Hey all,
I’m Kenton Hornbeck — the business editor at Middle Tech/LINK Media. Welcome back to The Build!
This past week was fun: I spoke with two founders at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys, both focused predominantly on building.
Take 17-year-old Charleston Smith, co-founder of Vantr, a productivity and business management platform for content creators. As a teenager, Smith grew his TikTok account to more than 4 million followers. Rather than staying complacent, he drew on his experience as a content creator to build a management service tailored to content creators.
Now look at Loay Elbasyouni, an experienced aerospace engineer whose AI startup, AstraQua, is developing software that serves as the "brain" for robots and autonomous systems. Despite their differences in age, experience, and industry, both founders share an ambition to develop technology that makes their respective industries more efficient.
On the energy front, it seems like there’s a constant stream of breaking news surrounding the development of nuclear energy infrastructure in Kentucky. Two companies, General Matter and Global Laser Enrichment, are pursuing projects that could position Paducah as a major hub for uranium enrichment. Both projects cleared significant federal regulatory hurdles in October.
I plan to continue following nuclear energy developments across Kentucky, so stay tuned for more coverage on MiddleTech.com and in The Build.
A Los Angeles-area technology startup developing AI-powered software for robots and autonomous systems is expanding its presence in Kentucky.
Founded by aerospace engineer Loay Elbasyouni, AstraQua hired its first Louisville employees in September and has secured a contract with NASA.
Elbasyouni, a University of Louisville graduate, hopes to create more opportunities for Kentucky engineers as AstraQua continues to grow.
Louisville-based Ajax Defense is taking a different approach to strengthening America's defense industry: acquiring machine shops and investing in manufacturing capacity.
In the latest Middle Tech Mission Critical episode, founder Patrick Malcor and Chief Strategy Officer Wesley Sparks discuss the challenges facing smaller defense manufacturers, the role of AI in modern machining and Ajax's plans for growth.
Photo provided | General Matter
Paducah is emerging as a potential hub for domestic nuclear fuel production, with two companies proposing more than $3.2 billion in combined investment in uranium enrichment facilities:
Global Laser Enrichment: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its environmental review of the company's proposed $1.76 billion facility, recommending approval of its license application. The company is targeting operations in 2030.
General Matter: The NRC accepted the company's initial license application for review, beginning the federal evaluation of its proposed $1.5 billion facility at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
The developments come as growing electricity demand from AI and data centers and federal efforts to strengthen domestic nuclear fuel production renew interest in nuclear energy.
Photo provided | Charleston Smith
After amassing 4.8 million TikTok followers and generating approximately $100,000 in revenue, Greater Cincinnati teenager Charleston Smith is turning his social media experience into a business.
Smith, 17, co-founded Vantr, a productivity platform designed to help content creators manage brand partnerships, payments and other administrative tasks.
Now in its soft-launch phase, Vantr aims to simplify the business side of content creation, with Smith eyeing connections to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
COMING UP
📅 ON THE CALENDAR
Louisville: Nov. 5 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Paducah: Nov. 5 | 5–6:30 p.m.
Louisville: Nov. 13 | 9 a.m.–noon
Hindman: Nov. 17 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Louisville: Nov. 17 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Thanks for reading! - Kenton
