Apptegy, an education technology startup based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a true technology success story. In April 2015, Jeston George founded Apptegy to bring creative, accessible communications solutions to schools. Through in-state venture capital funding, George was able to launch what has become one of the fastest growing digital companies in the state. 

With the help of a close-knit community interested in fostering startups and helping them succeed, George was able to prove a viable market existed that would be interested in using the product. The supportive market helped secure funding from Hayseed Capital, a Fayetteville-based capital investment firm; and Five Elms Capital, a Kansas City-based venture capital firm. George was also concerned with finding talent, but he was able to find success in-state and from developers willing to move to Arkansas, saying, “There are a lot of really talented people who are looking for work in a place with a great quality of life and cost of living.”

“Apptegy’s story shows the power of Arkansans coming together,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said. “The school leaders who chose to work with an Arkansas-based company helped pave the way for high-paying technology jobs in the state. In a few years, we’ll see today's students in the Computer Science Initiative working in companies like Apptegy.”

Apptegy Case Study