Elevate Ventures Joins Forces With IdeaCrossing to Expand Reach

INDIANAPOLIS, IN--(Marketwire - Jul 17, 2012) - Elevate Ventures (www.elevateventures.com), a venture development organization that manages the 21^st Century Fund for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and provides assistance, investment opportunities and other resources to startups, has partnered with IdeaCrossing® (https://www.ideacrossing.org/l/INDIANA), a free online community that connects entrepreneurs to potential business mentors, investors and service providers. Together, the two organizations will help growing Indiana companies gain access to regional resources and other long-term business opportunities.

"Elevate Ventures is focused on creating a supportive environment in Indiana for entrepreneurs in regions where few resources have traditionally existed," says Dave Clark, Venture Partner, Elevate Ventures. "Joining forces with IdeaCrossing means that many Indiana entrepreneurs will have one more tool that they were lacking -- an online community that will allow them to meet and work with the right people, who can help lead them in the direction that's right for their business."

IdeaCrossing helps entrepreneurs broaden their network, explore investment options and, ultimately, grow their businesses by offering a variety of customizable features. These include:

• Workspaces, or virtual collaboration areas where entrepreneurs may invite trusted advisors and request online feedback, securely share documents and obtain referrals.
• A business profile generator to create a downloadable, presentation-quality document based on the information submitted to IdeaCrossing. This Business Profile is automatically updated as an entrepreneur evolves his or her business description online.
• A proprietary matching engine to pair entrepreneurs with business mentors
• A searchable directory of regional assets such as universities, economic development organizations, foundations and professional service providers.
• A Resource Center containing a robust set of entrepreneurial support content and resources including member-submitted articles, white papers, news stories and a geographically-searchable calendar of entrepreneur-related events.

IdeaCrossing complements Elevate's existing business advisory and funding services, while giving its clients and other entrepreneurs in the region access to new resources and members in their community. "We believe IdeaCrossing is a useful enhancement to Elevate's efforts to accelerate entrepreneurial successes in Indiana," says Tiffan Clark, Vice President, IdeaCrossing. "IdeaCrossing is another way entrepreneurs can develop their networks and hone their plans online so they can grow into thriving physical companies in the region."

Participating is free and easy for entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and business mentors alike. Visit www.ideacrossing.org/l/indiana or www.elevateventures.com/resources/ideacrossing to register and fill out an online profile.

About Elevate

Elevate Ventures (www.elevateventures.com) nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-potential businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies. Elevate accomplishes this by providing rigorous business analysis and robust advisory services that connect companies with the resources they need to succeed long-term. A not-for-profit organization, Elevate provides more than just capital as it partners with entrepreneurs, investors and other Indiana local and state organizations to ensure the best return on investment.

About IdeaCrossing

IdeaCrossing (www.ideacrossing.org) is a free online community available to all individuals and organizations with an interest in supporting and promoting entrepreneurial activity. IdeaCrossing helps entrepreneurs efficiently collaborate with their advisors and find the assistance and investment capital they need to grow their promising ventures. IdeaCrossing creates the connections that build businesses.