Arkade Celebrates First Anniversary with Record-Breaking Fundraising and Retail Partnerships

Arkade, a retail technology and supply chain greenhouse in Bentonville, Arkansas, has marked its first anniversary. Since launching last year, the facility has supported 14 member companies, including founding member Crisp, as they landed pilots and contracts with major retailers such as Walmart, Tyson, and Home Depot.

During this period, these companies collectively raised nearly $29 million in funding, with an additional $15 million in the pipeline. This achievement demonstrates Arkade's value proposition: providing a home base for growth-stage companies to test and build relationships with retailers and brands before deciding on a long-term presence.

The facility was designed by Are Traasdahl, founder of Crisp and Spring Capital, to give retail and supply chain companies from around the world access to Northwest Arkansas' dense network of major retailers, suppliers, and logistics companies. Alongside its anniversary celebration, Arkade announced serial entrepreneur John Collins as its first entrepreneur-in-residence.

By the numbers, Arkade's first year saw 14 member companies and 3 program-level partners, $28.8 million raised by member companies with an additional $15 million in the pipeline, 10 pilots or contracts secured for member companies, and 15 new jobs created in Northwest Arkansas across member companies.