Fact Sheet

bCatalyst welcomes you to our newly renovated space located in the heart of Louisville’s technology district. In May 2000, the “bCatalyst Corner” on First and Washington Streets was established, thus making us the first company to locate on eMainUSA. And now in April 2001, we are proud to unveil Louisville’s most innovative new economy work environment.

What is bCatalyst?

bCatalyst is the first for-profit seed fund and business accelerator to service the Louisville-Cincinnati-Lexington “Triangle.” Located in the heart of Louisville’s new eMainUSA technology district, we promote and nurture early-stage companies to help “slingshot” them through their start-up phases.

bCatalyst provides not only the #1 source for start-up capital in the area, but also mentoring, strategic sponsor relationships, start-up services, and business infrastructure – all designed to accelerate a young company’s growth.

Why was the particular design of the building selected?

As part of the city’s eMainUSA development project, bCatalyst charged the architecture firm, Bravura, with the task of designing an atmosphere conducive to nurturing the region’s most exciting new economy start-ups. The design philosophy was to create a unique, innovative, jazzy environment that meshed the turn of the century historic character with the digital technology era:

• Unique – creating an exciting identity for bCatalyst
• Innovative - using materials in new ways while still “connecting” to the existing building
• Jazzy – creating a buzz about the place and enlivening the work environment

Who designed the space and how long did the renovation take?

Bravura was responsible for capturing the essence of bCatalyst in this state-of-the-art renovation. The project took about seven months, officially beginning on August 14, 2000 with bCatalyst moving in on March 5, 2001.

What is the history of the original building?

The building was built at the turn of the century as one of the original buildings in the Belknap Hardware Campus. Known as “the Forge,” the building was used for the production of tools. As part of the renovation, Bravura worked very hard to preserve the architectural integrity and structure of this historic building, maintaining the original Douglas Fir Timber beams and columns, and the exposed brick throughout.

How large is the space?

The newly renovated space is nearly 9,000 square feet split between the first floor and the mezzanine. When combined with the existing third floor located directly above as well as space in the adjoining building, the accelerator’s grand total comes to approximately 16,000 square feet.

Why did bCatalyst choose an open environment?

The concept behind the open environment is to enable the accelerator companies to bounce ideas off of each other. The open space allows interaction between companies and mentoring by bCatalyst partners/mentors.

What is the “Entrepreneur Café?”

The Entrepreneur Cafe is a casual space for meetings, seminars, conferences and the free thought and exchanges of ideas. The size of this space is flexible and can be divided into two smaller sections with translucent Japanese-style screens.

How many people and companies can the space hold?

This new addition, combined with our existing space, allows bCatalyst to house and nurture a total of six to eight client companies - three to four companies on the first floor, 12 offices and a conference room on the mezzanine to be used by bCatalyst, OPM, and Iceberg Ventures, and another three to four companies on the third floor and in the adjoining building.

What companies are in the bCatalyst accelerator?

Currently, our $10 million seed fund has successfully funded three excellent technology-based companies – and we are actively looking for additional companies to accelerate:

• Telemics – develops and supplies wireless network technologies used in the remote monitoring and control of outdoor lighting systems for municipalities, utilities, Departments of Transportation, and colleges/universities.

• eRoute – provides businesses and institutions the ability to offer their employees and students a unique employee benefit via payroll deduction like other corporate benefits. This “Technology Benefit” combines computer hardware, Internet access, a branded portal, help desk support and training resources in one cost-efficient, easy-to-use bundle.
• Advanced Imaging Concepts – provides paperless software solutions for the healthcare industry to help medical practices effectively manage patient file and chart systems electronically.

Are there any other unique features/attractions in the space?

• Lockers and showers – to promote a healthy work/life balance, lockers and showers are provided for any of our employees who want to exercise in the Waterfront Park.
• “The Street” – painted concrete runs through the middle of the main floor space, lined with florescent street lights.
• Modular office furnishings – all desks, file cabinets, chairs, etc. on the first floor are on castors to allow them to be moved easily.
• Innovative use of materials –
• Translucent fiberglass panels are used to surround the waiting and conference rooms at the core of the building, as well on the Japanese-style screens in the Café.
• Birch-veneered plywood panels are used as a wall covering, secured with over 2,800 stainless steel rivets.
• Stained concrete is used as flooring for the entrance way and the Café.
• Stainless steel mesh panels are used to create the mezzanine walkways, balconies, and “the perch” in front of the upstairs conference room.
• Sand blasted glass is used to expose the server room.
• Anodized aluminum panels hover over the entrance to form the canopy.