News

We are excited to share our next Co-investor Spotlight! This installment features a recently-created fund, Red Clover Ventures. They invest in early stage, female-led companies across New England and beyond and cofounder Nikkie Kent, is based in Burlington, VT. Given MVF’s success in supporting female entrepreneurs (roughly 30% of all investments vs 2% national average), we expect to hear the name Red Clover in Maine investment circles more often going forward…

The Maine Startup Challenge (MSC) Showcase capped off another record-breaking year for the statewide business plan competition. MSC is run by the Maine Venture Fund to encourage entrepreneurial creativity across all ages and seed the next generation of great Maine companies.

Maine has always understood something fundamental about building great things: it starts with people. From generations of skilled tradespeople and entrepreneurs who built an economy rooted in resourcefulness, to the modern innovators launching high-growth companies, this state’s most enduring competitive advantage has always been its human capital.

The Maine Startup Challenge (MSC) has always been about more than prize money. It's about sparking ideas, building skills, and launching entrepreneurs of all ages into whatever comes next. As we ramp up for MSC 2026, we caught up with a handful of our past finalists to see where their journeys have taken them.