Entrepreneurs
& Startups

In Nebraska, innovation is welcomed, nurtured, and celebrated. Start or grow a business with resources and mentorship designed to help you take your next step.

• Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC): With 8 offices statewide, NBDC offers no-cost, one-on-one consulting to entrepreneurs, business owners, and innovators through credentialed advisors.
• Nebraska Department of Economic Development: This agency can help you create a business entity in Nebraska. It can help you define your type of business, register your trade name and provide advisors who can assist with filling out formation documents, opening a business bank account, and managing business finances, including filing fees and business taxes.
• Center for Entrepreneurship at UNL: A launchpad for student ventures, offering workshops, mentorship, funding support, and competitions. To date they have provided services to more than 1,500 students and have awarded more than $80,000 in cash prizes through annual student competitions.
• Nebraska Innovation Campus: Where private enterprise meets university-driven innovation, offering access to top talent and facilities.
• Coach N’ Group: Current and former CEOs here offer real-world advice, industry connections, and access to funding.
• Nebraska Small Business Administration: Offering a variety of services and programs, the Nebraska SBA can help you navigate every stage of starting and owning your own business, from registering your business name to navigating IRS forms.

If you’re doing business in Nebraska, you won’t be doing it alone. Here, collaboration runs deep, and your vision is met with hands-on support and a genuine desire to see you succeed.

Nebraska has a growing network of incubators and accelerators designed to help startups thrive — whether you’re building the next agtech breakthrough or launching a healthcare innovation.

• NMotion Accelerator is a high-growth startup accelerator that supports software and technology ventures in key industries like agriculture, finance, insurance, education, healthcare, HR, and sports.
• Biotech Connector at Nebraska Innovation Campus offers 7,700 square feet of lab and office space tailored to bioscience and research-based startups looking for a springboard to scale.
• UNeTech Institute is Omaha’s only university-backed incubator, providing a bridge between inventors, entrepreneurs, and investors to turn bold ideas into viable businesses.
• Nebraska City Small Business Incubator delivers one-on-one coaching, training, and mentorship for new ventures, with both in-person and virtual support available.

Across the state, Nebraska’s innovation hubs are ready to support the next big idea with space, expertise, and a deep sense of community.

Entrepreneurs in Nebraska have strong access to resources designed to move ideas forward:

• The State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), managed by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, connects small businesses to private financing through multiple support programs tailored to different stages of growth.
• Invest Nebraska is the state’s most active venture investor and one of the top 3 venture capital funds in the Midwest, having provided nearly $45 million to over 150 high-growth companies. Their team works closely with founders to help navigate funding rounds and scale operations effectively.
• In Lincoln, the LaunchLNK grant gives six startups each year $20,000 in cash and $15,000 in in-kind services. It also opens doors to mentors, investors, and corporate partnerships that can fuel early traction.
• Nebraska Angels backs roughly 11 deals each year with close to $10 million in capital.
• NUtech Ventures, a nonprofit technology commercialization affiliate of the University of Nebraska serving the Lincoln and Kearney campuses, offers a list of events and funding opportunities.

From state-backed programs to investor networks and university-led initiatives, Nebraska’s funding ecosystem is built to help new ideas take root—and grow into something remarkable.