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Founded in 2011, The ARK Challenge is a mentorship-driven business accelerator program for technology startups in the retail, transportation and logistics, and food processing sectors throughout Northwest Arkansas. The ARK Challenge is made possible due to funding from three federal agencies, Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Employment and Training Administration (ETA), as well as Winrock International, Gravity Ventures, Fund for Arkansas' Future and Arkansas Development Finance Authority. It recruits and selects ten startup companies, comprised of 2-5 people each, to participate in a Northwest Arkansas-based entrepreneurial bootcamp challenge over the course of 14 weeks. In exchange for a 6% equity stake, companies receive $20,000, product development and design support, and networking with advisors and funders. The focus areas of the bootcamp include Customer Acquisition/Market Traction, Investor Relations and Programming/Product Development.
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