New venture-building program unites entrepreneurs throughout Appalachian Region with LG NOVA’s innovation ecosystem to create high potential growth businesses in Healthtech, Cleantech and Transformational Tech
News Summary:
- LG NOVA, LG Electronics’ North America Innovation Center, is launching “Elevate WV,” a structured venture-building program designed to transform startups and entrepreneurs across the region into the next-generation, globally scalable AI-first businesses.
- As a key program milestone, LG NOVA will host the Elevate WV Challenge Competition, a live pitch competition featuring five West Virginia entrepreneurs, during Bridging Innovation Week on April 29.
- Winners of the Challenge Competition may advance into LG NOVA’s full venture-building program, with a pathway to create new businesses with the potential opportunity to become an LG NOVA venture portfolio company.
- Elevate WV is a pillar of LG NOVA’s strategic initiative in West Virginia, aimed at building a thriving “Innovation Corridor” to support economic growth in throughout the region.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va., April 27, 2026 — LG NOVA, the North America Innovation Center for LG Electronics, today announced “Elevate WV,” a structured program designed to propel startups and entrepreneurs in the Appalachian region toward building next-generation AI-first companies competing and scaling on a global stage. To mark the official start of the program, LG NOVA is hosting a live pitch competition at Bridging Innovation Week on April 29, 2026. Five unique West Virginia entrepreneurs have been hand-selected to take the stage to present their ideas for new ventures, competing for the opportunity to advance into LG NOVA’s full venture-building program and the potential opportunity to become an LG NOVA venture portfolio company.
Selected challenge winners may have the potential opportunity to transition into LG NOVA’s structured incubation program, a 9-to-12-month process designed to develop pre-seed startups into unicorn-scale AI-first businesses in high-impact sectors where AI creates significant value, drives major changes in industries and society and solves real-world problems across the fields of Healthtech, Cleantech and Transformational Tech, multi-sector disruption-ready markets in enterprise and consumer industries.
“West Virginia is home to passionate entrepreneurs who are ready to build the future and make a difference in their communities,” said LG NOVA head Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, Corporate Executive Vice President for Innovation at LG Electronics. “Elevate WV brings the full power of LG NOVA’s global ecosystem, including our advisors, our investor network, our technology resources and our proven venture-building model, directly to this community. Our challenge competition shows that West Virginia’s entrepreneurial talent is ready to compete on a global stage.”
Through the program, entrepreneurs may have access to:
- Non-Dilutive Funds: Selected startups/entrepreneurs may receive funds to continue developing their business and support PoC projects and MVP development, granted at specific stage gates.
- Access to Top-Tier Advisors: Hands-on coaching from industry experts with proven startup exit experience in AI, Cleantech and Healthtech.
- Silicon Valley Ecosystem Collaboration: Direct collaboration with LG NOVA’s global startup network to build scalable business models.
- Go-To-Market Support: GTM toolkit plus visibility at CES and LG NOVA Innovation Summit Program.
- West Virginia Ecosystem Integration: Active partnership with local organizations to support West Virginia founders from ideation to commercialization.
Elevate WV Challenge Competition: Celebrating WV Bridging Innovation Week
The challenge competition brings together five entrepreneurs who have spent the past several months developing and refining unicorn-scale business proposals. The event will serve as both a celebration of West Virginia’s growing startup ecosystem and a competitive pitch forum, with participants presenting their ventures to a panel of judges and stakeholders from across the innovation community. The winners will be announced at Bridging Innovation Week’s awards banquet the same evening.
A Strategic Partnership for Regional Transformation
Elevate WV is a core element of LG NOVA’s broader strategic collaboration with the State of West Virginia, which encompasses four core initiatives: the establishment of an LG NOVA Innovation Center in West Virginia, a global growth initiative to expand access to capital and pilot opportunities, driving high-tech job growth through commercial activity and strategic partnerships and an ecosystem expansion effort that includes the Elevate West Virginia Challenge Competition and scale-up support for startups in the state and beyond. Together, these initiatives are designed to lay the foundation for a thriving “Innovation Corridor” across the Appalachian region – one that creates lasting, generational economic growth opportunities.
Eligibility for Elevate WV
Elevate WV is open to pre-seed-stage startups and entrepreneurs who are headquartered in or maintain a primary office in West Virginia and are building AI-first software solutions in Healthtech, Cleantech and Transformational Tech with the potential for global scale. Intellectual property brought into the program remains the participant’s property. For more information, please visit www.lgnova.com/elevate-wv.
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About LG NOVA
LG NOVA, the North America Innovation Center for global innovation leader LG Electronics, is a team focused on delivering new experiences powered by AI, built from collaboration with innovators across the ecosystem. LG NOVA is based in Santa Clara, Calif, with a branch office in Morgantown, WV. The center’s mission is to fuel innovation for LG and its partners by creating and launching new AI-first ventures to become the next growth engine for LG. Learn more about LG NOVA at www.lgnova.com.
About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics Inc., a smart life solutions company with annual global revenues of more than $60 billion. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and vehicle components. LG is an 11-time ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year. www.LG.com.
Media Contacts:
LG Electronics USA
Linda Quach
+1 408 903 3045
[email protected]
SOURCE LG Electronics USA
