In a year of transformation for Bloomington’s economic development strategy, Startup Summer 2025 emerged as more than just a student accelerator. It became a vivid expression of what The Mill is all about: aligning talent, place and purpose to build an economy people want to be part of.
This year’s Startup Summer represented a bold leap forward. What began in 2022 as a pilot with just a handful of startups has now doubled in size, drawing in 19 student founders across 12 startups selected from a record 59 applications. For nine weeks, these collegiate innovators built their businesses full-time, supported by a generous $6,000 stipend, expert mentorship, and — most importantly — a community.
From pilot to platform: A new era for student founders
In 2024, Startup Summer supported six companies. This year, with the generous support of IU Innovates, the Mill doubled that number, reflecting both the rising quality of student entrepreneurship in Indiana and the growing reputation of Bloomington as a destination for serious startup work.
This summer’s cohort included teams from Indiana University (Bloomington and Indianapolis), Purdue, Rose Hulman, Cornell and Princeton. Their ventures weren’t academic exercises — they were real companies, chasing real opportunities.
Just a few of the ventures include:
- Credify: A blockchain-powered identity verification platform designed to address know your customer (KYC) requirements.
- MyChance: An AI-powered college admissions platform that helps students discover their perfect-fit colleges.
- Martha.AI: An automated AI ad strategist built specifically for small eCommerce teams selling online goods.
- Compleyes.AI: Helping small businesses stay on top of compliance deadlines and changing regulations through AI-powered environmental compliance workflow automation.
- Taptic: A mobile app that detects everyday sounds — like fire alarms, doorbells and baby cries — and alerts Deaf and Hard of Hearing users.
- Zernike Precision Optics: Making precision-engineered lenses more accessible for innovators — quickly, affordably and at scale.
Each of these startups reflects the energy of a new generation — innovators who aren’t waiting to graduate to start building.
A shared platform: Startup Summer meets IU Innovates
This year also saw the launch of a powerful partnership with IU Innovates Summer Internship Program, which supported additional 17 IU student startups. Together, the two programs brought more than 30 student entrepreneurs into a shared ecosystem, creating a vibrant, cross-pollinating community of builders.
The result? A summer rich with creative collisions, peer learning and genuine camaraderie.
Through weekly workshops, mentor office hours, and pitch practice, founders didn’t just refine their ideas — they formed the kinds of relationships that often define startup journeys: cofounders, collaborators and lifelong allies.
And they discovered something else: Bloomington’s generous startup community — a place where leaders show up, mentors open doors and new ideas are welcomed with open arms.
Why it matters: The Mill’s vision in action
Startup Summer 2025 isn’t just an entrepreneurship program. It’s a working demonstration of what The Mill aims to do on a civic scale.
Bloomington is not just competing for companies — we’re competing for people. Economic development done right isn’t about one kind of job. It’s about a whole community building a future together.
That future starts with giving smart, ambitious entrepreneurs a reason to stay and build here. It starts by showing them that Bloomington is more than a college town — it’s a launchpad, a platform and a home. That’s exactly what Startup Summer delivered.
The student founders who participated this year didn’t just receive a stipend. They gained access to a network of funders, mentors, investors and civic leaders. They walked the streets of the Trades District, shared coffee with founders at The Mill, enjoyed Kirkwood Avenue and saw a city investing in both talent and place. They didn’t just pitch their startups — they experienced what it feels like to belong in a community that wants them to succeed.
This year’s program has been a huge success, not just for the student founders but also for Bloomington. One of our startups, Zernike Precision Optics, plans to stay in Bloomington to build their company here once the program wraps up. Startup Summer brought these co-founders to Bloomington for the first time. They quickly discovered this is a place where innovators can thrive.
See for yourself: Demo Day at The Mill
On Thursday, July 31, Startup Summer 2025 culminates in a live pitch event at The Mill, and you’re invited to see these remarkable founders in action.
WHEN: Thursday, July 31
WHEN: Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Pitches begin at 2 p.m.
WHERE: The Mill, 642 N. Madison St., Bloomington, IN
REGISTER: https://www.dimensionmill.org/demo-day
Demo Day is more than a graduation — it’s a celebration of what Bloomington is building, a city where ideas can take root, talent can thrive and bold futures are forged.
The bigger picture: From founders to future
Startup Summer is just one part of a broader strategy to transform Bloomington’s economic landscape. At The Mill, we’re building a civic alliance committed to long-term, inclusive growth — supporting not just startups, but scale-ups, service businesses, and sectors as diverse as life sciences, defense tech and the creative economy.
We believe economic development must have a soul. That means welcoming all kinds of builders, expanding economic mobility and linking opportunity to a real sense of place.
Startup Summer shows what that looks like on the ground, not just attracting talent but helping it feel at home. Not just teaching entrepreneurship, but nurturing belonging.
That’s how we grow a city people want to stay in. That’s how we win.
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