UA’s Startup Village adds Bentonville location at The Collaborative

Startup Village, a program offering free co-working space to early-stage, scalable ventures affiliated with the University of Arkansas, is expanding to Bentonville.

The Bentonville site will be at The Collaborative, UA’s education and research space adjacent to the Razorback Regional Greenway at 700 S.E. Fifth St.

Startup Village North offers 24 hot desk workstations, six high-top seats, and two conference rooms. Membership includes access to free parking, WiFi and a self-service kitchenette.

Overseen by the UA Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI), Startup Village launched in 2019 with two companies inside the historic Hathcock Building in downtown Fayetteville. That location will now be known as Startup Village South.

Both sites share space with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC).

Membership in Startup Village is free and selected through a competitive application process. Applications are open to early-stage companies in their first year of revenue or pre-revenue ventures. University students, faculty, staff and affiliates can apply, including past participants in OEI-sponsored incubation programs.

Accepted members are granted an initial six-month term and can extend for a second term based on progress and growth. The first year of membership is free, with a nominal fee for the second year.

The two inaugural companies at Startup Village South, Lapovations and MORE Technologies, have achieved success. Lapovations received a $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research Phase II matching grant and FDA approval for their laparoscopic device. In 2021, MORE Technologies was acquired by Sphero, a Colorado-based industry leader in educational robotics kits.