Blackstone Accelerates Growth has expanded its entrepreneurial program to create regional “innovation hubs” in Portland and Bangor and has tapped five companies to receive specialized coaching and resources to help them grow.
The five companies are Pike Energy of Gorham, which makes small wind turbines; Newfield Design of West Newfield, which develops technology for mobile radio systems; Fluid Imaging Technologies of Yarmouth, developer of a new way to see particles in fluids for scientific and industrial companies; Cerahelix of Orono, a ceramic filters company; and RH Foster of Hampden, a regional oil and energy services firm.
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The “innovation hubs” have expanded online entrepreneurship training statewide, placed 16 college students in internships and helped with connections that led to at least one angel investment for a clean-energy company.
“Maine is a good place to start a business, but we need to help businesses aim higher and reach their fullest potential faster,” said John Voltz, executive director of Blackstone Accelerates Growth.
Started last year, Blackstone Accelerates Growth is a $3 million effort to expand programs in Maine that support entrepreneurship and business innovations. The effort is supported by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, which was formed in 2007 when the private equity firm became a publicly traded company.
The innovation hubs will offer office hours for entrepreneurs to work one-on-one with business-growth experts, as well as training and development, networking events, paid internships, scholarships and coaching on seeking funding.
The program includes the Maine Technology Institute, the University of Maine’s Innovation Engineering Jump Start and the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development’s Top Gun program. The initiative set a goal of creating as many as 10,000 jobs in the next 10 years.
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