LivingSocial, a US-based provider of discount sales coupons backed by online retailer Amazon, and bank JPMorgan Chase have provided $3m in grants to 12 businesses.
Their Mission: Small Business grants of $250,000 each went to Bright Power, Ellessco, Skillastics, Carmin Industries, Lasher Sport, American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Didrick Medical, PlanetReuse, UsedCardboardBoxes.com, EcoScraps, RonWear Portable Clothing and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.
A panel reviewed nearly 70,000 applications from small businesses across the US.
Tim O’Shaughnessy, LivingSocial chief executive, said: “LivingSocial strives to energize the relationship between consumers and local businesses, and we were especially thrilled by the energy surrounding the Mission: Small Business program.”