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LAKELAND (FOX 13) - An operation helping budding entrepreneurs boost their business just got a massive helping hand, itself.
Catapult is a coworking space in downtown Lakeland, It rents affordable, stylish and useful spaces to new businesses while they get off the ground.
Now, thanks to a $13 million investment, Catapult can offer even more space, which will be called Catapult 2.0.
The money is coming from the Givewell Foundation, an organization that invests money in community improvement projects.
Catapult's executive director, Meg Bellamy called the investment a "game-changer."
Thanks to the investment, Catapult will move from the basement of Bank of America on South Florida Avenue to what was once a feed store on Lake Mirror. The space will be renovated and, when it's done, will be four times bigger than the old one, and will provide a work environment for up to 300 startups.
Along with offering rock-bottom rent - as little as $50 a month - Catapult provides business seminars, and a creative atmosphere where budding business people can bounce ideas off one another.
Groundbreaking on Catapult 2.0 is set for this fall. The move-in date is projected to be late 2017.