St. Louis Startups Get $75,000 Non-Dilutive Grants
Early-stage founders can receive equity-free funding but must keep headquarters in St. Louis for at least one year.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Startups
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Arch Grants awarded $1.3 million to 16 startups in its 2026 competition, with each winning company receiving $75,000 in non-dilutive funding. The grants require awardees to be headquartered in St. Louis for at least one year, a condition that matters for local founders and any out-of-state companies weighing a move to the city.
Why it matters
The awards reflect a local strategy of recruiting early-stage companies to St. Louis rather than relying only on homegrown ventures. Because the grants carry no equity requirement, they give founders capital without diluting ownership, which is a practical consideration for owners deciding how to fund growth.
Arch Grants awarded $1.3 million to 16 winners this year, with each company receiving $75,000 and out-of-state cohort members receiving an additional $25,000 for relocation. Since its 2012 founding, the program has awarded $23.3 million, and its portfolio companies report 4,300 jobs and $1.4 billion in revenue.
The players
Arch Grants
A St. Louis nonprofit startup accelerator that awards non-dilutive grants to early-stage companies and requires awardees to headquarter in the city.
STACKED
A company welcomed to Arch Grants' new Fellows program alongside ZLS.app.
ZLS.app
A company welcomed to Arch Grants' new Fellows program alongside STACKED.
The details
Winners were selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants and receive $75,000 each along with networking, workshops, investor access, and business resources. Cohort members based outside Missouri receive an additional $25,000 to offset the cost of relocating to St. Louis, and all awardees must keep their headquarters in the city for at least one year. The grants are non-dilutive, so recipients give up no equity in exchange for the funding.
Timeline
2012: Arch Grants was founded as a nonprofit.
Late October 2026: Winners were announced.
November 2, 2026: The article reporting the winners was published.
At least one year: Required St. Louis headquarters period for awardees.
Market Landscape
Arch Grants has been operating since its 2012 founding and has now awarded $23.3 million in total. This year's round adds a Fellows program and an early-stage pilot, expanding the program beyond its standard competition.
Founders evaluating where to incorporate or relocate should factor in the one-year St. Louis headquarters requirement and the $25,000 relocation grant for out-of-state members. Non-dilutive funding of this kind lets early-stage owners preserve equity, and businesses weighing grant eligibility should consult qualified counsel or an accountant on the tax and compliance implications of relocating.
The takeaway
For St. Louis operators, the program signals a deliberate effort to attract founders from other states, and any company considering a move should calendar the one-year headquarters commitment before accepting an award. Consult a qualified accountant on how a relocation grant is treated for tax purposes before committing.
Further reading
For more on how local founders are funded, see the Startups coverage on St. Louis business.
Source note: This article includes information reported by STLtoday.
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