Tech startups post the largest share of impact as small business work sees breakout growth

JumpStart Inc., a nonprofit that provides advising and resources to growing Ohio businesses, today released its 2025 Economic and Fiscal Impact Report showing that entrepreneurs supported by JumpStart and its ESP Partners generated an estimated $1.9 billion in economic activity across the state in 2025, up 11 percent over 2024. Since 2010, assisted companies have generated an estimated $16.9 billion in cumulative economic activity for Ohio.

"JumpStart was founded in 2004 by a region that came together to close a critical gap in support for entrepreneurs and create greater opportunity. The impact we are reporting today is what that collective commitment looks like when it compounds over time," says Lorne Novick, CEO, JumpStart Inc. "Entrepreneurs are putting everything on the line to build something that did not exist before. Our job is to ensure Ohio is a place where that courage is rewarded."

TECH STARTUPS: A REGIONAL COMMITMENT WITH CONTINUED MOMENTUM

Tech startups supported by JumpStart and its ESP Partners generated an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity in 2025, up 9 percent over 2024. These companies also supported 9,236 jobs across Ohio.

That effort runs through Ohio's Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP) network, which JumpStart managed in 2025 in partnership with 16 regional ESP Partners across the northern part of the state to help promising startups grow: Bounce Innovation Hub; Braintree Business Development Center; BRITE Energy Innovators; Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland Clinic; Cleveland Water Alliance; Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise; Lakeland Community College; The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network; Mercy Health; Northeast Ohio Medical University; Ohio Aerospace Institute, wholly affiliated with Parallax Advanced Research; ProMedica; University of Akron Research Foundation; University of Toledo; and YBI.

For Lydia Floyd, founder and CEO of Rocky River-based InsureScope, that kind of regional continuum of support is part of what makes building in Northeast Ohio possible. "Dreaming of, building and growing an insurance technology company requires both a talented team and a community committed to supporting entrepreneurship," says Floyd. "At InsureScope, we are proud that our founding team and technology are rooted in Northeast Ohio, and we know the region will remain a key part of our success. We are grateful to JumpStart, YBI and our many Ohio-based mentors, service providers and customers who have said yes and shown us that entrepreneurship can thrive in your hometown."

That same commitment to meeting founders where they are continues to shape how JumpStart delivers support, most recently with the launch of its Trailblazer Accelerator.

"Midwest founders are often asked to de-risk far earlier than their coastal counterparts. We launched our no-cost, no-equity accelerator in 2024 to give them more access and more runway to build traction before they have to give up ownership," says JumpStart's VP of Tech Services and Network Management Kaleigh Gallagher.

That program model is already paying off for founders like Andrew Cothrel, CEO of Cincinnati-based Kilele Health Inc. "Being introduced to a vetted network of skilled partners and suppliers through our Trailblazer participation happened at just the right time for us," says Cothrel. "Combined with the financial support we received and the networking opportunities that Trailblazer advisors facilitated, our progress was accelerated in a very tangible way. We recently shattered the world record for aptamer biosensor life in a human, and Trailblazer helped advance us on that path."

SMALL BUSINESSES: A BREAKOUT YEAR, BY THE NUMBERS

Small businesses receiving services directly from JumpStart grew their collective economic output 60 percent in a single year, to $131 million. Jobs supported grew even faster, up 42 percent to 1,564, fueled in part by two new programs that graduated their first cohorts in 2025: CapitalReady, for growth strategy and exit readiness, and ScaleReady, for founders building beyond themselves.

"What stands out is how quickly these owners are moving from early traction to permanence - opening storefronts, hiring teams and reinvesting locally. These are not just promising businesses. They have the potential to grow into economic drivers that contribute to the long-term vitality of their communities," says JumpStart VP of Small Business Capital and Services Patty Ajdukiewicz.

A combination of capital access and hands-on advising has helped founders like Tina Lattouf Chamoun, whose Cleveland-based company Terranean received support through CapitalReady as it prepared for its next stage of growth.

"JumpStart's support for our avocado oil packaging refresh helped position Terranean for its next stage of growth. The new packaging contributed to major milestones, including winning the Kroger Nourishing Change Emerging Brand award and Good Housekeeping Best Snack Award, and has been followed by strong sales growth. As a self-funded solo founder with a limited network, JumpStart also has been an invaluable partner by connecting me to opportunities, funding and strategic advisory support that would have been difficult to access on my own," says Chamoun.

Founder Justin Boyd leveraged JumpStart's Impact, ScaleReady and one-on-one advising programs, and says that guidance has helped expand the reach of his Maple Heights-based Concession Stand Laundry and Sneaker Cleaning across Northeast Ohio. "JumpStart believed in Concession Stand from the beginning and has been an important part of our growth," says Boyd. "Their guidance helped us build a strong foundation, create jobs and show what is possible when people invest in local entrepreneurs with a vision to build something that lasts."

Across both tech and small business, the throughline is the same: entrepreneurs willing to take the leap, and an ecosystem built to help them keep going.

"The numbers are how we track progress. But the story behind them begins the same way every time, with a determined, visionary Ohio entrepreneur who decided to take a chance on themselves," says Novick.

To read the full report and learn more about the resources available to Ohio entrepreneurs, visit JumpStart's website.

ABOUT THE REPORT The 2025 Economic and Fiscal Impact Report was prepared by Silverlode Consulting using IMPLAN methodology.

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 Ohio businesses thrive, Ohio communities benefit. This work is made possible through the support of public, private and philanthropic partners. Learn more at JumpStart's website.

SOURCE JumpStart Inc.