Pick your startup MVPs… 🏟️

⏰ Midwest Minute 

Preseason is wrapping up, rosters are getting trimmed and fantasy football leagues across the Midwest are waking from hibernation. Whether you’re a strategic drafter or a vibes-only picker, it's officially Fantasy Football Draft Season. And just like the Colts’ QB situation, your fantasy team might already be stressing you out. Roughly 13 million people in the U.S. played ESPN fantasy football last year. Oh, and the Midwest is home to two of the most fantasy-productive NFL teams: the Detroit Lions and, yes, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Speaking of the Chiefs… remember when the TODAY show predicted Taylor Swift would get engaged in 2025? As of this week, Taylor and Travis Kelce are officially engaged, just in time for kickoff. The engagement rings in KC are now as sparkly as the Super Bowl rings. Rumor has it she might even headline the halftime show this year—ready for it? Whether you're tuning in for the touchdowns or the Taylor content, one thing’s certain: the NFL season is about to take over our weekends and tailgates are about to go off. If you’re worried about spending too much time on fantasy football at work… turns out it might actually help your career.

Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share your NFL fantasy team this year? Send us an email: [email protected] 

📰 Notable News

Featured

• Swept AI Raises $1.4M to Supervise the Next Generation of Autonomous Systems

• 2025 Best of the Midwest: Startup City Rankings

Exits

• K5 Global acquires majority stake in Minneapolis-based HistoSonics at a $2B+ valuation

• Chicago-based AbbVie to acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals’ Bretisilocin for up to $1.2B

• Chicago-based Tempus AI acquired Paige for $81.25M

• Cincinnati-based 80 Acres acquired Soli Organic for an undisclosed amount

• Indianapolis-based Greenlight Guru acquired Enzyme for an undisclosed amount

Startup Funding

• Wugen - $115M round led by Fidelity | St. Louis

• Capacity - $92M ($42.6M Series D from TVC Capital and Toloka and $50M debt from Chicago Atlantic) | St. Louis

• Hemi Labs - $15M round from investors like YZi Labs, Republic Digital and HyperChain Capital | Chicago

• Blue Bridge People - $5M round from angels | Cincinnati

• Metaimpact - $5M round | Indianapolis

• Waterly - $4M Series A led by Burnt Island Ventures | Chicago

• Ostra Security - $2.6M Series A extension co-led by General Catalyst and Rally | Minneapolis

• Grapefruit Health - Undisclosed Seed round | Chicago

VC Funds

• O.H.I.O. Fund - $240M fund | Ohio

• Portal Innovations - Raising $100M biotech fund | Chicago

Other News

• Customer over capital: How Nebraska medtech startups beat the VC downturn

• 9 Chicagoland firms named among Time's top venture capital firms of 2025

• America’s Top Venture Capital Firms 2025

• AbbVie to invest $195M in North Chicago manufacturing expansion

• Cincinnati-born Gylee Games launches first video game Ra Ra Boom, aims for bite of $522B industry

• Missouri Technology Corp. suspends 4 programs after state funding cut, impacting entrepreneur support

Have exciting news to share? If you're announcing a funding round, exit or other milestone, send your press release to [email protected]. While we can’t share everything, we love to feature great stories from across the region.

📆 Mark your Calendar

Need to fill your social calendar? We’ve scoured newsletters, scanned LinkedIn and found some of the latest tech + startup events in the region. Know of any upcoming events and want to share them in our next newsletter? Send us an email: [email protected]