Awesome Inc exists to help people pursue their definition of Awesome. Since 2009, we've been carrying out this mission through the creation and education of entrepreneurship and technology with a focus on building community.

Awesome Inc is a startup accelerator and venture funding resource for tech startups, an educator for those that want to learn about web development, a connector and celebrator of founders through our 5 Across Pitch Competition and Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and a coworking space for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and remote workers.

Awesome Inc is one of the six innovation hubs in Kentucky, serving 28 counties in the Central Kentucky region.

Awesome Inc was founded in 2009 by Brian Raney, Luke Murray, Nathan Fort, and Rachel Cunningham, and now sits in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. 

Since day one, Awesome Inc’s 4 Core Values have remained at the center of everything we do: Be Good, Be Excellent, Be a Friend, and Be You.

Initiatives and Offerings

Awesome Inc seeks to create and educate startups and technology across the state of Kentucky. We do this through a variety of initiatives and offerings designed to serve people at any stage of the entrepreneurial or tech journey. Get a glimpse into each one below.

5 Across Entrepreneur Pitch Competition

At this Shark-Tank-meets-pep-rally pitch competition, Kentucky founders have the opportunity to pitch their startups to the community for a chance to win cash, investment, and other prizes. For over a decade, 5 Across has given over 275 founders a new platform and thousands of Kentuckians a fun place to engage with local startups.

The Awesome Fellowship

Awesome Inc offers a mentorship program for tech startups in the Kentucky area called the Fellowship. This program helps these startups grow and accelerate their business in the tech industry. We introduce small cohorts of companies at a time, each cohort spending a year with the Fellowship. The startups are given metrics accountability as well as an array of services, including design, videography, development, legal, and accounting. Some notable Fellowship Alumni Companies include: Hippo Manager, Podchaser, GoodMaps, Forecastr, FreshFry, Cloverleaf, Virtual Peaker, Switcher, Sword, and MobileServe.

Awesome Fund

The Awesome Fund is a $5 Million pre-seed and seed stage fund that invests in our region’s tech startups. The Awesome Fund exists to provide a source of capital and additional resources to help startups scale to the next level. So far, The Awesome Fund has made investments in 8 companies, including: Thynk Health, TitleWise, Kyndly, and Neurotone.

Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame is a physical and virtual destination which shares and celebrates the stories of Kentucky’s most successful entrepreneurs. The Hall of Fame hopes to inspire others to pursue similarly ambitious endeavors. It was started by Awesome Inc in 2010 and has honored over 50 Entrepreneurs from Kentucky.

Corporate Innovation

For the entrepreneurial community to be successful, we must engage all members of the ecosystem, including medium and large corporate organizations. We focus on teaching companies to think more entrepreneurially, leveraging our existing workshop model. These efforts allow Kentucky’s corporate community to stay on the innovative edge, attract emerging talent, and provoke more entrepreneurial thinking within their corporate teams. 

Workspace

Awesome Inc has a physical space in downtown Lexington built for collaboration and community. It offers coworking memberships, private office space, conference rooms, and many other amenities. Awesome Inc Fellowship companies get full access to the space in addition to the other program benefits. The Awesome Inc Team, Entrepreneurs, tech groups, small businesses, remote workers, and many more use the space each day to build their businesses and build community.

Innovation Hub

As a partner with the Cabinet for Economic Development, Awesome Inc serves as the Central and Southern Kentucky Innovation Hub, promoting and supporting entrepreneurship efforts in the Commonwealth. Awesome Inc is focusing on building entrepreneurial communities and resourcing those communities to help provide each entrepreneur with the network and tools they need to build great companies. 

Awesome Inc U

Awesome Inc’s education arm, Awesome Inc U, seeks to help people of all ages to code, upskill, and break into the tech industry through courses, camps, and community events.

• Intro to Web Development

• Awesome Inc teaches an Intro to Web Development course to provide beginners with a stepping stone into coding. It is a 9 week, part-time program where students learn the fundamentals of coding and front-end development. The class goes over the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

• Bootcamp 

  • From 2016-2024, Awesome Inc offered a full-time Web Developer Bootcamp for adults wanting to enter the tech industry. The Bootcamp took people from zero prior knowledge to employable Software Developers in 16 weeks, and guaranteed job placement after graduation. The program saw 179 people change their lives with an average salary lift of $20,000 in one year.

• Week Of Code Camp 

  • Awesome Inc hosts a summer camp meant to teach kids the foundations of computer programming skills. Students learn about HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Android, C#, and Unity 3D. They also promote non-coding activities to help increase creativity and problem-solving skills. Each camper finishes the week having built a website, a mobile app, and a video game.

APAX Software

Awesome Inc’s sister software company, APAX Software, has been serving Central Kentucky and beyond since 2007, developing tech solutions that make a difference. APAX has built trusted partnerships with organizations like UK, A&W, and Keeneland through custom software development, web & app design, and ongoing support.

Awesome Inc is here to be a friend and a resource at any stage of your journey.

Did anything above peak your interest? All of Awesome Inc’s resources mentioned in this article and more can be found on their website.

Feel free to send any inquiries about services, resources, events, and offerings to the Awesome Inc Team: info@awesomeinc.org