Arkansas’ principal industries are agriculture, business services, forestry, manufacturing, tourism, and transportation logistics. Additional interesting sectors include aerospace and aviation, biosciences, data, distribution and logistics services, firearms and ammunition, healthcare, paper and timber products, smart grid technologies, software development, data management services, and steel production.
The startup scene in Arkansas is booming. A strong talent pool, a growing number of incubators and accelerator programs, and available funding and incentives have created a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs of all types.
Arkansas is the Place to Call Home for Successful Tech and Startup Companies
March 13, 2018From women’s apparel online to tech hardware that can withstand incredible temperatures, technology-based businesses of all kinds are finding success in Arkansas. Gone are the days when it was unlikely to find tech hubs in the middle of the country. As more startup resources become available in smaller cities and states, the variety of new tech businesses only grows and becomes more interesting.
We sat down with several leaders in the field to learn what it takes for a technology startup to do well, and what Arkansas has to offer that may be harder to find somewhere else.
- Lauren Stokes is the co-founder of Lauren James, the fastest growing company in Arkansas and the fastest growing apparel company in America in 2017.
- Uday Akkaraju is the CEO of Bond.AI, a financial technology firm that moved its headquarters to Little Rock after completing The Venture Center’s 2017 FinTech Accelerator Program.
- Lee Watson is the Founder, President and CEO of The Venture Center, whose above-mentioned FinTech Accelerator program is the only accelerator partnered with FIS™ and their 20,000 financial institution customers across 130 countries.
- Dan Sanker is the President and CEO of CaseStack, Inc., five-time recipient of Arkansas’ Best Places to Work and leader in employing technology to disrupt the consumer packaged goods transportation and logistics industry.
- Matt Francis is the Founder, President and CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc., which is on the cutting edge of high-heat technology for the US Air Force, NASA, and the US Department of Energy.
- Jeff Amerine is the Founding Principal, and Haley Allgood is the Executive Director of Startup Junkie, which helped client entrepreneurs, including many startups in Northwest Arkansas, raise more than $250 million in private capital over the last five years.
Watch our video to see what these industry leaders believe are the keys to their success here in Arkansas. If you’re wondering why you should move your technology firm to Little Rock, Arkansas, or beyond, you may find the inspiration you need.
