LOA Carbon wins $15K grant after relocating to Mississippi
What's the deal? LOA CarbonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a manufacturer that relocated from New York to Mississippi this year, won a $15,000 grant at Innovate MississippiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s annual conference, beating nine other startups in a pitch competition before investors.
Why now? The company's founders scouted several states before choosing Mississippi for a manufacturing expansion. "We thought we were likely to land in either Texas or Alabama, and we didn't really even pay attention to Mississippi," said chief executive officer Ryan Shearman.
What swayed them? Shearman cited the state's universities, manufacturing sector, and labour market. "Between Innovate Mississippi, Invest Mississippi, the Mississippi Development Authority, the overall package of different things we would have a shot on goal for was most attractive here," he said.
Who else pitched? The 10 companies showcased products spanning magnetic resonance imaging software, a basketball AI training app, and a new military drone. Each founder had three minutes to pitch and two to field questions.
The bigger picture. Innovate Mississippi, a nonprofit building the state's tech economy, runs pitch competitions and invests directly in companies. Its CoBuilders accelerator offers participating startups $25,000 to prepare for larger rounds, part of an ecosystem that also includes InvestMSDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, backed by federal small-business credit funding, and university programs.
What's next for the field? Several startups are targeting growth beyond Mississippi. Automatic AI, which uses AI to help athletes train, wants to grow from 8,000 users to more than 25,000, while OmnibusDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a school-bus tracking platform now in eight districts, hopes to expand across the Southeast.
The signal: Mississippi's startup story is about building a pipeline, not landing a single large round — the prize here is modest. The open question is whether these programs convert pitches and early grants into follow-on private capital, customers, and durable jobs.
Read more: desotocountynews.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
