What’s Hot in Columbus AI Right Now: Ohio Means AI
Columbus, Ohio has quietly become one of the most exciting places in the country for artificial intelligence and emerging technology. From coasts to Columbus, the AI spotlight is moving to the midwest.
“AI is more than a shiny object in Ohio. It’s the foundation for billions in infrastructure investments and economic development activity; and it means new high paying jobs across industries. Ohio means business. Ohio means jobs. And Ohio means AI. Come find out why at AI Week, “according to Enterprise Technology Associaiton’s CSO, Zack Huhn
Here’s why leaders are choosing Columbus for AI in 2025.
And why the Columbus AI scene in 2025 is hot.
Startups on the Rise
Together, these founders show the world that OHIO Means AI.
Redi Health – raised $14M to transform chronic disease management.
Trace – just emerged from stealth with AR tools for Apple Vision Pro.
Clarametyx – secured $33M for breakthrough infection-fighting biotech.
Power to Hydrogen – scaling green energy with $18M in funding.
AssetWatch – $38M Series B
Finite State – $20M
Layer – $3M seed (Drive Capital)
Scheduler AI – $2.8M seed (Drive Capital)
Astute, Verata Health, Upstart – established leaders still pushing the AI envelope.
Columbus isn’t just creating companies—it’s creating categories.
Accelerators & Venture Fuel
Techstars Columbus (with Ohio State University) has launched 24 AI-driven ventures in just a few years.
Rev1 Ventures companies crossed the $1B milestone in collective revenue, exits, and investment.
Other programs like Taivara, Fintech71, and the Buckeye Accelerator are giving founders the mentorship and capital to scale.
Drive Capital – $2B+ AUM (funds under management) Drive Capital alone has invested hundreds of millions in Ohio AI startups including Path Robotics, Vecna Robotics, Cofactor AI, Layer, Doohickey AI, Scheduler AI.
This is where ideas become momentum.
the best ai & tech Community & Events
Columbus is buzzing with gatherings that make innovation feel local and real:
Columbus AI Week: Sept 10–11, 2025 (kickoff Sept 9), WatersEdge, Hilliard. If you’re looking for the top AI conference in Ohio? Join Columbus AI Week at WatersEdge. Network, learn, and explore the future of AI in the Midwest. The Best AI Conference in Columbus and the Midwest.
AI Rising Conference: Sept 8–9, 2025, Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center.
Ohio AI Summit (OhioX): Nov 19, 2025, Mitchell Hall, Columbus State.
Columbus AI Meetup: 1,600+ members swapping insights at monthly events.
TechLife Columbus: the go-to calendar and news hub for everything happening in the city’s tech scene.
These aren’t just conferences—they’re connection engines for the next wave of tech leaders.
Women in AI & Tech: Elevating Voices in Columbus
Women in AI & Tech Breakfast (Columbus AI Week): An energizing kickoff event on Sept 11, 2025, where trailblazing female leaders in AI connect, share stories, and build community over breakfast. Attendance is included with your Columbus AI Week ticket. Attend for free.
DataConnect Conference (Women in Analytics): Coming to Columbus Oct 2–3, 2025, this two-day event centers on data science, machine learning, and AI, with a focus on advancing women and gender minorities in the field.
Columbus Women in Machine Learning & Data Science (WiMLDS): A local Meetup group hosting technical workshops, networking events, and hackathons that foster the growth of women and gender minorities in data and ML. Join their Meet up group.
Infrastructure & Investment
Ohio attracted over $60 billion in AI-related infrastructure commitments between 2022–2025 (Intel, AWS, Google, SoftBank, Cologix combined.
Intel’s $28B plant in nearby New Albany is fueling the chip power behind AI.
Amazon AWS is investing another $10B in Ohio data centers, creating hundreds of AI-related jobs. bringing total investment to over $23 billion—to power AI infrastructure and cloud services. A sign that global players believe OHIO Means AI.
Cologix’s 256,000 sq. ft. facility makes Columbus one of the most data-ready cities in the Midwest. A new 256,000 sq ft AI‑ready data center in Columbus, offering 33 MW of sustainable power and advanced interconnection, reinforces the city’s “data-ready” status. Proving again that OHIO Means AI at scale.
SoftBank’s $375M investment in Lordstown: SoftBank has acquired the former Foxconn EV plant to manufacture AI servers and data center equipment as part of its $500B “Stargate” project with OpenAI and Oracle. Foxconn will continue operating the site through a joint venture, and the shift from EV production to AI hardware is expected to drive major investment and jobs into the Mahoning Valley. Ohio was chosen for its land, power, and resources; another signal that the state is becoming critical to U.S. AI infrastructure. Another signal that OHIO Means AI to the world’s biggest players.
Drive Capital has fueled Ohio’s startup rise with investments in companies like Path Robotics, Vecna Robotics, Cofactor AI, Layer, Doohickey AI, and Scheduler AI (Synapsa); putting hundreds of millions into AI-driven ventures that now anchor the state’s innovation economy. Their portfolio is proof that OHIO Means AI for founders and investors.
Google – $6.7B invested in central Ohio data centers since 2019, $19.2B local economic activity in 2024
Cologix – planning $7B Johnstown AI campus
The foundation is being poured for decades of innovation. Ohio means AI.
Education & AI Fluency
Ohio State University AI Fluency – undergrad curriculum initiative. Ohio State University is embedding AI into the curriculum, aiming for every undergrad to graduate “AI fluent” starting with the class of 2029 another way OHIO Means AI.
Ohio Department of Education – issuing K–12 AI policies by Dec 2025.By July 2026, all Ohio public schools, including Columbus, must implement official AI use policies, guided by a state model policy expected by Dec 2025.
Columbus is ensuring the next generation doesn’t just use AI, they understand it. OHIO Means AI for everyone.
Workforce Access & Equity
Smart Columbus launched the ConnectUs Digital Skills Hub to upskill 10,000 residents by 2027; with free devices provided to participants who complete training. With Franklin County they are investing $20.2 million in digital skills training at no-cost, a bold demonstration that OHIO Means AI, not just as technology, but as economic mobility.
Target groups include older adults, veterans, students, and communities historically excluded from tech opportunities.
1,500 trained digital advocates across 100+ community-based organizations are working to spread digital literacy.
$800,000 in competitive grants have been allocated to empower partner organizations to launch or expand digital inclusion initiatives.
The effort is backed by a coalition of 16 local organizations like Goodwill, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus State, Jewish Family Services, and the New Directions Career Center, all working together to close the digital divide
This is AI not just as technology, but as economic mobility. That’s how OHIO Means AI for everyone.
JobsOhio & the AI Economy
Economic development leaders are making sure Ohio doesn’t just keep pace with AI, it leads
Supersector Strategy: JobsOhio is positioning AI as a central growth pillar, alongside advanced manufacturing and IT.
Workforce Readiness: Partnering with OSU’s new AI Fluency Initiative so every undergrad graduates “AI fluent” by 2029.
Talent Attraction Incentives: The JobsOhio Relocation Incentive (JORI) JobsOhio is offering a powerful talent tool—$15,000 per relocated STEM hire, up to $225,000 per company, to bring top technical talent to Ohio. It’s another clear example of how OHIO Means AI—by helping companies grow while building future-ready teams. Funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, directly disbursed to employers with no restrictions on use, whether for relocation, signing bonuses, hiring campaigns, or marketing.
Innovation Zones: Through projects like the Ohio Discovery Corridor, JobsOhio is linking Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland as connected hubs for AI commercialization.
Employer Partnerships: Over 30 JobsOhio talent experts work directly with employers to recruit, train, and retain AI/STEM talent.
This is the connective tissue between policy, people, and the private sector.
Energy & Infrastructure Challenges
The AI boom is also stressing local systems:
PUCO (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) – regulatory body overseeing utility rate impacts.
Washington Post coverage – on data center–driven energy demand.Demand from data centers has pushed utility rates in Columbus up as much as $27/month.
Regulators are now requiring data centers to shoulder more grid-upgrade costs.
The growth is undeniable—but so are the trade-offs.
Civic Conversations
On Aug 6, 2025, the Columbus Metropolitan Club hosted a major panel on “Central Ohio’s AI Revolution,” tackling questions of jobs, equity, and ethics. Leaders from OSU, Nationwide, and Optimum Technology joined the debate—signaling how deeply AI is entering civic dialogue.
Columbus Metropolitan Club – hosted the Aug 6, 2025 “Central Ohio’s AI Revolution” panel.
Ohio Channel Video – full recording of the discussion.
Ohio Chamber of Commerce hosted its Exploring AI Summit (July 2025), bringing together business and policy leaders to address AI’s impact on jobs, education, and cybersecurity.
Columbus Chamber of Commerce is spotlighting AI innovators like AI OWL and running practical workshops (e.g., “Leveraging AI for SEO Success”) to help local businesses adopt AI.
Why It Matters
“Columbus and Ohio are proving that the future of AI isn’t confined to the coasts. From billion-dollar investments to statewide education initiatives, this region is building one of the most dynamic and inclusive AI ecosystems in the country.”
— Summer Crenshaw, CEO, Enterprise Technology Association
AI isn’t happening in the abstract; it’s happening right here in Columbus. The city’s mix of world-class universities, corporate anchors, ambitious startups, and community energy makes it one of the most important places to watch for AI breakthroughs. The future of AI doesn’t just belong to one coast, it belongs to Ohio. That’s why OHIO Means AI.
If you’re a business leader, technologist, or investor, the signal is clear: Columbus is hot, and it’s only getting hotter.
👉 Want to see it firsthand? Join us at Columbus AI Week 2025 this September and be part of the conversations shaping the future.
www.joineta.org for more info like this.
