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Northwest Ohio
Leadership
Innovation
Venture
Entrepreneurship
Acceleration forthe industries thatbuild America.
A 120 day program that recruits high growth ventures, provides early stage funding, and connects founders to the region’s enterprise leaders
Cohort Size
6 Companies
Check Size
$300,000
Days to Close
14 Days
Program Length
120 Days
Number of Programs
2 Cohorts / Year
01 /
Impact NWO & Beyond
Northwest Ohio has more to offer. Where industrial founders build enterprise partnerships.
0+
Industrial Middle-market Businesses
$1B+
Per Year in Foreign Direct Investment
0+
Workforce Development Partners
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Investment Thesis
Customer access is today’s bottleneck for industrial founders.
LIVE Invests in early-stage companies building for advanced manufacturing, energy, glass, and defense, and relocates them to Toledo for four months of direct access to the Fortune 500 buyers and mid-market manufacturers who can sign their first contract.
LIVE Accelerator / Founding Thesis / 2026
Investment Criteria
01
Pilot-ready Technology, TRL 5+
02
Exceptional Founding Team
03
Secured Pilot or LOI
04
Relocation Commitment; 4-month Program in Toledo
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The Program
Four pillars → Founders ready for customers, capital, and liquidity.
01
DAYS 01-30
Business Building
Mentor Connections Week
Sharpen enterprise narratives, build ROI models, prepare compliance and security materials. Closes with a Mentor Connections Week, pairing each company with six to eight industry experts.
02
DAYS 31-60
Corporate Partnerships
Corporate Buyer Showcase
Map regional anchors, build strategic account briefs, evaluate alliance and joint venture structures, and present at a private showcase for enterprise buyers.
03
DAYS 61-90
Capital
Raising
VC Connections Week
Finalize materials, build a curated investor list, open a clean data room, and run a VC Connections week with six to eight investor meetings per company
04
DAYS 91-120
Next
Generation
Community Cohort Week
Get diligence ready, compare exit paths from strategic sale to series B/C, run sensitivity on value drivers, close with a public cohort showcase
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Industry Focus
We invest in technology where Northwest Ohio already wins.
01
Advanced Manufacturing
Automation, robotics, materials science, and supply chain technology serving the regional manufacturing base.
02
Glass
Specialty glass, smart glass, photovoltaics, and the supplier ecosystem around regional anchors including Owens-Illinois and NSG.
03
Energy
Grid technology, storage, industrial efficiency, and electrification serving regional utilities and refiners.
04
Waste-to-Value
Circular economy, material recovery, and industrial byproduct conversion for advanced manufacturing inputs.
05
NatSec
Drones, autonomous systems, advanced materials, and dual-use manufacturing serving defense primes and the regional industrial base.
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The Team
A venture team backed by a whole region of operators.
Evan Marsh
Managing Director
Josh Liebes-McClellan
Director, Accelerator
Brett Renzenbrink
Director, Legal Counsel
Cohort I / Applications Open
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Apply to be part of Northwest Ohio’s inaugural cohort.
Applications
Open through January 15, 2027
Program Begins
Q2 2027
Cohort Size
6 Companies, $330K each