NEXT Missouri, Inc. supports the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), a public-private partnership created by the General Assembly that catalyzes innovation and entrepreneurship through early-stage investments and competitive grants to local entrepreneurship support organizations.

• Recommit to MTC’s Strategic Role in Economic Development

  With new MTC leadership in 2026 and after providing no funding in 2025, the state has a fresh opportunity to reinvigorate MTC’s vital role in statewide economic development. With substantial and sustained funding from the General Assembly, MTC can build on its record of delivering for Missouri taxpayers. That record includes the creation of more than 8,000 jobs, a nearly 3-to-1 return on every dollar deployed, and the attraction of more than $2 billion in private investment capital.

NEXT Missouri, Inc. supports policies to help Missouri businesses with high-growth potential access investment capital so they can put down roots in our state and become economic engines for decades to come.

• Pass the Missouri Angel Investment Incentive Act

  The Missouri Angel Investment Incentive Act (HB 1845, SB 1004) creates a new, temporary tax credit to encourage eligible Missourians to become startup investors and unlock additional capital from existing investors–all for the purpose of making it easier for Missouri-based companies to get the capital they need to hire and grow here in our state.

NEXT Missouri, Inc. supports policies that expand small business financing and strengthen the state’s small business lending ecosystem.

• Boost CDFI Capitalization

  To ensure all entrepreneurs can access affordable financing, NEXT Missouri, Inc. supports strengthening Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which serve many borrowers who may not otherwise be eligible for traditional bank loans. Expanding the state’s MOBUCK$ program by making CDFIs eligible borrowers would create new avenues for deploying low-interest loans to small businesses.

NEXT Missouri, Inc. supports policies that build a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem so that entrepreneurs can start and grow businesses in every Missouri county. 

• Empower the Office of Entrepreneurship

  The state’s new Office of Entrepreneurship should be resourced to lead statewide efforts that strengthen connections across Missouri’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and provide support for all new businesses.

NEXT Missouri, Inc. also works with stakeholders invested in the future of Missouri's economy to advance policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, including:

• Maximizing the impact of SSBCI funding by exploring additional ways in which federal dollars can help close financing gaps and promote business growth.

• Expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care to enable more Missourians to pursue entrepreneurship.

• Strengthening research capacity, nurturing future entrepreneurs, and preparing a skilled workforce at Missouri’s colleges and universities.

• Investing in rural resource providers that deliver hands-on support, ensuring that opportunity and innovation reach every corner of Missouri.

• Strengthening industries where the state holds a competitive advantage, leveraging Missouri’s unique assets to drive innovation, job growth, and long-term economic vitality.