What makes Louisville's startup scene unique?

Access Louisville

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The startup scene in Louisville has always been tight knit and bustling, but some things have shifted.

Business First identified 20 startups to watch in the new year. The companies spread across different sectors including health tech, insurance, ecommerce, real estate and more. They also are across the state, with companies based in Covington and Paducah.

Haley Cawthon, assistant managing editor – digital, previously led KY Inno and had a front row seat to the startup community.

“There’s always been this genuine interest in the startup ecosystem in Louisville,” Cawthon said.

Since Cawthon started in 2019, she said something has remained the same: a shortage of venture capital in the area continues to be a challenge. But the local ecosystem has a lot of momentum and excitement, which came into play more in 2022. 2023 could pose a challenge, though, in seeking more funding.

Stephen Schmidt, who recently took on the role of KY Inno lead, has noticed that the environment in Kentucky is more welcoming and collaborative than some major startup hotbeds on either coast.

We discuss all of this and more on this week’s Access Louisville podcast.

Beyond startups, we also discuss Louisville’s newest minor league sports team: the Derby City Distillers. The team is one of the newest expansions of The Basketball League (TBL). Schmidt explains how you can try out and the team’s ties with the University of Louisville basketball program.

There’s also been a lot of recent movement in the advertising industry. Earlier this week, Doe-Anderson, Louisville’s largest advertising firm, announced it was restructuring its leadership team to better position itself for growth in the future — that includes naming a new CEO.

The news comes after a busy end of 2022, with the Power Agency and Scoppechio merging and VIA Studios merging with an out-of-state company.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It’s co-hosted by David A. Mann and Laurel Deppen. Our guests this week are Schmidt and Cawthon.