The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development (LPED) is thrilled to announce the recipients of this year’s LaunchLNK Grant Program, awarding $20,000 non-dilutive grants to six high-growth startups establishing or expanding their operations in Lincoln. The 2025 cohort continues to demonstrate LPED’s commitment to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the city through the LaunchLNK grants, which expanded to six awards in 2024 from five grants in the years since the program’s formation.
Competitive Selection Process Produces Exciting Lineup:
The call for applications to the 2025 grant program received a tremendous response in the community, with nearly 65 applications submitted, showing the consistent robust interest in the LaunchLNK program. A rigorous two-round selection process involving multiple external and internal LPED economic development staff ultimately identified the six startups that stood above the rest to receive this year’s grants.
The six companies represent key and emerging industries for Lincoln’s targeted economic development strategy, including agri-tech and food processing; information technology and software development; renewable energy and sustainable technologies; fintech and insurtech; and autonomous systems and robotics.
The 2025 LaunchLNK companies are:
- Set Your Sites is revolutionizing campground management by equipping sites for the next generation of campers. Their technology offers mobile payments, real-time campsite availability information and Wi-Fi services. Unlike any other camping technology, Set Your Sites supports all campsite types, benefiting both campers seeking instant availability updates and campgrounds looking to boost revenue and occupancy rates.
- Short Answer helps K-12 schools embed writing across the curriculum through engaging, gamified writing activities for any subject. In an age where AI can generate text for students, developing core literacy skills is more challenging than ever. Short Answer makes it simple and fun for students to build core literacy skills.
- FuturHerd Solutions is a swine-focused ag-tech startup dedicated to solving key challenges in swine care with innovative technology. With labor shortages impacting the swine industry, their flagship innovation – the Nursery Nanny robot – empowers caretakers by ensuring piglets receive essential support, even in the absence of direct supervision. This provides young piglets with the optimal guidance needed from the start of the nursery phase, leading to healthier herds and more sustainable farming practices.
- Build Más recognized that Hispanic-owned small business contractors often struggle to create accurate, professional and profitable estimates due to language barriers, limited access to affordable tools and inefficient processes. Their bilingual platform offers templates and resources that help contractors confidently price projects, maximize their profitability and streamline their operations to build trust with their clients.
- Bullseye GX, Inc. is an agri-genomics startup committed to empowering beef and dairy producers with genetic testing solutions. Their innovative approach delivers affordable, high-speed insights to optimize herd health, enhance breeding efficiency and drive profitability. By providing actionable data, they enable producers to make informed decisions that maximize their returns.
- Landoption is a network of trusted local agriculture and conservation advisors, helping landowners and producers navigate alternative revenue programs. By streamlining education and enrollment, they simplify the process of integrating conservation, regenerative agriculture, and other programs into land and farm management.
Empowering Startups for Success:
Each LaunchLNK grant recipient receives a $20,000 cash infusion, along with valuable resources and referrals to accelerate their growth, including:
- Accounting & Tax Services
- Formation & Fundraising Legal Services
- IP Legal Services
- Office Planning, Sourcing, Installation
- Coworking & Business Facilities Benefits
- Prototype Development Assistance
- Entrepreneur / Business Coaching
- Membership to the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- Promotional Activities
We applaud our LaunchLNK Dedicated Partner Network for joining us in supporting startups and caring about what it takes to grow a business: HBE LLP, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Suiter Swantz IP, Eakes Office Solutions, CodeBuddy, and The Combine.
The LaunchLNK Grant Program is one part of a vibrant ecosystem of resources and organizations for startups in the region and works hard to be connected to other entities and offerings in a smart way. The LaunchLNK grant funds can be leveraged as matching funds for other programs such as the Nebraska Innovation Fund (NIF) Prototype Grant.
A Track Record of Success and Growth:
Since its inception in 2018, LaunchLNK has been consistent in fueling Lincoln’s entrepreneurial engine. The 30 program graduates have collectively raised over $100 million in follow-on funding and grants, showcasing the program’s effectiveness in propelling startups towards success. Enabling technology-based start-ups to scale their growth faster and become larger means greater innovation, productivity, and competitiveness for our economy.
Looking Ahead to the Future:
“The talent and potential of our startups creates incredible opportunities to build businesses and better our community,” says Kathy Andersen, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at LPED. “The six companies receiving the LaunchLNK Grants this year show exceptional innovation across a wide variety of industries and emerging fields. I am truly excited about how they will grow and develop with the assistance of the programs and services provided through the LaunchLNK Grant Program.”
“As we partner to generate economic opportunity, the City of Lincoln proudly supports these LaunchLNK investments which help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, create jobs and contribute to our community’s future,” says Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mayor of Lincoln.
“The LaunchLNK grant was instrumental in transforming DARO’s vision for a cutting-edge swine pathogen surveillance system into a tangible reality. Their support, both financial and through invaluable connections, provided the crucial foundation we needed to prove our methodology, and get our product to pork producers,” says Kristen Bernhard, Founder & CEO of DARO, Inc, a 2024 LaunchLNK recipient. “Thanks to LaunchLNK, we’re building a healthier future for the swine industry and U.S. protein supply.”
LPED will open the next round of applications for the LaunchLNK program in the fall of 2025.
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