If there’s one word that defines 2024 for Sprocket, it’s momentum.
This wasn’t just a year of steady progress—it was a full-on sprint. From startup wins to major community milestones, we’ve been all-in on building something bigger than ourselves: a thriving, connected startup ecosystem in Western Kentucky.
And if you’re reading this, you were likely part of it. So before we dive in—thank you. Your support, curiosity, and drive are what power this place.
By the Numbers, Since 2021
- 55 startups launched
- 28 mentors onboarded to our network
- 89 new jobs created by startups
- $4,710,250 venture investment
- 47,700 cups of coffee poured
- 759 startup meetings held
- 12 companies recruited to McCracken County
- 4,655 podcast views on “What’s the Startup?!” Youtube channel
Ecosystem Wins
- We established a Healthcare Advisory Board, with Baptist Health as the lead donor, to provide mentorship and subject matter expertise to further strengthen our support for entrepreneurs.
- We launched a Regional Advisory Board, uniting economic leaders, university faculty, tourism leaders, and business service providers to enhance regional entrepreneurship.
- We launched a robust mentor network with over two dozen mentors (and counting!)
- Our Market Fit Lab welcomed 13 ambitious founders with the goal of scaling to $1M–$5M in revenue within three years.
- We recruited two high-growth healthtech startups—Data Rovers and SmartMS3—to Paducah.
- Two Sprocket-backed companies—Ewagers and AuthoFi—landed on Kentucky’s Top 20 Startups to Watch list.
- We activated both a Regional Advisory Council and a Healthcare Advisory Council to support strategic growth.
- Our Regional Mentor Network launched with 24 (and counting!) entrepreneurs ready to guide the next wave of founders.
Pitch Wins, Media Buzz, and Community Growth
One of our biggest wins this year? The West Kentucky Innovation Challenge. We more than doubled our attendance goals and watched a room full of big thinkers, founders, and mentors turn bold ideas into action.
Congrats to Maurice Cooper of Doggy Eats, winner of our 2024 pitch competition. As Maurice shared:
The Innovation Challenge gave me a community of people at the same stage as me, having the same questions, the same mood swings, and figuring out what to do next. Winning the pitch competition wasn't just about the money — it was about the support.
The energy didn’t stop there. Live coverage by WPSD brought local innovation to thousands of screens, and our founder community just kept expanding.
2025 is Going to Be Incredible!
This isn’t just a flash of momentum—it’s a movement. And we’re only getting started. This year’s success was a team effort. From local sponsors to regional partners, your belief in our mission keeps us moving forward. We’d also like to thank our board members, mentors, and the countless individuals who show up every day to make Sprocket a hub of possibility. Here’s to more shared successes in the years ahead.
Whether you’re building something new, mentoring a founder, or just tuning into the podcast—we need you. Western Kentucky’s startup story is still unfolding, and we’re writing it together.
So let’s keep building. Keep innovating. Keep showing up for each other.
Here’s to dreaming big, building bold, and making it happen.
— The Sprocket Team