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Mississippi Startups Compete for $15,000 Grant

Ten startups pitched investors at Innovate Mississippi's annual conference, with LOA Carbon taking the $15,000 prize.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Startups

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Ten Mississippi startups pitched investors for a $15,000 grant at Innovate Mississippi's annual conference, and LOA Carbon, which relocated from New York this year, took the prize. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Ten Mississippi startups competed for a $15,000 grant at Innovate Mississippi's annual conference. LOA Carbon won the grant after relocating to Mississippi from New York this year.

Why it matters

The pitch competition gives founders a direct route to attract funding by presenting business ideas to investors. Innovate Mississippi, a nonprofit working to cultivate the state's startup, innovation and tech economy, also invests directly in companies.

Each of the 10 competing founders had three minutes to pitch and two minutes to answer questions from investors. Automatic AI reports 8,000 users and aims to exceed 25,000 in the next few years, while Omnibus is operating in eight Mississippi school districts.

The players

Innovate Mississippi

Innovate Mississippi is a nonprofit working to cultivate the state's startup, innovation and tech economy, and it invests directly in companies.

LOA Carbon

LOA Carbon was founded in New York and relocated to Mississippi this year, winning the $15,000 grant at the conference.

The details

The annual conference included panels on investing and networking alongside two pitch competitions. Founders presented to a panel of investors during timed pitches and then pulled investors aside to discuss their companies and raise capital.

Timeline

  1. LOA Carbon relocated to Mississippi from New York this year.

  2. The startup pitch competition was held Wednesday during the conference.

  3. Automatic AI targets more than 25,000 users in the next few years.

Startup Ecosystem

LOA Carbon chose Mississippi over Texas and Alabama, citing the research and development at the state's universities, its manufacturing sector, labor market, and state support programs. The relocation suggests Mississippi's university research base and state support programs are drawing startups in from other states.

Founders seeking funding in Mississippi now have a visible pitch competition and investor network through Innovate Mississippi. Customers of Automatic AI and Omnibus may see these products expand as the companies pursue their user and district growth targets.

The takeaway

Startups looking for early capital in Mississippi can use annual conferences and investor pitch sessions to meet funders directly. The LOA Carbon example shows that relocating to the state can be paired with access to its research and support programs.

Further reading

Explore more Mississippi Startups coverage to see how the state's founders are raising capital and growing their companies.

Source note: This article includes information reported by DeSoto County News.