UK Continues Support of Entrepreneurship Week
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 25, 2014) — The Lexington Venture Club (LVC), managed by the Lexington Office of the Kentucky Innovation Network, part of the University of Kentucky's Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, hosted the Entrepreneurial Celebration last week for Lexington Global Entrepreneurship Week, recognizing recipients of the Lexington eAchievers award for excellence in entrepreneurship.
20 start-up companies in the Bluegrass Region were honored with the eAchiever award for receiving at least $1 million in funding and/or creating five new full time jobs in 2014. These companies represent industry sectors in biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, e-commerce, IT and software development, homeland security, energy technologies and business services — further demonstrating Lexington’s position as a leading location for technology-based jobs.
The Lexington Office of the Kentucky Innovation Network conducts an annual survey of these early stage companies. The results are based upon self-reported data for July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. This year 125 companies responded to the survey, offering a 67 percent response rate from the 186 Bluegrass Business Development Partnership (BBDP) clients. Altogether, BBDP clients raised more than $57 million dollars in capital funds and created 272 new full-time and part-time jobs in 2014.
“I congratulate these start-up companies in their success,” said Warren Nash, the director of the Lexington office of the Kentucky Innovation Network. “The jobs and funding numbers reported by these companies definitely demonstrate a thriving local entrepreneurial community that benefits from the BBDP’s continued efforts and support.”
The Lexington Venture Club, founded in 2002, connects great ideas, interested investors and business resources to promote a strong economy in Lexington. The group is managed by Commerce Lexington Inc., and the Lexington office of the Kentucky Innovation Network, which is a part of University of Kentucky’s Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, within the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
The companies that received the eAchiever award include: A Look At Media Ventures LLC; Allylix Inc.; AntiOp; Bluegrass Vascular Technologies Inc.; Care Team Solutions; Coldstream Laboratories Inc.; Directed Energy Incorporated; Float Money; Invenio Therapeutics; Mercury Data Systems Inc.; MosquitoMate Inc.; nGimat LLC; Paratechs; PDx Biotech; Science Tomorrow; Seikowave; SIS LLC; Summit Biosciences Inc.; Twin Star TDS; and Volar Video Inc. For more information about the Lexington Venture Club, please visit www.lexingtonventureclub.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Parissa Zargar, Parissa.Zargar@uky.edu; Warren Nash, warren.nash@uky.edu; Hannah Huggins, hhuggins@commercelexington.com