Cincinnati's @RefineryVC launches X15 to bridge the midwest’s hypergrowth gap ohiotechnews.com/refinery-ve…

Genuinely curious how this was accomplished when the infra looks like this...

hugee congrats!!

Congrats!!!

wait what

Congratulations, @juecd__!

We are proud users of kernel. Super exciting to see their velocity. Congrats Catherine !

lets gooo!!!

LFG! So bullish on the @onkernel team. Best browser infra

Congrats @juecd__ and @rfgarcia 🙌🏻

Onwards and upwards!

I'm thrilled to share that @onkernel has raised $22M in Seed Series A funding from @Accel with participation from @ycombinator @cintrifuse @vercel @svangel @RefineryVC @paulg @zeeg @charliermarsh & more 🚀 @rfgarcia and I started Kernel because LLMs can now automate any computer work — yet cloud infrastructure remains the biggest challenge holding developers back from adopting it at scale. We’re already powering workflows for co’s including @CashApp @rye countless start-ups. And we’re just getting started 🧵

Did you know that storing an Instagram post indefinitely is like leaving a light bulb on forever? An article in The Atlantic recently highlighted the environmental cost of digital storage. The numbers are staggering: - A stored 15-second video creates roughly 100 grams of CO2 over a decade. - With 40 billion posts stored today, the environmental impact is immense—and growing. What can we do to make this number decrease? @SSantamaria7 and the team at Folio Photonics are tackling this problem head-on by revolutionizing storage technology. They provide a sustainable, next-gen storage platform projected to use 92% less electricity than traditional hard drives (HDDs). The impact is reduced energy consumption without sacrificing the ever-growing need to store and access data. This is a great business that @RefineryVC is happy to have in our portfolio! Take a look at their page to see how they rethink the way data is stored to create a more sustainable future for innovation. foliophotonics.com/ #DataStorage #FolioPhotonics #Sustainability #Innovations

Where is Masayoshi going to deploy the $100B? The recent announcement by Masayoshi Son of @SoftBank and President-Elect @realDonaldTrump of a $100B investment pledge in tech and AI promises to create 100,000 jobs and transform the tech landscape in America. This pledge represents an opportunity to rethink where these investments could go—and the answer lies in the Great Lakes region. Data is the new oil, and the Great Lakes Region is its wellspring. The Great Lakes region, often overlooked in conversations about tech innovation, is a hidden gem with immense potential for AI development. While Silicon Valley has traditionally dominated tech investments, the Midwest offers a unique advantage: a rich concentration of industries producing massive amounts of valuable data. Manufacturing—the backbone of the region for over 150 years—spans industries ranging from automotive to chemical production. It also has strong footholds in metal goods, healthcare, insurance, and medical devices, creating a data trove ripe for AI applications. Combined with the region’s strong work ethic and labor force, the Midwest is an ideal testing ground for innovations like predictive analytics in manufacturing and AI-driven water management technologies. The Midwest’s Growing Tech Ecosystem Over the past decade, the Great Lakes region has experienced significant growth in venture capital, tech accelerators, and innovation hubs. In 2024 alone, great progress has been made in states across the region. (SEE THREAD) Midwestern states continue to fuel their innovation economies. Meanwhile, leaders like @JDVance, @VivekGRamaswamy, and @berniemoreno, all from Ohio, are set to shape national strategy with a deep understanding of the region’s opportunities. @berniemoreno The $40B Opportunity @PitchBook's Q3 2024 report reveals an imbalance of investment dollars. The number of venture deals across the states are balanced 50:50 between tech hubs (Silicon Valley) and non-tech hubs. Of the projected $175B invested in 2024, non-tech hubs will only receive ~$50M, representing 30% of the total. This imbalance underscores a significant opportunity. If dollars invested between tech hubs and non-tech hubs were to be balanced (50:50), it would represent a shift of $40B — capital that could be injected into the American heartland. If this shift is going to be actualized, many questions are left to be answered: How do we make sure this shift happens in favor of this region? How do we convince investors of the opportunity that lies here? Which university endowments should be investing in the area it's surrounded by? How do we get talented students graduating from those universities to stay in the area? What infrastructure do we need to build? What community needs to be here? The Time is Now As another sign of the momentum building in the region, we have seen an incredible response to the launch of the Great Lakes VC Summit. @RefineryVC was a part of the team to kick-off the Great Lakes VC Summit. By fostering a culture of community, connectivity, and trust, we are energizing efforts to keep talent and dollars in the region. @grandvcp @mercuryfund @EgatewayCapital @kdumot But more is needed. SoftBank’s $100B pledge is an opportunity and a call to action for the region. The Great Lakes region is ready to lead America’s AI revolution. With its rich industrial heritage, robust talent pipeline, and growing venture capital ecosystem, the Midwest is no longer just the backbone of manufacturing—it’s poised to become the strategic data source of AI. Now we pose the important question: How are we going to attract that $40B? #SoftBank #Midwest

Cheers to Cincinnati and an incredible StartupCincy Week! We can’t wait to see you in 2025 from October 6-9th! 🚀 @filmcincinnati @RefineryVC @cintrifuse

“The people that can extract abstract concepts and build processes, then teach them to other people are the most valuable” -Sean Morris, Vice President of Global Sales @deepset_ai talks The Hypergrowth Journey @deepset_ai @livegistics @redihealth @RefineryVC

"VC is one of the most opaque industries in finance, making early education critical. Students who engage and understand VC not only become better stewards of the community but also contribute to shaping its future."–Peter Schmidt @RefineryVC at the Student Venture Capital Summit

.@redihealth secures $14M for healthcare management platform #SaaS @NCV_CLE @Rev1Ventures @M25vc @RefineryVC @MobiHealthNews buff.ly/4bUGuhD

Shout out to @cintrifuse @Cincy_Tech @allosvc @fireroadvc @RefineryVC @EgatewayCapital @QueenCityAngels @FlywheelSEHub @OceanPrograms @gener8tor @Techstars and others for supporting @miamiuniversity @FarmerSchoolMU student founders at @MiamiU_ENT RedHawk Venture Pitch Competition

Check out this crowd at the @StartupCincy Week kickoff. Come on down. Get inspired. Unlock innovation. #SUCW2023 @cintrifuse @Cincy_Tech @RefineryVC @JobsOhio @GrowCincyUSA #Cincinnati @nauseef