Rocket Ventures severs ties with the University of Toledo to extend focus across the northwest Ohio region.

Rocket Ventures, a venture capital firm previous co-owned by the University of Toledo’s Innovation Enterprises, has split from the institution to extend its potential reach across the northwest region of the state of Ohio.

The venture firm is now solely owned by the Regional Growth Partnership, an organisation promoting growth in the region, which formed the company in 2007. The restructure comes after Rocket was informed by state officials in 2012 that it could either spread itself over the region, or lost out on a portion of a $2m grant this year.

John Gibney, vice president of marketing and communications for the Regional Growth Partnership, said: “It’s just the evolution of the program. There’s feedback we were getting from the state that this has to be viewed and seen as a completely regional program that services not just Toledo proper or Lucas County but our 17-county footprint.”