Maine APEX Accelerator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Building Maine’s Next Generation of Founders: Applications Are Open for the Dirigo Launch Incubator

No cost startups, 10-week program invites Maine’s earliest-stage founders to test a brand-new idea, talk to real customers and pitch on Demo Day — no product, revenue or co-founder required.

Learn More: http://dirigolabs.org/2026-dl-launch-applications-pr/

Congratulations! 🙌👊

Big news 🇺🇸✈️ MIF is now VA approved at our Brunswick location!

With this approval, eligible veterans can now use their GI Bill benefits for approved flight training at any of our three locations: Augusta, Bangor, and Brunswick.

This is a major milestone for our team and for veterans pursuing careers in aviation. Contact us to learn more and get started!

Food Accelerator clients: Make your next trade show count!

Join us on Thursday, September 17, for Maximizing Your Trade Show Opportunity: Best Practices for Food & Beverage Brands Before, During & After the Show.

Naomi Neville, Food Programs Manager at Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, and CPG sales and marketing strategist Mark Ozimek 💥will share practical strategies to help you prepare your booth, perfect your elevator pitch, engage buyers, collect qualified leads, and follow up effectively.

Exhibiting at the Maine Food Producer Showcase on October 8? We’ll also cover important exhibitor logistics and day-of expectations to help you arrive prepared.

Thursday, September 17
12:00–1:00 p.m. ET
Virtual webinar

This webinar is available exclusively to Maine Center for Entrepreneurs Food Accelerator clients. To learn more, please email [email protected].

The annual BLITZ conference from UpStart Maine is coming up in September! This is a great chance to get plugged into the Maine entrepreneurial ecosystem. We hope to see you there.

https://tinyurl.com/4jkc8435

Congratulations on a successful year to a resource partner....🎉🙌

Summer Reflections: Closing the Books on a Strong Fiscal Year - Maine Technology Institute Greetings!  I hope you all had a pleasant Semiquincentennial holiday weekend and managed the heat and humidity.   After a slow start and a cold spring, as our friends from Glidden Point Oyster tell us in their update, “the water has turned that nutrient-rich summer emerald, seed is growing in th...

Maine APEX is attending the DARPA Pop-Up in on Thursday, Sept. 3!

The event is bringing together DARPA leaders, program managers, contracting experts and innovators to discuss how to engage with the agency and advance breakthrough technologies for national security.

Attending too? Let’s connect in !

Learn more and register: https://www.darpa.mil/events/2026/darpa-connect-portland-maine

We look forward to renewing connections and making new ones in September!

We look forward to the collaboration with our partners and seeing members of the business community at this informational event. Plus, our own Jessica Crowley will be co-presenting!😀

💼 Looking for funding, business resources, or expert guidance to help your business grow?

Join us for a FREE Business Round Table with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Maine APEX Accelerator to learn about programs and resources designed to help your business succeed.

Whether you're interested in SBA loan guarantee programs, business development assistance, access to capital, government contracting opportunities, or simply want to learn more about the resources available through SBA and Maine APEX, this roundtable is a great opportunity to ask questions, make connections, and discover resources that can help move your business forward.

👉 Register today: https://loom.ly/CgXa03k

SBA has launched a new and improved website that will serve as a unified digital hub for small businesses to gain faster access to capital, counseling, and contracting support – with all the modern tools to expand, hire, and invest with confidence.

Visit our new site at: SBA.gov

Two weeks ago, MAME participated in the Maine Career and Technical Education & Business Summit, where educators, employers, and workforce leaders came together around a shared goal: better preparing Maine students for successful careers.

Today, that work continues.

We're proud to join Educate Maine, the Maine State Department of Economic and Community Development, and Live and Work in Maine for the "Understanding Maine's Diverse Economy" panel at the opening retreat for the Educator Leader Experience (ELE) at Sugarloaf Mountain.

Building stronger connections between education and industry isn't accomplished through a single event. It takes ongoing collaboration, shared experiences, and a commitment to helping educators better understand Maine's economy and the career opportunities available to their students.

Whether through our educator externship BUILD, Registered Apprenticeships, Manufacturing Month, industry tours, or conversations like today's, MAME is committed to strengthening the connection between classrooms and careers.

Together, we're helping ensure Maine's next generation is aware of the rewarding opportunities waiting for them right here at home.