Mark Rivers, the founder of the WaterCooler, Boise’s groundbreaking small business accelerator and creativity center, announced today that a new fund will be made available to help fuel the growth of emerging companies. Rivers has launched a $50,000 Prototype and Equipment Grant (PEG) Fund. With this initiative, new and growing WaterCooler resident businesses can receive funding help to build or research a technology, invention or piece of equipment.

Said Rivers, “Prototypes or needed equipment can often be the red light that prevents the growth of a new company. Friends-and-family investment and angel funding are usually unattainable until the idea or invention is proven. This PEG Fund for our next wave of WaterCooler resident businesses is targeted at clearing this early hurdle and, getting new growth companies into the fast-lane sooner and more effectively.”

Rivers added, “As Idaho’s economy continues to struggle without bright prospects for new employment, we all need to be smarter, more strategic and make sacrifices for our future growth. I hope this PEG initiative will be another benefit of the work that we started at the WaterCooler in 2009.”

The WaterCooler is the home to a myriad of small businesses and Idaho TechConnect, who benefit from the low-costs, services and synergies of Boise’s only downtown accelerator. Recently, two WaterCooler businesses, Inovus Solar and Easy Office“graduated” from the WaterCooler program, as they have entered an exciting new phase of growth, new employment, and expanded revenues. Limited office space is available at the WaterCooler now.

If you have a new idea or have recently started a business and are looking for assistance, the WaterCooler resident program and the new PEG Fund might be right for you.

Contact Mark Rivers if you are interested at: mrivers(at)brixusa.com