Arch Grants Awards $1.3 Million to 16 Startups

St. Louis nonprofit Arch Grants named this year's winners from a pool of hundreds of applicants, with grants requiring a St. Louis headquarters for at least one year.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Startups

Arch Grants Awards $1.3 Million to 16 Startups

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Arch Grants awarded a total of $1.3 million to 16 startup companies in its 2026 competition. Winners were selected from hundreds of applicants and receive non-dilutive grants, meaning recipients give up no equity.

Why it matters

The awards add to a St. Louis startup ecosystem that Arch Grants has supported since its 2012 founding, with the one-year headquarters requirement tying funded companies to the local region. The program's grants are structured to fund growth without diluting founders' ownership.

Each winner receives $75,000, with $25,000 additionally granted to cohort members based outside Missouri for relocation to St. Louis. Portfolio companies have created 4,300 jobs, paid $276 million in local wages, and generated $1.4 billion in revenue.

The players

Arch Grants

Arch Grants is a St. Louis nonprofit founded in 2012 that awards non-dilutive startup grants and supports entrepreneurs through networking, workshops, and investor access.

The details

This year's winners include companies from Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Illinois, and New York, in addition to Missouri-based firms. Arch Grants also welcomed STACKED and ZLS.app to its new Fellows program and introduced an early-stage pilot for companies with substantial local support.

2012: Arch Grants was founded as a nonprofit.
Late October 2026: Winners were announced.
November 2, 2026: Coverage of the winners was published.
One year: Minimum period awardees must keep their St. Louis headquarters.

Startup Ecosystem Context

This round extends the $23.3 million Arch Grants has awarded since its 2012 founding, a record that now includes a Fellows program and an early-stage pilot. The program's continued growth reflects its role in funding St. Louis-based companies that have generated $1.4 billion in revenue.

Founders in the 16 winning companies receive $75,000 each in non-dilutive funding, and out-of-state cohort members gain $25,000 for relocating to St. Louis. Startups considering a St. Louis base can weigh the one-year headquarters requirement against the grant and networking resources offered.

The takeaway

Startups seeking non-dilutive capital can use competitions like Arch Grants to fund growth without giving up ownership, though they should plan around the one-year local headquarters requirement. Founders weighing relocation should factor in available relocation grants alongside local networking and investor access.