help small business owners access much-needed...

Talley to assume role as Executive Director on Oct. 25 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Startup Junkie Foundation announced this week that Caleb Talley has been named executive director of the Northwest Arkansas-based nonprofit that serves entrepreneurs, innovators and small...

SVS to use funds to launch accelerator for women in STEMScience Venture Studio (SVS), a Northwest Arkansas-based organization launched to help Arkansas science- and technology-based startups apply for non-dilutive federal funding, has been awarded a $50,000 prize in...

Last week, SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support our small business communities still reeling from the...

Cureate, a woman-owned small business with a focus on empowering food and beverage entrepreneurs and building local supply chains, has partnered with FORGE, Inc. to grant 10 food and beverage entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas the opportunity to participate in...

Startup Junkie will host a public Covid-19 vaccine clinic on September 17 to ensure the entrepreneurial community they serve has access to the vaccination amid the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Northwest Arkansas. The clinic will be led by...

Startup Junkie to host vaccine clinic in its place on Sept. 17The 2021 NWA Startup Crawl, hosted annually by Startup Junkie in downtown Fayetteville, will be postponed to Spring 2022. In consultation with the City of Fayetteville and local health professionals,...

Startup Junkie Foundation and GrowthX have announced a collaborative partnership to expand the impact of the 2021 Fuel Accelerator Program. The Northwest Arkansas-based entrepreneurial support organization will lock arms with the Silicon Valley-based venture capital...

Fuel will return this summer with its third cohort of seed and growth-stage companies in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Lead by Startup Junkie Foundation and funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and corporate...

Dead Lemon Games, an Arkansas-based gaming startup, recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for its first exciting new game: Lonely Undead. Founder Shelby Matussak developed Loney Undead in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of providing...

Science Venture Studio, a project of Startup Junkie funded by the Walton Family Foundation, recently wrapped up another successful cohort with three exceptional University of Arkansas students. The students were each paired with a different company that worked...

WLJ Tech Law has launched a new partnership with Northwest Arkansas-based Startup Junkie to further the shared goal of strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the innovative efforts of the startup community. WLJ Tech Law is a specialized group...

Fayetteville-based Ozark Integrated Circuits (OzarkIC) earned its second American-Made Geothermal Manufacturing Prize, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced Wednesday, April 7. A total of ten companies across the United States will share the $1 million...

The Startup Junkies Podcast, produced by Startup Junkie Consulting and Startup Junkie Foundation, reached a historic milestone this week by surpassing 100,000 downloads. “The Startup Junkies Podcast is an unscripted, freewheeling discussion with innovators...

Startup Junkie Foundation has expanded its service area beyond Washington and Benton counties to empower innovators and entrepreneurs in the nine-county region of the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District. Startup Junkie Foundation provides...

The Science Venture Studio (SVS) this month welcomed its Spring 2021 cohort of Commercialization Fellows. The three student interns make up the second cohort of fellows since the SVS program, overseen by the Startup Junkie Foundation, launched last...

Foundation tasked with helping build a sustainable venture ecosystem in Cherokee CountyStartup Junkie Foundation announced today an official partnership with the Tahlequah Regional Development Authority (TRDA) to conduct a study of the entrepreneurial ecosystem...

AbGrab is an innovative device used during minimally invasive surgery of the abdomen (laparoscopy)FAYETTEVILLE, AR ‐ Lapovations, LLC, a medical device company creating a platform of innovative products to improve laparoscopy (minimally invasive abdominal...

Creating Startup Junkies, an Ecosystem Building Roadmap, to be released Jan. 28 Startup Junkie Consulting Founder and Managing Director Jeff Amerine and Conductor Managing Director Dr. Jeff Standridge will release their first co-authored book this month,...

SupplyPike, a data science company building cloud software for supply chain and Startup Junkie client and collaborator, is partnering with SPS Commerce, the most broadly used retail network. SPS and SupplyPike have collaborated to augment Deductions Navigator...

The Fall 2020 cohort of Commercialization Fellows with the Science Venture Studio (SVS) has ended, and the application is now open for the Spring 2021 Commercialization Fellow Internship. Startup Junkie, which oversees SVS, hired four outstanding...

Entrepreneurial Support Organization Partners with International Trade AssociationFayetteville-based entrepreneurial support organization Startup Junkie Consulting has partnered with the Korean International Trade Association (KITA) to conduct...

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand is inviting applications for loan guarantees and grants for renewable energy systems; and to make energy efficiency improvements, conduct energy audits and provide...

Startup Junkie Foundation is hosting a series of events next week during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) with the goal of promoting entrepreneurship in the Northwest Arkansas community. GEW is an annual initiative designed to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs in...

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced on Monday it will award a $650,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Startup Junkie Foundation, to provide technical assistance to small businesses impacted by the...

In this first of its kind event, Startup Junkie and Bank OZK will celebrate the woman entrepreneurs' journey in a day-long workshop that will cover "Getting Your Business Off the Ground," a women's networking session, and "Small Business Loan Options for the Woman...

Ozark IC won $33,333 cash from the DOE Geothermal Manufacturing Prize and $25,000 cash in the 2020 MassChallenge final plus the opportunity for an investment of $50,000 from the Houston Angel Network.RELEASE: In just one week, Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc. has...

UPDATE: The program will open application on Monday, November 16th and close Wednesday, November 25th. The grant will provide reimbursement for a portion of specific eligible expenses incurred by businesses in the personal care, tourism, travel, recreation, and...

Startup Junkie Foundation is teaming up with the University of Arkansas’ Bessie Moore Center for Economic Education, Junior Achievement of Arkansas and Economics Arkansas to host a series of virtual, statewide “Startup Culture in the...

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, today released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide...

The weekly entrepreneurial podcast also nears 100,000 total downloadsThe Startup Junkies Podcast, produced by Startup Junkie Consulting and Startup Junkie Foundation, reached a historic milestone last week when it was downloaded in its 100th country outside of the...

Tickets can be purchased for individual days or the entire weekThe first-ever NWA Startup Week will be held September 14-18, featuring five nights of virtual, televised events and local food and drink pairings that highlight startups, small businesses,...

Week of Virtual Events to Showcase Local Startups, Substitute 2020 Startup CrawlEach September, hundreds of people flock to downtown Fayetteville for one special night to celebrate local startups, craft beer, and music: the Northwest Arkansas Startup Crawl. But the...

Startup Junkie Foundation and the University of Arkansas are searching for commercialization fellows for the Science Venture Studio project launched in June. Students will get hands-on experience with an early-stage science and technology company that is preparing an...

Press release courtesy of Ozark Integrated Circuits Inc.FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS August 5, 2020 – Ozark Integrated Circuits Inc. received word in late July that they would be receiving their third SBIR Phase II award in two months. The $750,000 grant is from the...

NASA awarded 312 U.S. small businesses funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program on June 30, 2020. Among the recipients, four of those companies are based in Northwest Arkansas and each will...

Project made possible with Walton Family Foundation support and collaboration with Innovate Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas Council, and University of Arkansas Startup Junkie Foundation, in collaboration with Innovate Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Council and the...

Startup Junkie Foundation is excited to announce the addition of Morgan Scholz to its Northwest Arkansas team. Scholz joined the foundation earlier this month as a consultant. Scholz has served the Northwest Arkansas small business and nonprofit community...

Additional $450,000 in Matching Loans Available for Relief for Hard-Hit Businesses Startup Junkie Foundation will expand its Kiva offerings in Northwest Arkansas to help small business owners access much-needed capital during the COVID-19 crisis. The program...

In response to the cancellation of all in-person events, including scheduled workshops and educational programs, Startup Junkie is launching a digital library of instructional videos for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Each video in this library will...

We won’t sugar coat it – we are in a period of crisis that’s unlike anything anyone alive has ever seen. And it’s impacting absolutely everyone. As one of Northwest Arkansas’ foremost entrepreneurial support organizations, we have seen firsthand just how hard our...

University of Arkansas research project-turned-startup Glide Nano is ready to take center stage in the skiing and snowboarding community. The young company is producing fluoro-free ski waxes in line with the EPA’s initiative to regulate and reduce the use of...

Are you a college student in Northwest Arkansas? Do you have a great idea for a new business or product? Could you use $1,000 to help turn that idea into a reality? More than ever, universities are a launch pad for ideas, innovations and new ventures. To support...

Tuesday, Oct. 15, will be a big day of events for Northwest Arkansas' entrepreneurial community.Startup Junkie will join Supplier Community as they host Winning on Amazon & Beyond, a day filled with enlightening conversations led by alum from Facebook and Amazon,...

Warren Amerine Stephens is the chairman, president and CEO of Stephens Inc., a full service, privately held investment bank. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in February 1957. Stephens went to Trinity Presbyterian High School before attending...

The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced that Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) has been selected to participate in Libraries Lead with Digital Skills, an initiative of ALA and the Public Library Association (PLA), sponsored by Grow with Google, the...

Want a free Startup Crawl shirt? You’re in luck! Paid participants in this year’s Startup Crawl who make their way to every stop on the crawl will receive a free Startup Crawl t-shirt courtesy of B-Unlimited.       At check in, along with your...

Gov. Asa Hutchinson Helps Startup Junkie, RevUnit Announce Fuel 2020NWA Council and Arkansas Center for Data Sciences Create Apprentice ProgramArkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson joined Startup Junkie and RevUnit on Wednesday as the organizations announced the second...

Innovative startups are invited to pitch at SXSW PITCH 2020. Showcase your tech product or service startup to get noticed and network in front of industry leaders, investors and media on a big global stage during SXSW. Learn about the qualifications, tech categories...

 MakerMade, one of the participants in Startup Crawl, will be giving away a 3D printer to a local school during this year’s event. The 3D printer, the first designed by the company, is valued at approximately $600.  “As a business founded and...

OVERVIEWClear your calendar! The Pandas Hack, hosted by Walmart Technology, kicks off August 16 simultaneously in Austin, Dallas, and Bentonville. Join us with the non-profit, NUMFocus, for a weekend hackathon to provide updates and bug fixes for the widely used, open...

The Congressional App Challenge is accepting applications through November 1. The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide event that allows students to compete with each other by creating and exhibiting their software application for mobile, tablet, or computer...

Startup Junkie will welcome Charles Morgan, the visionary former chairman and CEO of Acxiom Corporation, to Fayetteville on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to share his story of success with area entrepreneurs, business owners and students. The event will begin at 6 p.m.,...

The application period for the fall 2019 I-Fund at Winrock International has opened for early-stage entrepreneurs and innovators. Applications will be accepted through July 24, and the cohort will kick off on August 24 in Fayetteville.  “The I-Fund allows...

Woman-Run and 1 Million Cups are collaborating in the month of August to showcase a series of presentations from women-owned startups and early-stage businesses. The companies and their female founders will present each Wednesday in August at 1 Million...

The Startup Junkie Foundation will host Coffee+E on the Fayetteville square on the morning of Tuesday, July 30. The monthly networking event will be held below Jammin’ Java, who will supply the morning’s coffee. The speaker for the upcoming Coffee+E event will be...