Garvan Donegan

GenoTyping Center for America's growth is driven by the acquisition of new customers, expanded business with existing customers and the launch of a non-invasive genotyping technique.

“This newly created TIF district will make a lasting impact in the town of Oakland by making the downtown more investable, safer, more pedestrian-friendly and directly aligns with the town’s vision of supporting business development and retention,” said Oakland Town Manager Ella Bowman. 

The Waterville startup accelerator was one of the 40 awardees in a pool of 355 national applicants. Dirigo has a mission to grow mid-Maine’s digital economy.

The Waterville nonprofit will spearhead Maine’s Economic Recovery Hubs and award $700,000 in grant funding to early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs.

In downtown Waterville, $150,000 will go to 10 businesses for facade upgrades, including new awnings, signage, brick repointing and murals. 

The café will open in the new Paul J. Schupf Art Center at 93 Main St., and offer grab-and-go options ranging from Bixby’s Bixenta brand of coffee and chocolate drinks to confections, including winter bon bons.

The city will use EPA funding to encourage commercial and industrial growth, as well as to boost existing housing stock.

Contestants in the June 21 event include bluShift Aerospace, whose founder Sascha Deri was honored on the Mainebiz Next List in 2021.

The Good Crust, bluShift Aerospace and the GenoTyping Center are among the startups named to the inaugural cohort of the Dirigo Labs accelerator program, which is set to launch in Waterville.

The managing director for the incubator and innovation hub, now being organized by the Central Maine Growth Council, comes from a Portland tech startup and has long experience with the Top Gun program.