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  • November 21, 2023 9:48 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Indianapolis, IN – The Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA) released its 2024 policy priorities to accelerate the Indiana innovation economy today during its annual Legislative Update event with TechPoint.

    The Legislative Update brings together Indiana’s technology and innovation leaders with state legislators on Organization Day to mark the ceremonial start of the 2024 Legislative Session. This year marks the fifth anniversary of ITIA’s formation to educate and advocate for policy that advances Indiana’s technology industry.

    All four caucus leaders – Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rod Bray, House Speaker Todd Huston, House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta and Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor – provided remarks and attended the event, along with several dozen state legislators and more than one hundred tech and innovation executives.

    “In today’s economy, technology touches every industry,” said ITIA Executive Director Jennifer Hallowell. “It’s essential that Indiana embraces policy to accelerate entrepreneurship, fuel innovation, support and attract the jobs and companies of tomorrow, and prepare our workforce with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy.” 

    According to CompTIA Cyberstates 2023, Indiana’s technology industry produced 118,872 net new jobs in 2022 and generated a $16 billion economic impact on our state. The National Skills Coalition reports that 92 percent of all jobs now require digital skills.

    ITIA advocates for policy across four key pillars – Talent, Capital, Place and Equity.

    ITIA’s 2024 policy priorities include:

    • Unlocking a second round of state investment into the Indiana Next Level Fund to further accelerate the availability of capital for Indiana companies at the growth stage.

    • Tracking entrepreneurial data and encouraging new businesses to start as part of the Right to Start framework.

    • Providing regulatory predictability to attract emerging digital asset mining/blockchain operations to Indiana.

    • Encouraging policymaker education around AI, and advocating for balanced AI regulation that is interoperable with existing laws and regulations with a preference toward global and/or federal standards.
    • Including computer science as a high school graduation requirement to ensure all Hoosier students gain the foundational skills needed to succeed in the 21st century workforce and economy.
    • Creating incentives for employers or intermediaries to develop and cover core academic costs (e.g. tuition, certification exam fees, instructional materials and more) for USDOL Registered Apprenticeships and/or Indiana State Earn & Learn (SEALs) apprenticeship programs in tech and innovation fields.

    The Indiana Technology & Innovation Industry (ITIA) is the statewide association representing technology and innovation-driven enterprises and partners working together to accelerate the innovation economy.

    For more information and to join ITIA, visit www.IndianaTechnology.org.  

  • March 13, 2023 10:14 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    INDIANAPOLIS - A bill that would divert some $6 million in state and local tax revenue annually to state-certified technology parks has passed the Senate and is headed to the House, where similar legislation died two years ago.

    Senate Bill 271 could immediately help 18 of Indiana’s 22 tech parks keep more of the sales and income taxes generated by the businesses within them. The money could be used to administer or expand the parks and their infrastructure, recruit additional companies or provide services to existing businesses.

    The bill, authored by Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, could mean an additional $400,000 annually for most of the parks, money that otherwise would be allocated to state and local government general funds. Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, chair of the Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee, signed on as the bill’s co-author, a move that strengthens its chance of final passage.

    The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to advance SB 271 to the House. But its prospects there are less certain.

    Buchanan authored a similar bill in 2021 that would have provided tech parks with $250,000 in additional annual revenue. That bill passed the Senate but never had a hearing in a House committee.

    “It boils down to continued job growth and development,” Buchanan said. “That’s the purpose of the bill.”

    The state’s certified tech park program was created by a 2002 law that sought to boost economic development and job growth by focusing on jobs in industries such as microelectronics, biotechnology, engineering and laboratory testing, environmental technology, medical devices and advanced vehicle technology.

    The law let cities and counties apply to the Indiana Economic Development Corp. for authority to designate an area for high-tech development. The application required cities to have at least one company committed to the tech park that planned to create a “significant number of jobs” and a comprehensive business plan or at least one other partner or program, which could include a university, military installation or facility, or an existing or planned business incubator.

    The parks are allowed to raise private money and accept grants and other outside funding.

    But to give the operations a boost, the law allows the parks to collect what’s called “incremental” income and sales tax revenue generated within the park’s boundaries. That essentially means state and local tax revenue that results from new development at the park—on top of the amount of tax revenue that already was generated in the designated area.

    Tax-increment-financing districts, which are designated locally for development, operate in a similar way. And in fact, cities and counties can also designate the tech parks as TIF districts, allowing them to capture incremental property tax revenue, as well.

    The original state law capped the total sales and income tax revenue a tech park could collect at $5 million (not including property tax revenue it might generate through a TIF district).

    To date, the state has certified 26 parks statewide, though only 22 remain active. Of those, 18 have hit the $5 million cap, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

    So in 2020, lawmakers passed a bill allowing parks to capture up to $100,000 a year in additional state and local income tax revenue after they reached their $5 million cap.

    Buchanan’s bill would raise that amount to $500,000.

    The change would result in the loss of about $4.5 million in annual revenue to the state beginning in fiscal year 2024, while local governments would lose about $1.8 million per year, according to an LSA analysis. Those amounts would increase slightly in later years if all the tech parks reached their $5 million cap.

    Tech community support

    Supporters of the legislation say local communities directly benefit from job creation that stems from cultivating businesses in the parks.

    Jennifer Hallowell, executive director of the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association, which represents tech companies and entrepreneurs in Indiana, said the parks will continue to change and grow as new thinkers enter the space.

    “The idea here is not that we launched these many years ago and it’s the same firms,” Hallowell said. “We’re continuing to grow and launch new businesses; it’s an incubator of sorts.”

    Ted Baker, CEO of the Muncie Innovation Center, a business incubator in the Ontario Place Tech Park, said the funding is for growth.

    “Receiving this funding is not about sustainability—it’s about growing Indiana’s tech sector,” Baker said, noting that the Muncie incubator plans to expand from 16,000 square feet to 45,000 square feet.

    Baker also serves as executive director of the tech park, which is in an area that was once an abandoned manufacturing facility and retail space. He said companies in the park increased their employment levels from 935 jobs in 2018 to 1,314 jobs in 2021, a 40% increase. The average wage for employees in the park is about $66,000, he said.

    David Bolling is executive director of Launch Fishers, which is in the Nickel Plate District Certified Technology Park. He said the incubator and coworking space currently has 130 member companies representing nearly 600 employees.

    In addition, he said, outside investors have poured $110 million in capital into Launch Fishers companies over the past eight years.

    “These are important initiatives for the state to undertake to support businesses at the ground level,” Bolling said. “These are companies that are grinding it out, day in and day out.”

    Kent Parisien, who serves on the board of WestGate Authority, which governs the WestGate@Crane Technology Park, said the legislation will allow the park to bolster efforts to bring high-tech businesses and jobs to Indiana.

    “To date, the WestGate@Crane Technology Park has captured a total of $15.9 million in state incremental tax revenues,” Parisien said. “This has allowed the technology park to leverage additional public and private investments, bringing our total investment to $114.6 million.”

    The WestGate tech park is allowed to capture more revenue than other parks because it spans three counties, which allowed it to capture $15 million total from sales and income taxes before it started collecting the supplemental tax revenue.

    SB 271 also has support from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

    Accountability added

    As passed by the Senate, the bill includes an amendment authored by Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, that aims to better track what’s happening in tech parks.

    It requires the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to submit a report to the State Budget Committee every other year that provides details about each park. Melton said the information would help lawmakers better understand how the parks are operating.

    “It would be great information for us to have,” he said. “The state is investing significant amounts of resources” in the parks.

    The report must include the number of businesses in each park engaged in high-tech activity, the number of businesses that have left the park and where they moved, the number of employees at each company, the average annual wage paid to those workers, and the total capital investment by each business.•

  • March 13, 2023 10:02 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Indiana lawmakers about House Bill 1345, legislation that would make it easier for innovators and entrepreneurs like me to get their business underway and to bring great jobs to Hoosiers.

    It was great to see the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee approve the bill on a 9-4 vote, and I was encouraged to see our lawmakers taking such positive action. Two of my colleagues, Dronedek’s Chief Strategy Officer Neerav Shah, and our Sales Director, Jake Mills, later testified in support of HB 1344, another bill that supports entrepreneurs.

    Both pieces of legislation would help startups – something Indiana needs to do because the state currently ranks 44th in the nation for how well it fosters entrepreneurship, per Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship. Each of the bills were heard in the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee. HB 1345 passed the committee by a 9-4 vote. HB 1344 did not receive a vote. Unfortunately, that means they won’t progress further this year.

    The funny thing about us making time to go down to the Indiana Statehouse to talk with legislators about these bills is that our company won’t benefit from them. We’ve been fortunate to move beyond five years in operation and we are proud to have been hitting all of our strategic milestones, but it wasn’t easy. We believe Indiana must do a better job of supporting entrepreneurs who have great ideas and just might have the next globally significant company coming out of Indiana.

    I’m not generally someone who gets involved in creating new laws, and Dronedek as a company hasn’t been active in calling on the General Assembly to act. I believe we’re all usually better off if the government stays out of our daily lives. But my team and I took time from working to perfect our smart mailbox, raising money to fund our  15+ workforce and production needs and dealing with the various issues of the day, because the support these bills would provide is sorely needed.

    Authored by Representative Jake Teshka, HB 1345 would have waived requirements for new businesses and establish a “regulatory sandbox” program that would make it easier for small businesses to thrive. Representative Teshka also authored HB 1344, which focused on Indiana businesses that have been in operation for fewer than five years and would have, among other things, encouraged the state to allocate 5 percent of workforce and economic development funding to them, along with eliminating first year business fees.

    Anyone who’s tried to start a business knows how easy it is to get tangled up in red tape and fees. We’re making the next-generation mailbox and are one of the first companies to hold patents on a smart mailbox, which is part of the emerging autonomous delivery sector. You can’t imagine the regulatory hurdles and issues we’ve faced. 

    Small businesses like Dronedek represent 99.4% of all businesses in Indiana, and we employ 44 percent of the Hoosiers who work. It seems to me that our lawmakers should do all they can to help us grow. 

    Indiana has done some great work in attracting, retaining and growing existing and large corporations, but it hasn’t focused enough on doing the same for new business creation and entrepreneurship.

    House Bill 1345 would have reduced barriers to entry for new companies to bring innovative services, products, and business models to market. That would help companies and consumers in emerging fields like drone delivery, the Internet of Things, financial technology and more. The program it creates would allow us to innovate and test products and offerings without the burden of costly and cumbersome regulations and licensing. At least 11 states have established regulatory sandbox programs, including states like Arizona and North Carolina that are leaders in growing and attracting tech and innovation jobs.

    Bills like HB 1344 and 1355  are how we encourage and support Indiana entrepreneurs and how we develop the next great technology right here in Indiana.

    Folks, we’re living in a Digital Age not far off from a pop culture inflection point with autonomous deliveries being as expected and commonplace as when smartphones became the social norm. It’s high time we widen entrepreneurs’ pathway to production and progress. 

    Helping Hoosier businesses get to markets sooner means more fuel for Indiana’s economy, better jobs for its people and better lives for everyone.

    We were proud to join with the Indiana Technology Innovation Association to support this legislation, and we’ll be back supporting it next year. That’s more government interaction than I’ll have had in the past decade, but it’s an investment worth making. If you’re an innovator or small business person in Indiana, I invite you to join me. 

    Dan O’Toole is the founder and CEO of Dronedek, a patent holder and serial entrepreneur. Dronedek, headquartered in Lawrence, is one of the first companies in the world to focus on package security for traditional and autonomous delivery methods. https://www.dronedek.com.

  • November 22, 2022 9:27 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Indianapolis, IN – The Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA) today released its 2023 policy priorities to accelerate the innovation economy. 

    ITIA announced its priorities at its annual Legislative Update event co-hosted by TechPoint and sponsored by AT&T and Salesforce. Nearly 130 tech leaders, two dozen state legislators and several members of the Governor’s administration attended.

    ITIA’s priorities this year focus on expanding access to capital, supporting a diverse tech workforce and enabling a thriving tech and innovation ecosystem to support tech job growth and fuel entrepreneurship. 

    “Now is the time to accelerate Indiana’s commitment to supporting and growing the high-wage, high-tech jobs of the future,” said ITIA Board Chair David Becker, Chairman and CEO of First Internet Bank. “Indiana is well-positioned to embrace and be a leader in the innovation economy, but it’s going to take an intentional, collaborative effort to unleash capital, address our talent needs and dramatically boost entrepreneurship.” 

    Indiana’s technology industry continues to grow and contributed $51 billion to Indiana’s GDP in 2021. With an estimated median wage of $76,254, median tech wages are 99% higher than the median state wage (CompTIA Cyberstates 2022). 

    While Indiana has been successful at attracting and retaining large and existing corporations, our state ranks low for new business creation. According to the2021 Kauffman Entrepreneurial Indicators, Indiana ranks 44th out of 50 states for rate of new entrepreneurs. Yet, new and young companies are responsible for nearly all net new job creation in the U.S.

    “We need to do everything we can to support and accelerate entrepreneurship in Indiana,” said ITIA Executive Director Jennifer Hallowell. “The State of Indiana can continue to lead by removing barriers to entrepreneurship and investing in the talent and capital needed to start and grow an innovation-based venture.”

    ITIA’s 2023 Policy Agenda includes the following priorities:

    Policies that Expand Access to Capital at All Stages of Growth

    • Continued and robust investment in the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, which funds critical and proven programs including Elevate Ventures and the SBIR/STTR matching grant program.
    • Additional state investment into the Next Level Indiana Fund to further accelerate the availability of capital for Indiana companies at the growth stage. 
    • A focus on ensuring women, minority and veteran entrepreneurs have access to capital at all stages. 

    Policies that Develop, Attract and Retain a Diverse Tech Workforce

    • Including computer science and technology as a high school graduation requirement to equip more students with technology skills, particularly girls and students of color.
    • Funding and incentives for technology-focused career exploration and discovery programs, such as robotics. 
    • Support for apprenticeships, internships and other pathways into the tech industry. 
    • Incentives and efforts to retain and attract talent in Indiana. 

    Policies that Enable a Thriving Tech Ecosystem

    • Removing barriers to entrepreneurship and a dedicated effort to support new business creation
    • data privacy law that is interoperable with other state privacy laws in order to create consistent robust privacy protections and reduce implementation burdens.
    • Continued expansion of high performing Certified Tech Parks (CTPs) by increasing the maximum allowable CTP capture. 
    • Efforts to accelerate broadband and fiber deployment. 

    ITIA is the statewide association representing technology and innovation-driven companies, entrepreneurs and partners working together to advance the state’s tech and innovation ecosystem.

    For more information about ITIA and Membership, visit www.IndianaTechnology.org.

  • September 16, 2022 11:08 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Indiana’s entrepreneurial community has high hopes that a new online tax-credit marketplace will help attract more out-of-state investment in Hoosier startups.

    Last month, the Indianapolis-based not-for-profit TechPoint launched the Indiana VCI Marketplace—a first-of-its-kind tool for connecting potential buyers and sellers of Indiana’s Venture Capital Investment tax credit.

    “That’s such a great opportunity. Out-of-state investors will be able to sell those tax credits to Hoosiers who have a tax liability,” said Jenny Massey, the Indianapolis-based national director of site selection and incentives for Chicago-based Sikich LLP.

    “I totally expect to see an increase in out-of-state venture capital activity in Indiana because of this.”

    The tax credit itself, which serves as an incentive to invest in Hoosier startups and small companies, has been around since 2003.

    But the Legislature tweaked the program. Since July 1, 2020, investors have had the ability to sell their VCI tax credits—making the program more appealing to out-of-state investors who don’t pay Indiana taxes.

    As an example: An out-of-state firm or individual invests $1 million in a Hoosier startup and receives a VCI tax credit worth 25% of that investment.

    The investor then sells that $250,000 tax credit for $200,000 to an Indiana taxpayer, who can use the credit to reduce his or her state tax liability.

    But until now, there hasn’t been a central marketplace to facilitate these transactions. So it hasn’t always been easy for out-of-state investors to monetize their VCI tax credits.

    The buying and selling of VCI tax credits has taken place mostly through informal channels and personal networks. Often, the burden of making those connections has fallen on the small business that received the investment.

    “Your ability to do that successfully is going to be dependent on how sophisticated you are and who you know,” said John McDonald, the managing entrepreneur at Indianapolis-based venture studio Next Studios.

    McDonald is also a board member at the Indiana Technology and Innovation Association, a tech-industry group that lobbied for the creation of a marketplace.

    Experienced and well-connected founders have so far had an advantage over greener entrepreneurs in brokering VCI tax-credit transactions, but the marketplace now helps level the playing field, McDonald said.

    How the marketplace works

    Potential VCI tax-credit buyers and sellers can signal their interest in deals by completing an online form at techpoint.org/vci-marketplace. (VCI tax credits must be worth at least $10,000 to be eligible for sale.)

    When a tax credit becomes available for sale, TechPoint sends an anonymized notice to potential buyers, who can then notify TechPoint of their interest in the deal. TechPoint initiates an email introduction between the seller and the highest bidder.

    Once the parties agree on a deal, they contact the Indiana Economic Development Corp.—which administers the VCI tax credit program—to complete paperwork with that agency.

    TechPoint has committed to making introductions within 10 days of receiving deal queries.

    The organization is not involved in setting the terms of deals and it does not charge any fees for handling the transaction.

    “Both the reach and the velocity should be very attractive compared to the old method,” said TechPoint CEO Ting Gootee, who came up with the idea for the marketplace. “A lot of people recognize the value and need for it.”

    TechPoint was the natural entity to run the marketplace for several reasons, Gootee said.

    The organization exists to support and grow Indiana’s tech sector, and it’s already plugged into a network of entrepreneurs and investors.

    “It makes sense for us to do it because we have the knowledge base, we have the investors … and we’re not looking to monetize this,” she said.

    Having a not-for-profit such as TechPoint run the marketplace makes a lot of sense, said Indianapolis attorney Jeff Kirk, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP who leads the firm’s venture capital group in Indiana.

    A for-profit operator would want to charge a transaction fee and do a certain volume of transactions in order to make money from the marketplace, Kirk said. “I’m excited that Ting and the rest of the TechPoint organization have decided to go down this path.”

    The marketplace launched with one potential seller and 20 others who signaled interest in either buying those tax credits or learning about future transactions, TechPoint said.

    The marketplace platform was built to be scalable, Gootee said, and it could handle up to thousands of potential buyers and sellers as interest and awareness grows.

    It’s also possible that the marketplace will become a searchable database at some point. Right now, it exists only as a portal for submitting information to TechPoint.

    “This is our initial product,” she said. “Based on market demand, we’ll keep an open mind to how this may evolve to the next phases.”

    Demand increasing

    VCI tax credit transfer activity is modest but has grown in the two years since state law began allowing such transactions.

    According to IEDC data, two VCI tax credit transfers took place from July to December in 2020. The following year, 19 such transactions took place. And 22 transactions have occurred through August this year.

    The VCI program has also seen substantial increases in out-of-state investment since 2020.

    From 2006 to 2019, IEDC data shows, about 5% of planned VCI investments, or $31.2 million, came from out-of-state investors. In 2020 and 2021, 22.5% of planned VCI investments, or $28.1 million, came from out-of-state investors.

    (The numbers reflect planned investments because they are based on proposals investors must submit to the IEDC before investments are made. Investors then have two years to make those investments and receive VCI tax credits.)

    “We are encouraged by the out-of-state investment interest we’ve seen already since 2020 with [the] addition of transferable tax credits, and we are hopeful that TechPoint’s new VCI Marketplace will lead to even better utilization of this offering,” IEDC Senior Vice President of Community Affairs Mark Wasky told IBJ via email.

    The IEDC said it hasn’t set any specific goals regarding growth of out-of-state participation in the VCI program.

    But the new marketplace is just one piece of a bigger picture when it comes to startup funding, Next Studios’ McDonald said.

    For one thing, state law limits the amount of VCI tax credits that can be granted in a single year. This year, the Legislature set the cap at $20 million, up from the $12.5 million cap that had been in place since 2005.

    That $12.5 million cap was reached in 2017 and 2019-2021. In 2018, 94.6% of available credits were awarded. This year, the state is on pace to hit the expanded cap, with 55.8% of available VCI tax credits awarded through Aug. 31.

    McDonald said his organization plans to lobby the General Assembly to raise the cap again next year.

    He said he has full confidence in TechPoint’s ability to publicize the marketplace. But he also noted that it will take time for the news to spread widely among out-of-state investors.

    “Right now, it’s an awareness issue,” McDonald said. “It’s new even here in Indiana, to people in the know.”

    Still, marketplace proponents are bullish on this new tool.

    Massey said the marketplace and the VCI tax credit in general help Indiana compete.

    She estimated that about half of U.S. states have some version of a VCI tax credit, though specifics vary from state to state.

    Indiana’s new VCI marketplace, she said, will only boost the state’s appeal. “I have zero doubt that this is going to be good for the economy in Indiana.”•

  • July 18, 2022 1:45 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Indianapolis, IN Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA) Board Chair David Becker, Chairman and CEO of Fishers-based First Internet Bank, has been appointed to serve on the Next Level Indiana Fund Investment Board.

    The Next Level Indiana Fund was created by the Indiana Legislature in 2017 to make investments in Indiana venture capital funds and Indiana companies using $250 million of allocated state funding.

    Becker was appointed to the Next Level Indiana Fund Board by Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives Todd Huston, following a new law passed during the 2022 legislative session that added additional appointments to the Board.

    “The Next Level Indiana Fund is a critical economic development resource to attract more venture capital to Indiana, support the creation of new Indiana venture capital funds and accelerate growth of Indiana-based, innovation-driven companies,” Becker said. “I look forward to joining the Board and supporting the goals of the Fund to fuel Indiana’s tech and innovation industry.”

    During this year's legislative session, ITIA supported legislation to expand the Next Level Indiana Fund Investment Board by adding two voting members with direct experience and knowledge in venture capital investment appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore. These additional appointments became law as part of Senate Enrolled Act 361.

    Becker founded and serves as Chairman and CEO of First Internet Bancorp’s subsidiary, First Internet Bank, which opened for business in 1999 as an industry

    pioneer in the branchless delivery of banking services. He has a 40-year career of creating successful entrepreneurial companies in financial services technology (“fintech”) and software-as-a-service (“SaaS), having created and sold five Inc. 500 companies.

    Becker is also a founding member and the current Board Chair of the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA), the statewide group of technology and innovation-driven companies and partners that seeks to elevate the role the tech community plays in shaping Indiana public policy.

    “David Becker is a pioneer of Indiana’s technology industry with vast knowledge and experience in venture capital investing, both as a founder of multiple companies and as an investor,” said Jennifer Hallowell, ITIA Executive Director. David is supremely positioned to serve in this capacity and help guide Next Level Indiana Fund activity to generate the greatest impact for our state and Indiana’s tech industry.”

    Becker also serves on the Board of TechPoint, Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) and Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP).

    For more information about the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA), visit www.IndianaTechnology.org.

  • July 01, 2022 1:47 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Congratulations to ITIA Board Member Christopher Day on being named the new CEO of Elevate Ventures!

    Christopher Day is a founding Board Member of ITIA and most recently the co-founder and CEO of DemandJump, a leading artificial-intelligence-powered marketing strategy platform.

    A long-time, successful entrepreneur, Day has co-founded or launched eight businesses in industries including artificial intelligence, billing software, utility hardware, broadband, entertainment, investment banking and real estate. 

    He's been a passionate leader for ITIA and helped champion positive policy change to support and grow Indiana's technology and innovation industry, including expanding the Venture Capital Investment tax credit, establishing the Next Level Fund and exempting Software-as-a-Service from the state's sales tax. 

    We're thrilled that Christopher will be leading Elevate, and look forward to continuing to work together to grow Indiana's tech, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem! 

    Read more about today's announcement.

  • April 29, 2022 11:33 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Eli Lilly and Co. CEO David Ricks made waves last week with his remarks that Indiana needs to improve on numerous metrics—education, health care, diversity, green energy and workforce development—to compete for jobs in the fast-growing technology, life sciences and engineering sectors.

    Local tech leaders say they have some concrete ideas about how to achieve some of these things.

    Ricks made his remarks April 20 at an Economic Club of Indiana luncheon. Then, during TechPoint’s Mira Awards gala on April 23, Angie’s List co-founder and long-time local tech leader Bill Oesterle referenced Ricks’ speech.

    Calling Ricks’ speech “courageous and objective,” Oesterle challenged his audience of more than 1,200 to do their part to tackle the concerns Ricks had highlighted.

    The Indiana Technology and Innovation Association, a lobbying group for the state’s tech industry, said attracting more venture capital is one way to bolster the state’s tech sector. To that end, it’s pushing for an expansion of existing state tax credits designed to spur investment.

    “I think that we need to immediately shift more funding into making capital formation happen,” said association board member and Launch Fishers founder John Wechsler.

    Wechsler pointed to Indiana’s existing venture capital investment tax credit program, which provides tax credits to those who provide debt or equity capital to Indiana companies. This year, up to $20 million worth of tax credits is available for investors.

    Wechsler said the VCI tax credit is a valuable program that should be expanded. Half of that $20 million has already been committed for the year, Wechsler said, which makes it “highly likely” that the program will run out of funding by year’s end. This is especially problematic, he said, because the end of the year is typically a busy time for investors as they seek to deploy investments and lock in year-end tax advantages.

    Megan Glover, who is also co-founder of Zionsville-based tech startup 120Water and an association board member, said availability of VCI tax credits can have a huge impact on how much—or whether—an investor is willing to put money into a company like 120Water.

    “I’ve had to postpone [funding] rounds because the VCI has expired or that the allotment for that year is over,” Glover said. “I’ve had people decrease their check size because of the amount that they will get in return. So it’s absolutely impactful for entrepreneurs.”

    Investment is tied to another issued that Ricks touched on in his April 20 speech—the need to improve workforce development and talent attraction in Indiana.

    Glover said potential investors always want to know about access to local talent—whether the company in which they might invest will be able to find enough qualified employees to execute on its growth plans.

    “We’re not going to have more investment here if we don’t have the talent to put to work,” Glover said.

    Read more.

  • April 20, 2022 2:53 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Terre Haute area entrepreneurs and business leaders discussed ways to grow Indiana’s tech ecosystem Tuesday.

    Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA) and the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce held a lunch meeting in efforts to involve the community with the shaping policy to grow Indiana’s tech ecosystem.

    Attendees heard from association board members about efforts to bring the tech and innovation community together. They also educated leaders about the issues impacting the industry.

    ITIA Board Member Shelley Klingerman said Terre Haute is a great place to inform business leaders about what’s happening at the state level.

    “Terre Haute is a hub for entrepreneurs, tech companies, and startups,” Klingerman said. “It”s really important for those entrepreneurs to know what is going on at the state level and connect with other companies around the state.”

    Klingerman said most companies now a days are inevitably tech companies.

    “This conversation is going to affect you in some way shape or form in your business and it’s better to be at the table,” Kingerman said.

    For further information contact the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association or Launch Terre Haute.

    Read more https://www.mywabashvalley.com/news/local-news/terre-haute-business-leaders-discuss-indianas-tech-ecosystem/

  • April 17, 2022 2:54 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Terre Haute area entrepreneurs, startups and business leaders are invited to join the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association and the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce for a lunch meeting noon Tuesday at Launch Terre Haute located at 619 Cherry St.

    Participants will hear about how the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association and its members are working bring the technology and innovation community together, educate state leaders on the issues impacting the industry, and strengthen the business environment for technology and innovation-driven companies to start and grow in Indiana.

    “ITIA is working to expand access to venture capital, grow the tech talent pipeline and make Indiana a leader as we shift to a 21st century data-centric economy,” said ITIA Executive Director Jennifer Hallowell. “We’re excited to partner with the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce, meet with leaders in Terre Haute to hear about the issues important to them, and work together to grow Indiana’s tech and innovation industry.”

    The event is free and lunch is included. To register, go to www.indianatechnology.org/event-4724528.

    Read more https://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/terre-haute-leaders-entrepreneurs-invited-to-lunch-meeting/article_f7de803c-f502-5ff6-bd6b-6503603f8645.html

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