Invest Blue - Lexington Startup Investment & Networking Session
Join us for an engaging angel investing & startup pitch event hosted in collaboration with Invest Blue and The Speakeasy at J Render's.
The August Lexington event will feature KY startup Nichefire, Inc. (Covington, KY), Michael Howard, foudner & CEO. The Invest Blue Champion for the Nichefire opportunity is Jason Hauer.
The program will feature a startup pitch, Q&A with the founder, and conversation about the company and investment opportunity. The remainder of the event is dedicated to connecting with fellow attendees, exchanging ideas, and enjoying one-on-one conversations with the presenting founder. A perfect blend of insight, innovation, and networking for anyone interested in startups and venture opportunities.
About Nichefire
Nichefire is a Kentucky-based predictive AI company that helps enterprise brands identify cultural and consumer trends 12 to 18 months before they become mainstream. Using patent-pending technology that analyzes social discourse, search behavior, and media influence, the platform delivers decision-ready insights with more than 90% forecasting accuracy. Nichefire serves leading organizations including Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Walmart, lululemon, Roche, and Keurig Dr Pepper. Since launching in 2022, the company has achieved more than 176% year-over-year growth, a 90%+ renewal rate, and 393% average expansion growth across existing accounts, helping customers make faster, more informed innovation and market strategy decisions.
About J Render's
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar is a locally owned Lexington destination known for its made-from-scratch Southern cuisine, hospitality, and unique private event venue, The Speakeasy. Founded by Gwyn and Ren Everly after launching a successful food truck and catering business, J. Render’s blends great food with community engagement. Gwyn, a University of Kentucky engineering alumna, is active in small business, nonprofit, and women’s leadership initiatives, including Women Who Thrive, UK Fayette County Alumni Board, and other community-focused organizations.
About Invest Blue
Invest Blue is an angel network that connects the global community of Kentucky affiliated innovators and investors. The network brings together a diverse community of investors from all levels of experience to facilitate investments, offer educational support, and remove the complexities associated with early-stage investing.
Invest Blue is a program of UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky.