Putting Wyoming’s Founders on the Map: Startup Wyoming Launches Statewide Initiative

January 13, 2026

Wyoming Business Council, Silicon Couloir Partnership launches statewide effort to support entrepreneurs and map innovation across all 23 counties.

Cheyenne, Wyo. (For Immediate Release) – The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) is taking bold action to dismantle the barriers facing Wyoming’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. In partnership with Silicon Couloir, Startup Wyoming is officially launching “Put Wyoming’s Founders on the Map” – a strategic, 23-county campaign to identify, support, and accelerate high-growth potential startups in the Cowboy State. The program will serve as a central hub for founders, ecosystem partners, and communities working to strengthen Wyoming’s innovation economy.

Startup Wyoming is a catalytic partner designed for founders with the ambition and potential to scale quickly by developing novel technologies, innovative business models, or solutions positioned for regional, national, or global markets. By focusing on entrepreneurs with strong growth potential, the initiative aims to close gaps, align resources, and strengthen Wyoming’s competitiveness in the innovation landscape.

National Recognition: Winning the SBA Growth Accelerator Fund

The strength of Wyoming’s emerging ecosystem was recently validated on the national stage. Startup Wyoming was named a winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. Selected as one of only 76 winners from a record-breaking pool of applicants, the $75,000 award affirms the strength and promise of Wyoming’s emerging innovation ecosystem and the importance of statewide efforts to elevate and support entrepreneurs.

Call to Action: Put Wyoming’s Innovation-Driven Startups on the Map

Startup Wyoming’s first statewide campaign invites founders, ecosystem partners, and community members to help build a comprehensive map of Wyoming’s innovation-driven startups.

• Founders: Register directly to ensure your business is seen and supported.
• Partners: Refer promising innovation-driven companies to strengthen your local economy.

This map will highlight the depth of entrepreneurial talent across all 23 counties, enabling Startup Wyoming to provide tailored support, including connections, capital navigation, and resource alignment.

“Our goal is simple: ensure every innovation-driven founder in Wyoming is seen, supported, and connected,” said Blossom Ko Lumley, Statewide Director of Startup Wyoming. “By putting these startups on the map, we can accelerate innovation and strengthen Wyoming’s future economy.”

Connecting Founders to Future Opportunities

A core function of Startup Wyoming is connecting founders to the right resources at the right phase of development. Throughout 2026, Startup Wyoming will act as the connective hub for the state’s entrepreneurial landscape through a variety of actions:

• Specialized Working Groups: Connecting startups with mentors, investors, advisors, and industry experts to help them grow stronger and faster.
• Statewide Road Tour: Visiting communities to spark conversations about entrepreneurship, innovation, and the entrepreneurial mindset to align local efforts and ensure founders can access support no matter where they live.
• Data-Driven Insights: Sharing high-level insights on Wyoming’s entrepreneurial strengths, including sector trends, geographic distribution, and phase-of-development patterns to help ecosystem partners refine programming, spot collaboration opportunities, and better support founders.

Wyoming’s future won’t grow itself – it is being built today by founders in every corner of the state. Visit Startup Wyoming to ensure your community is part of the map.