O’Hare is creeping back up on the charts… 📈

⏰ Midwest Minute 

As we take flight prime travel season, airports across the Midwest have been buzzing. O’Hare is coming close to reclaiming the title of ‘Busiest Airport in America’, recently surpassing Atlanta in total take-offs and landings. From Kansas City to Columbus, terminals have been packed with travelers squeezing in one last trip before fall hits. And it’s not just domestic travel—new international routes are taking off, like the nonstop flight from Indianapolis to Dublin where IND consistently ranks as one of the best mid-sized airports in North America.

Behind the scenes, Midwest-based airlines are keeping things moving with some serious innovation. Delta, with major operations out of Minneapolis and Detroit, is now using AI to help control flight costs and optimize scheduling. And while you might not think of the region as an airline HQ hub, it’s home to several major players and thousands of aviation professionals. The Midwest’s aviation roots run deep—home to the Wright brothers in Ohio and Purdue University in Indiana, which has trained more professional pilots than any other non-military institution in the states. American Airlines, competing with United in O’Hare, is offering even more direct flights out of the Chicago airport—with nine new destinations added in February this year. The Midwest might not have oceans, but when it comes to air travel—it’s still flying high.

Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share your favorite airline? Send us an email: [email protected] 

📰 Notable News

Featured

• Fargo-based Chipp raises $2M to make AI agents every team can build. More on the blog

Exits

• St. Louis-based Whistle Rewards was acquired by One10 for an undisclosed amount

• Minneapolis-based Bright Planet Pet acquired by Archway Pet for an undisclosed amount

Startup Funding

• Neuros Medical - $56M Series D led by EQT Life Sciences | Cleveland

• Empirical Security - $12M Seed led by Costanoa Ventures | Chicago

• Propel People - $3M Seed led by 1848 Ventures | Cleveland

• Backstroke - $2.8M round led by Allos Ventures | Indianapolis

• Bonsai - $1.8M round from Mairs & Power Venture Capital, Tawani Ventures, Bridge Venture Fund, Chicago Early Growth Ventures, Service Provider Capital and others | Chicago

Other News

• For Startups, the First $1 Million Is the Easy Part

• Alchemist Chicago launches to bridge Midwest deep-tech startups with West Coast capital

• Crypto and stablecoin infrastructure startup Zerohash to raise $100M at a $1B valuation

• Ohio awards Miami University millions to bolster Cleveland Clinic partnership

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]