Bentonville Entrepreneur Support Organization Receives $500K to Boost Angel Investments

412 Angels is powered by Endeavor Heartland of Bentonville.

412 Angels of Bentonville has received two grants totaling $500,000 to expand angel investor participation and strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The grants are from the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Missouri.

412 Angels connects emerging angel investors with promising startups across the 412 Corridor, which spans northern Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. The project is supported by Endeavor Heartland, an economic development nonprofit based in Bentonville.

The initiative exists to fuel innovation, build networks and grow the region’s entrepreneurial economy by increasing access to early-stage capital and mentorship.

Grant Details

412 Angels received a $250,000 grant from the MTC through its 2026 Investor Education Grant Program.

The MTC Investor Education Grant is part of a statewide effort to increase early-stage investment activity and strengthen regional innovation economies.

Through MTC’s grant, 412 Angels will expand its Angel Gateway programming, which connects emerging angel investors with the tools, knowledge and networks needed to support early-stage startups.

The funding will support workshops, educational programming and ecosystem engagement designed to increase access to early-stage capital and accelerate innovation.

According to MTC’s website, Investor Education Grants do not exceed $250,000 in funding.

In addition, 412 Angels received $250,000 through the Capacity Building Grant program by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as part of its Fall 2025 cohort.

That investment supports internal infrastructure, strategic planning and organizational development, aiming to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.

That grant program provides awards between $100,000 and $250,000.

“These grants are a powerful vote of confidence in the work we’re doing to grow the next generation of angel investors,” Canem Arkan, managing director of Endeavor Heartland, said in a press release. “With support from MTC and the Kauffman Foundation, we’re able to expand investor education while also strengthening our internal capacity to better serve founders and investors across the region.”