For startup founders struggling to raise venture capital, economic development orgs can help open the doors to other financing options that may be a better fit.

Realistically, a very small percentage of startups are backable by VC, and it isn’t even the best funding option for many companies, Heidi Knoblauch, founding partner at Homefield Fund, said at the 2026 Technical.ly Builders Conference. Startups can pursue partnerships or community funds, for example, that would be a better fit for a company’s model. READ MORE