Join the Movement: The Future of the Interior Innovation Corridor
Why we are leading the way — and why now is the time to act.
The Interior Innovation Corridor (IIC) is no longer an emerging idea. It is a fully formed innovation economy taking shape across the Southeast, Midwest, and Mountain West — built on universities that rival global research hubs, national laboratories producing world-class deeptech, and a rising generation of founders creating technologies that will define the next century.
These ingredients have been here for decades. The change now is that the region is finally connecting them, aligning capital, research, industry, and talent into a single, coherent innovation engine.
What’s happening in the IIC is nothing short of transformative.
And the momentum is unmistakable.
A Region Ready for Takeoff
The IIC has all the assets required to build world-changing companies:
37 research universities producing high-value, applied research
36 centers of excellence in materials, biotech, aerospace, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing
10 national laboratories, including the most productive scientific facilities in the Western Hemisphere
8 supercomputing and quantum institutes, anchored by ORNL’s Frontier
A deep bench of engineering, medical, and scientific talent
More than $36–$43 billion in annual venture investment
A growing base of strategic corporate partners
Low-correlation, durable, industrial-strength markets
This is the infrastructure of a global innovation leader — and for the first time, the region is being recognized for it.
An Innovation Economy Built for the Next 50 Years
Global challenges such as energy security, advanced manufacturing, climate resilience, aerospace modernization, healthcare innovation, and computational science will dominate the next half-century. These are not problems solved by social apps or consumer platforms — they demand:
materials science
advanced engineering
robotics and automation
precision medicine
energy and mobility systems
defense and dual-use technologies
supercomputing
national lab integration
This is exactly where the IIC excels.
This is exactly where the world is headed.
The problems that matter most — and the solutions that will reshape America’s future — are being developed inside the IIC right now.
A New Model for Venture, Built in the Interior
Community Equity Ventures was created with a mission: to identify, cultivate, and scale the companies that will drive the next era of American innovation. We didn’t wait for these companies to emerge; we built a model designed for the region’s strengths:
early access to research
structured company formation
hardtech commercialization
strategic partnerships
deeptech regulatory pathways
regional wealth creation
low-correlation investment opportunities
We knew that the IIC needed more than capital — it needed a process, a team, and a commitment to building the next generation of founders.
We stepped forward.
We are leading the way.
And the results are beginning to speak for themselves.
A National Opportunity — Not a Regional One
Supporting the Interior Innovation Corridor isn’t just about empowering a region. It’s about strengthening the entire country.
When we invest in the IIC, we:
reshore supply chains
rebuild manufacturing capacity
accelerate deeptech adoption
enhance national security
create high-wage jobs in underserved markets
strengthen the U.S. research base
diversify venture portfolios
build real, durable economic value
This is a national priority.
This is a generational opportunity.
The Call to Action
If you are an investor seeking uncorrelated returns, a founder seeking deep infrastructure, a corporation seeking strategic innovation, or a policymaker seeking national competitiveness, the path forward is clear:
Join the movement.
The IIC is ready.
The assets are in place.
The companies are emerging.
The capital is rising.
The momentum is undeniable.
We are building the next great American innovation engine.
Come join us.