Governor Braun Touts New Initiatives for Hoosier Startups
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Governor Mike Braun recognized Global Entrepreneurship Week, highlighting new state initiatives and data that underscore Indiana’s rise as a premier location for starting and growing a business.
Governor Braun, himself a Main Street entrepreneur, celebrated the progress by pointing to key new state efforts.
“We’re working to make Indiana the best place in the country to start and grow a business,” said Governor Braun. “With the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Power Up Indiana, READI 2.0 and our new jobs-and-wages centered economic development model, we’re well on our way to achieving that goal this Global Entrepreneurship Week.”
The administration has focused its efforts through the creation of the first-ever Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Governor also launched Power Up Indiana, an initiative designed to incentivize employers to invest in upskilling, retraining, and promoting their current employees.
These efforts are building on measurable results, placing Indiana near the top of the Global Entrepreneurship Network’s state leaderboard.
Key metrics show the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving:
Small Business Support: In 2025 alone, the Indiana Small Business Development Center assisted 5,817 entrepreneurs and helped launch 372 new businesses.
Funding Local Projects: The Community Collaboration Fund invested $1 million statewide, supporting various projects from Fort Wayne’s childcare-business accelerator to Muncie’s Innovation Connector.
Startup Growth: The gBETA Indiana program helped 30 companies raise $500,000 and create 27 new jobs across main street, agbioscience, and high-tech sectors this year.
Youth Engagement: The STARTedUp and Innovate WithIN programs reached over 15,000 students, fostering entrepreneurial skills and hosting the largest high school pitch competition in the nation.
Hoosier Entrepreneurship by the Numbers
The state’s economy relies heavily on its entrepreneurs, who make up a massive segment of the workforce:
Size: Over 591,000 small businesses operate in Indiana, representing 99.4% of all state businesses.
Jobs: Small businesses employ 1.2 million Hoosiers, accounting for 43% of the state’s workforce.
Survival Rate: Indiana ranks in the top five nationally for its startup survival rate, with 84% of businesses remaining open after one year.
Governor Braun Touts New Initiatives for Hoosier Startups was originally published on wibc.com
