# Start Midwest

> Start Midwest is an online magazine covering startup news, founder stories, fundraising data, venture capital, and innovation across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Start Midwest publishes original stories, opinion columns, founder interviews, funding roundups, and ecosystem analysis. Content is organized by U.S. state and by topic (funding, ecosystem, opinion, people, technology). The site also maintains a startup database, an investor directory, and regional resource pages for each of the six states it covers.

Key editorial series include:
- **Founder Stories**: In-depth Q&A interviews with Midwest startup founders
- **Midwest Moxie**: Profiles of breakout Midwest companies
- **The Secret Founder / The Secret VC**: Anonymous opinion columns from founders and investors
- **Future in the Making**: Video series on Midwest manufacturing and deep tech
- **Lay of the Land**: Podcast featuring Ohio startup ecosystem leaders
- **Quarterly Funding Reports**: State-by-state startup fundraising data for IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI

## Core Pages

- [Homepage](https://www.start-midwest.com): Main entry point with latest news and featured content
- [About](https://www.start-midwest.com/about): Mission, team, and background on Start Midwest
- [News](https://www.start-midwest.com/news): All published articles, sortable by recency
- [Startup Database](https://www.start-midwest.com/database): Directory of Midwest startups
- [Investor Directory](https://www.start-midwest.com/database#investors): Directory of Midwest investors and venture capital firms

## Regional Coverage

- [Illinois](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/illinois): Illinois startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Chicago](www.start-midwest.com/tags/chicago): Chicago startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Indiana](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/indiana): Indiana startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Indianapolis](www.start-midwest.com/tags/indianapolis): Indianapolis startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Michigan](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/michigan): Michigan startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Detroit](www.start-midwest.com/tags/detroit): Detroit startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Ann Arbor](www.start-midwest.com/tags/ann-arbor): Ann Arbor startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Minnesota](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/minnesota): Minnesota startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Minneapolis](www.start-midwest.com/tags/minneapolis): Minneapolis startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Ohio](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/ohio): Ohio startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Cleveland](www.start-midwest.com/tags/cleveland): Cleveland startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Columbus](www.start-midwest.com/tags/columbus): Columbus startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Cincinnati](www.start-midwest.com/tags/cincinnati): Cincinnati startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Wisconsin](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/wisconsin): Wisconsin startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Madison](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/wisconsin): Madison startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage
- [Milwaukee](https://www.start-midwest.com/region/wisconsin): Milwaukee startup news, funding, and ecosystem coverage

## News Categories

- [Ecosystem](https://www.start-midwest.com/news-category/ecosystem): Coverage of startup ecosystems, accelerators, incubators, and community
- [Funding](https://www.start-midwest.com/news-category/funding): Startup fundraising announcements and venture capital news
- [Opinion](https://www.start-midwest.com/news-category/opinion): Columns, analysis, and commentary from founders, VCs, and ecosystem leaders
- [People](https://www.start-midwest.com/news-category/people): Founder stories, interviews, leadership changes, and profiles
- [Technology](https://www.start-midwest.com/news-category/technology): Deep tech, AI, biotech, cleantech, and technology innovation coverage
- [Videos](https://www.start-midwest.com/news-category/videos): Video series including Future in the Making and event recordings

## Funding Reports & Data

- [Midwest Funding Q4 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/midwest-funding-for-q4-2025): Regional funding overview
- [2025 Midwest Startup Funding Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/2025-midwest-startup-funding-year-in-review): Annual funding analysis
- [Midwest Startup Fundraising Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/midwest-startup-fundraising-q3-2025-uneven-outlier-driven-and-sober): Quarterly analysis
- [Illinois Startup Funding Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/illinois-startup-funding-q3-2025): Illinois quarterly data
- [Indiana Startup Funding Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/indiana-startup-funding-q3-2025): Indiana quarterly data
- [Michigan Startup Fundraising Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/michigan-startup-fundraising-q3-2025): Michigan quarterly data
- [Minnesota Startup Funding Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/minnesota-startup-funding-q3-2025): Minnesota quarterly data
- [Ohio Startup Fundraising Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/ohio-startup-fundraising-q3-2025): Ohio quarterly data
- [Wisconsin Startup Funding Q3 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/wisconsin-startup-funding-q3-2025): Wisconsin quarterly data
- [2025 SaaS Benchmarks](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/2025-saas-benchmarks-where-the-midwest-is-winning-and-where-it-lags): Midwest SaaS performance data
- [Midwest Startup City Rankings 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/midwest-startup-city-rankings-2025-winners-gaps-reality-checks): City-level ecosystem rankings
- [Start Midwest University Rankings 2025](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/the-start-midwest-university-rankings-2025): University innovation rankings

## Year-in-Review Coverage

- [Illinois 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/illinois-startup-news-2025-year-in-review): Full Illinois recap
- [Indiana 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/indiana-startup-news-2025-year-in-review): Full Indiana recap
- [Michigan 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/michigan-startup-news-2025-year-in-review): Full Michigan recap
- [Minnesota 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/minnesota-startup-news-2025-year-in-review): Full Minnesota recap
- [Ohio 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/ohio-startup-news-2025-year-in-review): Full Ohio recap
- [Wisconsin 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/wisconsin-startup-news-2025-year-in-review): Full Wisconsin recap
- [Midwest Founder Stories 2025 Year in Review](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/midwest-startup-founder-stories-year-in-review-2025): Founder highlights

## Ecosystem Analysis & Opinion

- [Midwest Startup Investment Outlook 2026](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/midwest-startup-investment-was-poor-in-2025-what-about-2026): Investment landscape analysis
- [Where Is the Innovation Capital](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/where-is-the-innovation-capital-midwest-investors-must-catch-up-to-their-founders): Capital gap analysis
- [Is Deep Tech Quietly Exploding in the Midwest](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/is-deep-tech-quietly-exploding-in-the-midwest): Deep tech ecosystem overview
- [The Midwest as the New Data Center Heartland](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/the-midwest-the-new-data-center-heartland-of-america): Data center infrastructure analysis
- [Fundraising in the Midwest: Longer Timelines](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/fundraising-in-the-midwest-longer-timelines-and-a-trickle-of-liquidity): Fundraising environment analysis
- [Where the Midwest Should Replicate Silicon Valley](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/where-the-midwest-should-replicate-silicon-valley): Strategic ecosystem comparison
- [CES 2026: The Future of Tech](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/ces-2026-the-future-of-tech-is-now-physical-industrial-and-operational): Technology trends analysis

## Founder Stories & Interviews

- [Founder Stories: Chris Kaufman of StockX](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/founder-stories-chris-kaufman-of-stockx): Detroit-based marketplace founder
- [Founder Story: Ben Kvalo of Midwest Games](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/founder-story-ben-kvalo-of-midwest-games): Gaming startup founder
- [Founder Story: Kerry Duggan of Energy Security Partners](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/founder-story-kerry-duggan-of-energy-security-partners): Energy startup founder
- [Founder Story: Ryan Rybolt of Payload](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/founder-story-ryan-rybolt-of-payload): Space tech founder
- [The Boomerang VC: Ilana Habib on Midwest Grit](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/the-boomerang-vc-ilana-habib-on-midwest-grit-patient-capital-and-building-bigger-in-ohio): Ohio VC profile
- [Interview: Chris Thomas of Assembly Ventures](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/interview-chris-thomas-of-assembly-ventures-on-reindustrialize-2-0): Mobility and reindustrialization VC

## Optional

- [Contact](https://www.start-midwest.com/contact): Contact information for Start Midwest
- [Midwest House Stories](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/the-story-of-midwest-house-ten-years-to-community): Origin story of the Midwest House community initiative
- [WTF Is an Ecosystem Anyways](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/wtf-is-an-ecosystem-anyways): Explainer on startup ecosystem terminology
- [The Cap Table for Founders](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/the-cap-table-for-founders-guide-to-equity-control-capital): Educational guide on startup equity
- [Does Brand Matter in B2B](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/does-brand-matter-in-b2b-yes-even-for-your-startup): Startup branding advice
- [The Capital Delusion](https://www.start-midwest.com/news/the-capital-delusion-why-founders-at-every-level-get-funding-wrong): Opinion on fundraising misconceptions