Innovate Arkansas

IA Strategic Partners

Winrock U.S. Programs

Winrock International's U.S. Programs addresses rural development challenges that affect communities across the country. U.S. Programs' projects help stabilize local economies and create new sources of income. Incorporating innovative approaches makes our programs highly successful and Winrock's U.S. Programs a trusted contractor for federal, state and private funders.

Arkansas Development Finance Authority

The Arkansas Development Finance Authority is committed to responding to the changing needs of Arkansas’ growing, increasingly diverse population and business community. Since its creation in 1985, the ADFA has become the state’s largest source of low-cost financing for low to moderate income housing development, small industries, government, education, agricultural business enterprises and health care. It is through taxable and tax-exempt bonds and notes, private and public grants and state and federal agency partners that ADFA gives Arkansans the most cost-effective financing choices possible.
 
In 2001, bond guaranty legislation was modified to allow ADFA to use credit enhancement and state tax credits to finance "fund of fund" venture capital investments. The $70 million Arkansas Institutional Fund (AIF) is authorized to invest in professionally managed venture capital funds that in turn make risk capital more accessible to promising Arkansas firms.

Accelerate Arkansas

Accelerate Arkansas is a statewide group of business and education leaders committed to building a competitive, knowledge-based economy in Arkansas with the goal of achieving parity in per capita income with the U.S. average by 2020.

In addition to added wealth and expanded economy, about $2.4 billion in additional tax revenue will be created for the state on an annual basis. Accelerate Arkansas' mission is to foster economic growth by using the essential building blocks of the knowledge-based economy, and to create an environment supporting entrepreneurship and continuous innovation in Arkansas.

Innovate Arkansas is one of the initiatives of Accelerate Arkansas. It is an organization formed through legislation by Accelerate Arkansas and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Innovate Arkansas builds upon Accelerate Arkansas' efforts to support entrepreneurship by finding and helping companies bring new produces to market. The end result is more successful, Arkansas-grown companies with high-paying jobs that benefit Arkansas.

Arkansas Science & Technology Authority

The Arkansas Science & Technology Authority was created in 1983 to bring the benefits of science and advanced technology to the people and state of Arkansas. The Authority promotes scientific research, technology development, business innovation and math, science and engineering education. The Authority’s goal is to plan, promote, influence and support with high-quality programs and services the commercialization of research innovations, helping grow the Arkansas economy and increase per capita income.

Arkansas Business Publishing Group

Winrock International retained Arkansas Business Publishing Group and its FLEX360 Web development firm to build, provide content for and market the Innovate Arkansas Web site. ABPG specializes in niche newspaper, magazine and Web publishing that bring together targeted audiences and advertisers that want to reach them. Its mission is to profitably disseminate a variety of high-quality information in a model work environment that has a positive effect on the community. ABPG produces more than 20 newspapers, magazines and guides, including Arkansas Business, the Central Arkansas Manufacturer's Directory, Office Retail Lease Guide, Book of Lists, Arkansas Next: A Guide to Life After High School and many more.

FLEX360

The FLEX360 Web development team has been developing high-quality, professional Web sites since 1996. Its staff includes an experienced management team, graphic designers, programmers, marketing specialists and top-notch technical support.

FLEX360 was born out of a defined need for a business-minded, professional team of marketers, developers and designers focused on producing more than just a Web site. FLEX360 builds a complete Internet presence that helps clients communicate more effectively with their customers, vendors, partners and employees.

EquityNet

EquityNet launched in 2005 and is the only patented equity crowdfunding platform. Its business plan software and equity crowdfunding platform are used by thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, government entities, business incubators and other members of the entrepreneurial community to plan, analyze, and capitalize privately-held businesses.

Specifically designed to make the funding process more efficient for entrepreneurs and the investment decision process more effective for investors, EquityNet features profiles of over 600 investors and investment groups providing access to 12,000+ individual investors and has helped entrepreneurs across North America raise hundreds of millions in capital.

EquityNet provides the only software system that analyzes privately-held businesses and estimates business valuation, risk, investment return, undercapitalization, and many other business scoring factors. In response to the surging interest in equity crowdfunding in the U.S., EquityNet provides a suite of free Crowdfunding Tools, including its Startup Risk Calculator and its Business Valuation Calculator.