One of the biggest benefits for aspiring entrepreneurs in Cincinnati is the vast number of startup and tech events in the area. At these many events, experienced CEOs, founders, and investors in Cincinnati share their experiences and knowledge with the next generation of startups. It's an exciting time to be launching a company in Cincinnati, given the rapid startup growth in the area, and there are more resources than ever to help your company succeed.
In the blog post below, we’ve listed plenty of startup events and groups in the Cincinnati area for every stage of your startup, whether you’re testing your idea, looking to learn new skills, meet potential co-founders, find investors, or just meet new and interesting people.
Inspirational Startup Events
The are many inspirational startup events and Meetups in Cincinnati, where you hear interesting stories from experienced entrepreneurs and begin to meet others in the Cincinnati startup community. The great thing about these events is that they are open to the public and very welcoming to newcomers.
- Blacks In Technology Meetup Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Codecademy Meetup
- Cincinnati Product Development and Management Association
- Cincinnati Software Development Meetup
- Cincinnati TechNewbies
- Cincinnati Web Tech Study Group
- Cincinnati Women Entrepreneurs
- Girl Develop It Cincinnati
- Side Project Cincinnati
- Startup Week Cincinnati
- Startup Weekend Cincinnati
- Women Who Code Cincinnati
Best Practices Startup Events
Cincinnati is home to a plethora of beginner knowledge-sharing events. These events are each focused on specific topics related to building a business, and feature expert speakers that share their best practices, tips for success, and pitfalls to avoid. Most of these events are free, but some may charge a small ticket fee that is definitely worth the investment.
- Founder Institute events:
- How to Build Your MVP Using Artificial Intelligence : 12:00pm, Jun 04, 2025 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/371333
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Automation Technology Club
- Bitcoin Breakthrough
- Cincinnati Android Developers / GDG Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Blockchain
- Cincinnati JavaScript User Group
- Cincinnati Virtual Reality
- Cincy IoT
- Cincy Software Enthusiasts
- Cincy Techies for Good
- Smart Contracts on the Blockchain - IBREA Cincy Chapter
- Startup Founder 101 Cincinnati
- Startup Grind Cincinnati
- TechLife Cincinnati
- The User Enjoyment (UX) Meetup
- #StartupCincy Lean Startup Circle
- Acodemy
- Business Building & Brainstorming
- Cincinnati Entrepreneurs and Startups
- Cincy Code IT
- CincyNg - Cincinnati AngularJS Meetup
- Lean Startup Machine Cincinnati
- Ocean Training for Small Business
- ProductTank Cincinnati
- Queen City Angels Entrepreneur Boot Camp
- SCORE Cincinnati
- Tech Elevator Code School
Events to Network and Form a Team in Cincinnati
When you're ready to start building a team, it's time to attend events, talk about your startup project, and meet people that share your interests in Cincinnati. While attending any of the events listed in this post can help you meet potential team members, the events below are especially useful
- Cincinnati Networking, Speaking & Marketing Groups
- Cintrifuse
- CoFoundersLab
- Connect Cincinnati North
- Connect513
- CWTDrinkup
- Ellevate
- Entrepreneurs’ Organization Cincinnati
- eWomen Network
- FounderDating
- H7 Network
- HYPE Cincinnati
- Ohio Black Entrepreneurs Network (Cincinnati Chapter)
- StartUp Cincinnati
Builder-Focused Events and Hackathons in Cincinnati
If you have a technical skillset, or are looking to network and learn from people that have a technical skillset, then it is worth looking into the maker-focused events in Cincinnati. These include hackathons, technical Meetups, and other communities that foster people building products.
- 84.51hack
- AngelHack Global Hackathon Series: Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Robotics League
- CincyHacks
- Civic Health Tech
- Hack and Snack
- HackCincy
- Hive13
- RevolutionUC Hackathon
- The Manufactory
- The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County MakerSpace
Investor Networking Events in Cincinnati
If you already have a team and/or product, then you might be ready to start networking with investors in Cincinnati. There are many events in Cincinnati that gather angel investors (affluent people that invest their personal capital in early-stage startups or entrepreneurs, and generally provide only a small one-time investment to help the business grow), angel investor groups (networks, or syndicates, of angel investors who pool their resources together to invest more money than would typically be issued with a private angel investment), and venture capital firms (large institutional funds that provide large amounts of funding for later stage companies with impressive and proven growth), like the ones listed below.
- Angel Investment Network
- ArtWorks Cincinnati
- Cintrifuse Syndicate Fund
- Greater Cincinnati Venture Association
- Keiretsu Forum Midwest
- Powderkeg
- Queen City Angels
- The Circuit
Are you looking for expert guidance and feedback to build a startup in Cincinnati?
The Founder Institute is an idea-stage accelerator that works with solo-entrepreneurs, and teams, during the earliest stages of building a business. Through an intensive 3.5 month program, FI participants build their business through a proven structured process, and receive feedback and assistance from over 30+ successful entrepreneurs and investors in Cincinnati. Upon completing the program, Graduates join a global network of entrepreneurs and receive ongoing help to get funding and build their business. FI Graduates have raised over $1.85BN in funding, and are building some of the world's fastest growing companies.
Learn more about the Founder Institute at FI.co, join a free startup event in Cincinnati, or apply to build a startup in Cincinnati today.
