CivStart to close nonprofit after seven years

CivStart will formally wind down its nonprofit operations over the coming months, bringing to a close seven years of work supporting local government innovation and early-stage govtech start-ups across the US.

In a message to partners, alumni and supporters, the organisation said the decision followed a review by its board and co-founders, who concluded that CivStart’s next phase of work would require a different organisational structure than a traditional 501(c)(3), the US tax-exempt nonprofit designation. A

t the same time, the co-founders are narrowing their focus to areas where they believe they can have the greatest impact, particularly trusted matchmaking between public-sector leaders and start-ups.

The decision, CivStart said, was taken with an emphasis on a responsible and values-driven closeout, ensuring continuity and clarity for stakeholders across its ecosystem.

“From the beginning, we believed that government works best when public-sector leaders and civic-minded founders are informed, connected, and empowered,” said Anthony Jamison, Co-Founder & CEO, Sarah Nicoll (Kerner), Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, and Nick Lyell, Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer, in a joint statement. “Together with our alumni, partners, mentors, and supporters, we built an ecosystem grounded in trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to helping governments better serve their communities.”

Founded with a mission to spark innovation at the local level, CivStart positioned itself as a connector between municipalities and emerging technology providers. Its work combined accelerator cohorts, peer learning, pilot programmes and national partnerships designed to help cities test and adopt new tools while giving start-ups a clearer pathway into the government market.

Over its lifetime, CivStart supported hundreds of local government leaders and helped dozens of start-ups scale resident-focused solutions in areas ranging from digital service delivery and AI to mobility, infrastructure and administrative systems. Its model focused on practical implementation, pairing technical expertise with real-world pilots rather than theoretical innovation programmes.

For local governments, CivStart provided access to issue-specific knowledge, peer networks and structured pilot frameworks that reduced risk and procurement friction. For start-ups, it offered mentorship, curriculum, pitch opportunities and direct engagement with public-sector decision-makers, helping founders navigate the complexities of selling into government.

The organisation also placed a strong emphasis on vendor diversity and inclusion, aiming to broaden access to the govtech marketplace for smaller companies and ensure municipalities of all sizes could source innovative and affordable solutions.

While the nonprofit entity will close, CivStart said its broader mission will continue through other channels. The co-founders plan to remain active in the ecosystem through CivStart Ventures and other initiatives, while board members will continue mentoring founders, advising public-sector leaders and championing public innovation.

Reflecting on the organisation’s impact, the co-founders said the need to strengthen government capacity remains urgent, even as CivStart’s nonprofit chapter comes to an end.

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