Arch Grants continues to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses by providing funding without requiring them to give up ownership, along with resources and support.
The organization supports local entrepreneurs while attracting companies from outside the region that see St. Louis as a place to establish and expand their operations.
Founded in 2012 by four St. Louis business and civic leaders, Arch Grants was created to encourage economic development in the city.
“What they wanted to do was catalyze economic development in the city of St. Louis and urban core specifically, in a way that had not been tried before,” said Gabe Angieri, executive director of Arch Grants.
Since its founding, the organization has supported more than 307 startups, helped create approximately 4,400 jobs in the St. Louis region and provided funding to companies that have gone on to raise more than $970 million in additional investment, according to Angieri.
The nonprofit is supported by hundreds of donors, including the Ferring Family Foundation, Burgess Family Foundation and Kemper Foundation. Arch Grants also receives state funding through the Missouri Technology Corporation.
This year, 16 companies will receive grant funding, while four additional companies have been selected to receive access to Arch Grants’ network and resources, according to Angieri. Grant recipients are required to commit to growing their businesses in St. Louis for at least one year.
The 2026 recipients will be announced Friday and recognized at the organization’s annual gala.
Sylvester Chisom, co-founder of Show Me the World Coffee and the 2025 recipient of Arch Grants’ Donald M. Suggs Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, said he believes the organization has one of the most prestigious pitch competitions in the Midwest.
Chisom said funding from Arch Grants helped his company develop an automated online fundraising platform that allows organizations to manage their own fundraising campaigns. Before receiving the grant, the company was only able to manage its own fundraisers.
“We went from having an idea that made sense, a very raw MVP where we were piecing this together, to now having an automated platform that is working and that will allow us to host hundreds of fundraisers at a time,” Chisom said.
Chisom described the application process as intense but said he believes it provides a valuable experience for entrepreneurs who are selected.
He said the support entrepreneurs receive after being selected is just as strong, emphasizing that Arch Grants employees are committed to helping businesses succeed.
“They understand the deeper connection is if we have more successful entrepreneurs in St. Louis, then we have more successful companies in St. Louis. And if we have more successful companies, then we have a more thriving and successful community,” Chisom said.
The Donald M. Suggs Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award was introduced in 2021 and became a recurring grant in 2022. Angieri said it is the only recurring Arch Grants award named in honor of an individual.
Angieri said the late John Ferring and his wife, Alison, helped establish the award to honor Dr. Suggs and support Black entrepreneurs.
“I think he and Alison really wanted to plant a flag and say, you know, Dr. Suggs is somebody worthy of emulation, of honoring in a longer-term capacity, and providing a dedicated grant to a Black entrepreneur in our program year over year would have a great impact,” Angieri said.
Angieri said the organization looks for innovative, technology-enabled businesses with potential for significant growth that can demonstrate why St. Louis is the right place for them to expand.
The Startup Competition was the first program launched by Arch Grants and remains the primary way businesses become part of the organization’s network.
Angieri said Arch Grants receives applications from entrepreneurs in St. Louis and across the country.
The selection process begins with a six-week application period, followed by an initial staff review. About 125 of the highest-scoring companies advance to the next stage, which includes interviews and background checks. Approximately 70 companies are then invited to participate in a final pitch competition.
Angieri acknowledged that Arch Grants has not always gotten it right when selecting recipients. Funding can be discontinued when companies are unable to meet grant requirements.
The Pilot program is the organization’s newest initiative, designed for early-stage startups that Arch Grants believes show strong potential. Participants do not initially receive grant funding but gain access to the organization’s network, resources and opportunities to develop their businesses. Angieri said they could eventually become eligible for grants.
The Fellows program serves more mature companies that are typically past the stage at which Arch Grants would provide grant funding. Angieri said those companies may have already raised millions of dollars or generated substantial revenue.
Through the program, participants can connect with other entrepreneurs in small-group forums and participate in roundtable discussions with corporate and civic leaders.
Beyond funding, Angieri said the relationships entrepreneurs develop through Arch Grants can be just as valuable as the financial support.
“Everybody likes free money, it turns out. But sometimes the biggest difference maker isn’t the money. It’s the people,” Angieri said.