StartUp Hutch shares statewide ACCEL-KS opportunity for early-stage technology startups
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Sept. 2, 2026 — Kansas technology founders can apply now for up to $25,000 through ACCEL-KS to build, test and advance early-stage products toward commercialization.
StartUp Hutch is sharing the statewide opportunity with entrepreneurs in Reno County and across Kansas as part of its broader work to connect founders with useful programs, funding opportunities and business resources.
Accelerating Concept to Commercialization in Kansas, or ACCEL-KS, is an initiative of the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation, administered in partnership with Groover Labs. Applications are open through 5 p.m. CT Sept. 30.
The program supports Kansas founders developing scalable hardware and software products. Grant funding can help cover eligible proof-of-concept expenses such as materials, technical expertise and testing needed to demonstrate that a product works.
For Greg Winkler of Winnovations, ACCEL-KS provided the resources to move the AngLure from an early concept through multiple rounds of development and into real-world testing.
“When we started, the AngLure was pretty crude, just a light in a tube that turned on when you tightened the lid,” Winkler said. “The ACCEL-KS grant helped us buy the equipment and materials we needed to keep developing the idea, work through a lot of changes, build preproduction units, and finally get them into the hands of fishermen for testing. For a small Kansas company like Winnovations, that kind of help can make the difference between having a good idea and actually bringing it to market.”
Last year, ACCEL-KS received nearly 70 applications and funded 25 founders working in AgTech, construction technology, defense technology, EdTech, aerospace, artificial intelligence and other fields.
Grant recipients can also access mentorship and hands-on programming designed to help move a concept toward commercialization. Support includes connections to subject-matter experts, equipment and software, workspace and programming covering customer discovery, prototyping, business model development, capital strategy and commercialization.
The program is seeking founders throughout Kansas, including rural communities. The Kansas Department of Commerce has set a goal for at least 30% of ACCEL-KS projects to come from rural Kansas. In the 2025-26 program, rural founders represented 42% of applicants and 44% of funded projects.
Prospective applicants can attend virtual Office Hours from 4-5 p.m. CT Sept. 8, Sept. 14 and Sept. 21 to ask questions about the program and application process.
Applications close Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. CT. Founders can review program guidelines, register for Office Hours and apply at https://www.grooverlabs.org/accel-ks.
