Fayetteville — Site of Winrock’s ARK Challenge — Among Best Cities to Found Startups
(December 14, 2015) — Fayetteville, Ark., was one of the best cities in America to found a startup in 2015, according to a ranking released this month.
Tech startup DataFox had the popular Northwest Arkansas city No. 3 on their list of 15 cities outside of New York City or Silicon Valley. Winrock International, through the Innovate Arkansas program, has hosted a mentorship-driven accelerator program, The ARK Challenge, three times for technology startups in Fayetteville.
“We are extremely proud of the DataFox ranking of Fayetteville as an area highly supportive of startup companies,” said Tom Dalton, executive director of Innovate Arkansas. “The ranking is reflective of the strong support of the State of Arkansas in putting entrepreneurial development forward as key component of job and wealth creation in this state. The University of Arkansas, along with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arkansas Science & Technology Authority and Arkansas Development Finance Authority are to be congratulated for their sustained efforts with new startups.”
The ARK Challenge was made possible by funding from Winrock, Gravity Ventures, Fund for Arkansas’ Future, Arkansas Development Finance Authority, and many other startup investment groups.