Delaware Startup Resources

With more than $50 billion of capital under management and administration as of December 31, 2021, Antares is a private debt credit manager and a leading provider of financing and investment solutions for middle-market private equity-backed borrowers and investors. Through its Asset Management & Funding team, Antares offers the opportunity to invest in collateralized loan obligations, funds, and separately managed accounts. Championing middle market growth throughout market cycles, Antares helps its people, partners, and communities achieve their full potential.

BioAdvance works closely with entrepreneurs to build strong companies in the mid-Atlantic region that are focused on improving human health.

Cinnaire is a full-service financial partner that supports community and economic development initiatives through creative loans, investments and best-in-class services. We match exceptional community investment opportunities with community-focused investors.

Through facilitating access to capital, we strive to empower small business owners and future entrepreneurs to reach their goals.Our mission is to support and grow Delaware’s economy by fostering innovative research and development activities among its members. The Delaware Bioscience CAT program is successfully attracting and retaining life science businesses and creating new high-tech jobs for Delaware. The program supports this mission through sponsoring three grant mechanisms.

The Delaware Biotechnology Institute is a magnet for life science research and development. We support multidisciplinary, collaborative academic research at all of Delaware’s research organizations including the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Christiana Care Health System, Nemours, Wesley College, and Delaware Technical and Community College. We foster academic-industrial research partnerships and work to support the local bioscience industry (from start-ups to multinationals) in partnership with the Delaware Bioscience Association. We are also committed to inspiring the next generation scientist and the professional development of their teachers through our Science for All Delawareans outreach programs. Our Institute is the physical home to a number of research laboratories with scientists, students, and faculty working on problems related to agriculture, human health, and energy and the environment. Our Institute is also home to a number of high end instrumentation facilities that are accessible for use by the entire life science community in Delaware and our infrastructure, mission, and staff allow us to support life scientists (academic, not for profit, and industrial) from around the region.

The Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP), one of several programs funded by the Delaware Strategic Fund (DSF), supports businesses that have received a Phase I (SBIR/STTR) federal award and have submitted a Phase II (SBIR/STTR) application through funding transition grants which lead to innovative new products, jobs and revenue to Delaware.

EC Angels (“ECA”), is an angel investor network with regional offices in southern Delaware and eastern North Carolina. It was launched in 2019 to make ROI investments into seed and early stage companies across a multitude of industries of interest to its members. Similar to other angel investment groups, ECA can lend critical feedback and support to young companies in addition to capital to help them grow and succeed long term. Its members are seasoned business leaders who come from a diverse set of industries. Since inception, ECA has invested almost $9 million into roughly 20 companies and one fund. Portfolio companies include Carbon Reform, EternaTear, Looma Project, Hoppy Planet Foods, Amalgent Therapeutics, ZeroLabs, and Sportscale, to name a few. For more information or for investment consideration, please contact ECA at info@eastcarolinaangels.com, or its CEO, Mark Wdowik at mark@eastcarolinaangels.com.

The Division of Small Business awards EDGE Grants through a competitive selection process. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses. Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses can get up to $50,000. The funds are provided as a $3 (state) to $1 (business) match. And the Division can provide up to 10 grants per application round (5 STEM/5 Entrepreneur).

E3 was created to work with entrepreneurs throughout various industries to help them identify opportunities to scale their business operations. We help entrepreneurs navigate through challenges within their landscape by providing guided decision-making and leadership coaching, as well as other technical assistance and targeted business resources, all while working within their timelines and schedules. Most notably, we connect entrepreneurs with valuable and appropriate connections – from funding partners to collaborative partnerships to new client relationships and champions for their businesses. We offer pro-bono marketing support, strategic planning, and other business resources.

First Fund is an investment opportunity of up to $200,000 in combined cash, lab space, expert guidance and support for startups in the sciences through the Innovation Space. It is specifically for science startups in life sciences, clean tech, and advanced materials. If you’re focused on the growth of your business and can be present in Wilmington, Delaware to take advantage of dedicated lab space and resources, we want to hear from you.

New Castle County in collaboration New Castle County Council, Discover Bank and The Grow America Fund (an affiliate of the National Development Council) have partnered to launch the GROW NCC Fund. Together, we are working to help companies grow their businesses in New Castle County. With longer loan terms and below market interest rates, the GROW NCC Fund can help your business stretch cash flow and save thousands of dollars with lower monthly payments.

The Yva Jourdan Foundation, Inc. in partnership with HerSuiteSpot has provided microgrants to Women of Color entrepreneurs since 2017 as a way to assist them in starting or growing a business. Small business grants are useful for financing a particular small business need. Past recipients used their growth grants for computers, equipment, marketing materials, software purchase, website creation and more.

IP Group was set up with a mission to evolve great ideas, mainly from our partner universities, into world-changing businesses. We achieve this by systematically helping to create, build and support outstanding intellectual property-based companies. The Group pioneered the concept of the long-term partnership model with UK universities and has spent many years honing a unique approach to building businesses and providing support along the journey from “cradle to maturity”. We have replicated this approach with a select group of US research institutions and, in 2017, the Group announced it was expanding into Australasia.

“Keiretsu” is the Japanese word for a family of affiliated companies that form a tight-knit alliance and work toward each other’s mutual success. Consistent with this definition, Keiretsu Forum is a conglomeration of serious investors, business leaders, venture capitalists, corporate/institutional investors and serial entrepreneurs bound by two overlapping and codependent goals: 1)To work together for each other’s mutual benefit, forming strategic partnerships, enhancing each other’s knowledge and building an angel network of diverse skills. 2) To access promising angel investment opportunities around the world.

Through facilitating access to capital, we strive to empower small business owners and future entrepreneurs to reach their goals.

Leading Edge Ventures invests in exceptionally talented entrepreneurs with vision who bring to market innovative technologies and approaches that are in high demand.

Mid-Atlantic Diamond Ventures (MADV) is an independent organization that assists emerging, technology-based companies in their effort to build sustainable businesses by better positioning them for funding while increasing value at an early and crucial stage. MADV utilizes coaching sessions to prepare qualified companies for investments; helps ensure that investment materials are comprehensible, defensible and compelling; and provides input around critical aspects of entrepreneurship and scaling. Entrepreneurs that successfully complete these coaching sessions are invited to present their company at our quarterly venture forums, attended by accredited individual investors, angel groups, and venture capitalists. At these events, entrepreneurs engage one-on-one with potential investors.

Osage Venture Partners (OVP) invests in early stage, business-to-business (B2B) software companies headquartered on the East Coast from its offices just outside of Philadelphia, PA. With over $100M under management, OVP seeks to invest in determined and creative entrepreneurs and provide them with the assistance required to build high growth businesses.

DE has an R&D tax credit which is 50% of the amount eligible for the federal credit, and it is not capped so the whole credit can be collected, and it is also refundable. DE is the only state to offer a zero-expenditure cap and refundable tax credit.

Robin Hood Ventures is a group of angel investors, focused on early-stage, high-growth companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. We help entrepreneurs build great companies, providing capital, mentoring, expertise and connections to help companies reach their potential. Robin Hood generally invests $250k to $500k, and collaborates with angels, institutions and VCs in our network. We invest as a single entity in businesses we know and understand, in a way that gets deals done. Since 1999, we have invested in over 45 companies in industries including software, medical devices, biotech, internet and financial technology.

The SBA works with lenders to provide loans to small businesses. The agency doesn’t lend money directly to small business owners. Instead, it sets guidelines for loans made by its partnering lenders, community development organizations, and micro-lending institutions. The SBA reduces risk for lenders and makes it easier for them to access capital. That makes it easier for small businesses to get loans.

Startup 302 is an early stage funding competition offering prize awards, valuable connections and visibility. All technology-based startups are welcomed to apply for consideration. Those working in bioscience, chemistry, advanced materials, agriculture, and financial & business services are encouraged to participate.

The Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition is open to for-profit businesses within the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce traditional service area that have been in business fewer than five (5) years. This area includes all three (3) Delaware counties, (New Castle, Kent and Sussex). 

True Access Capital’s mission is to educate, empower, and elevate business owners, and entrepreneurs, by augmenting technical expertise, increasing access to capital and stimulating business growth throughout Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania.

WEDCO provides loans to established small businesses, located in the City of Wilmington, who are growing and unable to secure financing on comparable terms from conventional financial institutions. WEDCO can either partner with a bank to provide a portion of the total funds needed or work directly with the borrower and provide the total funds needed for the project.

Wefunder & Garry Johnson III of First Founders are here to help you raise more money, faster, so you can focus on making something people love 💘 Plus – we’ll take 33% off our fees for PhilaDelaware Founders

In 2020 Wilmington Alliance created WilmingtonMADE as an online directory of Wilmington small businesses, to promote a “shop local” movement for those that were suffering during the pandemic. To further our commitment and to deepen engagement with Wilmington based entrepreneurs, we have expanded WilmingtonMADE to provide direct support services to small businesses and to host networking and educational workshops throughout the year. We work to create solutions that strengthen and support growth for local small businesses.

The Women’s Business Center at True Access Capital (WBC) provides in-depth, outcome-oriented business services to women entrepreneurs. WBC training includes courses on business planning, business financing, social media and marketing. All WBC clients have the opportunity to network with and learn from successful women business owners, including participation in “work-life balance” seminars several times each year. And through its partnership with True Access Capital, the WBC provides access to business capital for women business owners. As an official SBA Resource Partner, the WBC also partners with SCORE and the Small Business Development Center, and other State agencies, to help ensure the success of women and entrepreneurs.