JumpStart VC Fest Returns to Cleveland September 29-30, Spotlighting Midwest Startup Momentum

Hosted by JumpStart Inc. with premier support from Burton D. Morgan Foundation, the two-day event connects vision to venture through showcases, curated meetings and programming.

CLEVELAND, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- JumpStart Inc. today announced that JumpStart VC Fest is returning to the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland on September 29 and 30, 2026. One of the Midwest's largest innovation gatherings, VC Fest is JumpStart's flagship event for entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, policymakers and ecosystem leaders. With matchmaking for founders and funders from across the Midwest and beyond, the event, supported at the premier level by Burton D. Morgan Foundation, will bring together nearly one thousand participants for two days of programming, pitches and dealmaking.

For founders, VC Fest means a single trip that can replace months of scattered outreach — a chance to meet dozens of investors, potential customers and partners in one place through structured conversations, curated introductions and informal networking. For investors, it is a concentrated look at deal flow across the Midwest, without needing to travel from city to city to find it. And for Ohio, it is a visible marker of a growing tech economy, drawing outside capital and attention to a market that is still too often underappreciated.

"VC Fest is JumpStart's mission in action at scale," says JumpStart Inc. CEO Lorne Novick. "Connecting Vision to Venture is more than a theme. It is the charge behind our work: to open doors for entrepreneurs who are ready to build, compete and lead. By concentrating so much activity in one place, VC Fest gives high-potential founders and investors looking for their next high-growth investment  the kind of focused environment that can turn conversations into real movement."

Now in its fourth year, JumpStart VC Fest continues to grow. In 2025, it attracted over 800 participants, including 298 founders and 110 investors from 38 states and 10 countries and facilitated more than 550 curated 1:1 meetings. This year's agenda is focused on helping companies gain visibility and connect with capital and customer prospects that can help them move forward:

• Curated 1:1 meetings, the event's centerpiece, facilitating targeted conversations between founders, investors and corporate partners, as well as investor-to-VC connections designed to surface opportunities, build relationships and accelerate dealmaking. (September 29 & 30)
• Startup showcases and pitches, featuring JumpStart Trailblazer Accelerator software and healthtech companies on Day 1, followed by 10 of the region's most promising startups on Day 2. (September 29 & September 30, 12 – 1:30 p.m.)
• A Demo Zone, showcasing 20 promising early and growth-stage companies and giving them a platform to introduce themselves to potential investors, partners and mentors. (September 29, 9 – 11 a.m.)
• Keynote speakers, sharing insights from leading voices in venture capital and entrepreneurship on where the industry is headed. (September 29, 11 – 11:45 a.m. & September 30, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.)
• Expert-led panels, featuring themed conversations with industry leaders on the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping entrepreneurship, technology, capital and economic growth. (September 29 & 30)
• A networking reception, giving attendees a relaxed setting for the organic connections between founders, funders and champions. (September 29, 5 – 6:30 p.m.)
• A Women in Tech Breakfast, bringing together women building, funding and championing the region's tech economy. (September 30, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.)
• An Investor Happy Hour, an exclusive gathering for investors to build relationships, exchange perspectives and explore co-investing opportunities in an offsite setting. (September 29, 6 – 7:30 p.m.)

Together, these elements are meant to do more than fill an agenda. They put companies in front of the people, capital and ideas that can shape their trajectory, while giving the Midwest innovation community a chance to show its full energy.

"Entrepreneurial potential is realized when bold ideas are met with the relationships, guidance and capital required to move them forward," said Daniel Hampu, President and CEO of Burton D. Morgan Foundation. "VC Fest creates that kind of environment at a regional scale, bringing founders, investors, corporations and civic leaders together around a shared ambition for Northeast Ohio's economy. We invite leaders from across the region and beyond to experience firsthand the caliber of the companies, talent and ideas emerging here, and to consider the role they can play in helping that momentum grow."

Keynote speakers and panel session themes will be announced soon. Registration is now open, with tickets priced at $199 for founders and general attendees and $399 for investors and corporate attendees. Founder and investor tickets include curated matchmaking. To learn more and register, visit OhioVCFest.com.

About JumpStart Inc. JumpStart is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to drive economic vitality by connecting entrepreneurs to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed because when businesses thrive, communities benefit. Learn more at jumpstartinc.org.

About Burton D. Morgan Foundation

Burton D. Morgan Foundation is a private foundation based in Northeast Ohio dedicated to advancing the principles of free enterprise and entrepreneurship. Established in 1967 by visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist Burt Morgan, the foundation's mission is to strengthen free enterprise by investing in people and entities that embody the entrepreneurial spirit. Through a combination of innovative programs, purposeful partnerships and strategic grantmaking, the foundation nurtures entrepreneurs of diverse ages and stages. Visit bdmorganfdn.org to learn more.

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SOURCE JumpStart Inc.