Indiana tech entrepreneurs will tell you that the fundraising process to build a high-growth venture-backed company can be long and complex. But they say the process is becoming a little easier and is showing impressive results when the TechPoint Venture Support team is involved.  

The TechPoint Venture Support team was formed in December 2022 to help Indiana founders get their products to market. The cross-sector team includes experts from other Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) initiatives and is the most experienced venture support team in Indiana, with more than 300 years of combined experience in industry, operating and venture investing.  

The Impact 

The collaborative effort is designed to help Hoosier entrepreneurs fully activate their startups and elevate them to scale-up status whether they are in the tech, agbiosciences, life sciences and health care, advanced manufacturing and logistics or other industry sectors.    

In 2024, the team has:  

  • Worked to nurture and support 367 startups, 124 of them through the Venture Support process; 
  • Coached 259 hours; 
  • Facilitated the transfer of $1 million in VCI tax credits; and 
  • Tracked $661.4 million in Indiana tech investments. 

Primary Record provides a professional platform designed for families to have one secure place to organize, collaborate and share health information. CEO and Co-Founder Jean Ross, RN, says she met with Venture Support team members and quickly got invited to an event to pitch the company.  

“One of our lead investors was in the audience and we ended up closing a million-dollar investment shortly after,” Ross said. “That’s what TechPoint does. There are a lot of disconnected people, and it connects the tech community.”  

TechPoint’s Venture Support Process 

The support process is broken down to quickly help entrepreneurs. Once they sign up with Venture Support, they will hear from the team within three days to schedule a virtual session. During that session, the entrepreneur runs through their summary or pitch deck and the team will answer questions and provide specific feedback.  Within days, the entrepreneur will receive a recap of the meeting feedback and any related action items such as introductions and invitations to upcoming events. Then, the entrepreneur will be invited to other events as appropriate, including Pitch Nights and Venture Connect. Continued support and connections will be provided during the company scaling process.  

The Value to Companies 

Zionsville-based Adverank CEO and Co-Founder Jason Zickler says TechPoint’s involvement has been “a game-changer” for the digital ad assistant made for improving occupancy at self-storage facilities. He says the Venture Support team helped the company confidently navigate the fundraising landscape during its Seed-2 round.  

“TechPoint’s assistance ranged from helping us find top talent through the Xtern program to connecting us with venture capital resources via investor introductions,” said Zickler. “Participating in Venture Connect allowed us to meet a vast number of investors in a short period, accelerating our fundraising efforts. Additionally, their business introductions to investors and founders have provided us with ongoing support and guidance. TechPoint even played a pivotal role in announcing our launch and initial $1M Seed-1 funding through a press release, helping us gain significant traction.”   

Indiana-based Membershine LLC specializes in membership management through an all-in-one SaaS platform, catering to homeowner’s associations, nonprofits, clubs, and professional organizations.  

Membershine CEO Clayton Thompson says TechPoint has made introductions that have saved him money and helped him get Indiana tax credits that he didn’t know existed. But the Venture Support process has also given him an avenue to network with people he never would have met. 

“TechPoint has stimulated my thinking,” Thompson said. “I’m sitting in some of these TechPoint meetings, they are talking about things I would never think about.  They have helped by touching on subjects that aren’t in your everyday news feed. You then adopt some of those principles and avenues for your company.”  

Adverank’s Zickler encourages others to join the Venture Support process.  

“Indianapolis and Indiana boast a vast support system of founders and investors, and TechPoint is the key to unlocking this incredible network,” he said. “They are like a secret pathway, offering a shortcut to meeting the right people and joining the thriving entrepreneurial community. The connections and support you’ll find through TechPoint can accelerate your growth and open doors you didn’t even know existed.” 

Primary Record’s Ross says TechPoint’s Venture Support has been pivotal to the company’s growth.  

“I always say the founders have the kindling and the sparks,” she said. “You need people like TechPoint to either ignite it or feed the kindling and the logs to get the fire going.  You need these kinds of community partners and places you can go to get help.” 

Zickler says founders shouldn’t hesitate. 

“To any founders looking to efficiently and effectively bring their product to market or grow their company, my advice is simple: engage with TechPoint from the very beginning. Dive in, get involved, and start participating in their events and programs. Indianapolis and Indiana boast a vast support system of founders and investors, and TechPoint is the key to unlocking this incredible network,” he said.  

For Thompson, the “Support” in the Venture Support program goes beyond making connections and giving notes on companies’ elevator speeches. 

“I’m learning how important it is to be visible. I would give TechPoint the credit for helping me be visible and how important that is,” he said. 

Find more information about TechPoint’s Venture Support here. The program is offered at no cost to founders.