# Innovate Mississippi

> Innovate Mississippi is a Jackson-based nonprofit helping Mississippi innovation companies become investment-ready through coaching, regional partnerships, CoBuilders acceleration, Seed Fund administration and investor connections.

- **Founded:** 1998
- **Headquarters:** Jackson, United States
- **Products:** CoBuilders, Mississippi Seed Fund, FoundersPlus, InvestMS, Mississippi Angel Investor Network
- **Notable:** First three CoBuilders cohorts included 35 companies and more than $1.22 million in total direct investments, according to a 2024 partnership retrospective., VTO Reading, a 2025 CoBuilders participant, announced a nearly $500,000 seed round in August 2026., Ball AI reported nearly $650,000 in cumulative dilutive and non-dilutive funding in a July 2026 founder spotlight.

## Products & services

- **CoBuilders** — Twelve-week accelerator launched in 2022; the current offer includes a $50,000 SAFE investment at a $1.5 million valuation cap.
- **Mississippi Seed Fund** — State-created fund administered by Innovate Mississippi, with award decisions by its board; offers proof-of-concept support.
- **FoundersPlus** — Entrepreneurial education and mentor access focused on women and minority founders, backed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
- **InvestMS** — Equity investment support for Mississippi startups and venture funds, from pre-seed through Series A.
- **Mississippi Angel Investor Network** — Connects qualified investors with Mississippi startup opportunities; published annual membership fee is $200.
- **CoPath and founder coaching** — Startup assessment, next-step planning and introductions to specialist providers.
- **MS-FAST** — Support for small businesses pursuing SBIR/STTR proposals, supported in part by the SBA FAST partnership program.
- **CONNECT and Accelerate** — Recurring networking and an annual technology and innovation conference.

## Achievements

- First three CoBuilders cohorts included 35 companies and more than $1.22 million in total direct investments, according to a 2024 partnership retrospective.
- VTO Reading, a 2025 CoBuilders participant, announced a nearly $500,000 seed round in August 2026.
- Ball AI reported nearly $650,000 in cumulative dilutive and non-dilutive funding in a July 2026 founder spotlight.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Founder spotlight described Ball AI’s growth and return to CoBuilders in 2025.
- **2026-08** — VTO Reading announced its nearly $500,000 seed financing.
- **2026-09** — Nine companies announced for the 2026 CoBuilders cohort.
- **2026-11** — CoBuilders Pitch Day scheduled for November 10; future event as of this profile.

## Links

- Website: https://www.innovate.ms/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mississippi-technology-alliance/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/innovatems/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innovatems/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innovatems/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/innovate-mississippi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08