Is there one last startup, one last demo, one last party you should check out before Denver Startup Week wraps up? OhHeckYeah. That’s the name of the giant “arts and technology urban intervention” Brian Corrigan, a local “creative strategist,” and local “creative coders” Mode Set and Legwork Studio are planning for next year. Sound too art-jargony? … Continue reading “OhHeckYeah to Debut “Immersive Street Arcade” as Startup Week Closes”
Category: Boulder/Denver
DSW Guide, Day 5: Perspectives, Problems, Parties, and Plowing Ahead
So, this is the end. Denver Startup Week draws to a close Friday with a big closing night bash at Galvanize and, down in the theatre district, the debut of a new art project that will turn downtown into an immersive street arcade next summer. But before the fun and games—Galvanize also will host a … Continue reading “DSW Guide, Day 5: Perspectives, Problems, Parties, and Plowing Ahead”
XetaWave Garners $7,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=28f5a001-9283-4d97-95eb-1ed032461156 Date 9/20/2013 Company Name XetaWave Mailing Address 1668 Valtec Lane Boulder, CO 80301 Company Description Founded in 2010 and led by Jonathan Sawyer, a pioneer in wireless technology for the past 30 years, XetaWave is the ideal partner for the development of wireless technologies that are proven and lead the industry … Continue reading “XetaWave Garners $7,000,000 New Financing”
Plink Obtains $750,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=89da99e5-049e-4c89-bad1-21fae25753ec Date 9/20/2013 Company Name Plink Mailing Address 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80222 Company Description Plink is an online-to-offline loyalty program that rewards members for dining and shopping at their favorite national restaurants and offline stores. Website http://www.plink.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $750,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Plink Obtains $750,000 New Financing”
Healthcare Megatrends, Part 1: Shifting Risk
While debates continue on the pros and cons of health reform, one fact remains: the marketplace is changing. There has been approximately $1 trillion in health care M+A activity since 2008. Payers are becoming providers, providers are becoming payers and placing insurance products on the exchanges, benefit consultants are creating exchanges, payers are looking increasingly … Continue reading “Healthcare Megatrends, Part 1: Shifting Risk”
DSW Guide, Day 4: New Tech Colorado Crew, Governor to Share Stage
It’s Day 4 of Denver Startup Week, and here’s a sampling of some of the cool events going on. The Big Event New Tech Colorado on the big stage. It’s hard to imagine what the grassroots of Colorado’s tech community would be like without the Boulder Denver New Tech Meetup. Formed seven years ago in … Continue reading “DSW Guide, Day 4: New Tech Colorado Crew, Governor to Share Stage”
Ping Identity CEO Durand to Colorado Entrepreneurs: Be Unreasonable
Don’t tell Ping Identity co-founder and CEO Andre Durand his company isn’t a startup anymore—especially if you work for him. And definitely don’t tell Durand you want to buy Ping Identity and take him away from his dream of building a $1 billion company. I ran into Durand during Denver Startup Week, and he discussed … Continue reading “Ping Identity CEO Durand to Colorado Entrepreneurs: Be Unreasonable”
House of Genius, 1 Million Cups Claim First Grants from Startup Fund
Two grassroots organizations dedicated to building better entrepreneurs won the initial grants from the Startup Colorado Community Fund this morning. House of Genius, which was founded in Boulder and has expanded worldwide, and the Denver branch of the Kauffman Foundation’s 1 Million Cups program each will receive grants of $6,000, which should be enough to … Continue reading “House of Genius, 1 Million Cups Claim First Grants from Startup Fund”
DSW Guide, Day 3: Crawling Past the Halfway Mark and Building Locally
Wednesday is “hump day” for Denver Startup Week. The panels continue, and so does the networking. The Big Event Startup Crawl: Tech companies around downtown will throw their doors open Wednesday afternoon for the startup crawl. With more than 35 companies participating and at least 20 stops (click the link for a list), the event … Continue reading “DSW Guide, Day 3: Crawling Past the Halfway Mark and Building Locally”
Better Gender Balance is Better for Business, Experts in Denver Say
What can tech companies do to increase diversity in the workplace? Why aren’t more women pursuing computer science careers? And why do so many women leave tech careers? Those questions have plagued technology companies for years. On Monday, a panel sponsored by the National Center for Women & Information Technology tried to offer some solutions … Continue reading “Better Gender Balance is Better for Business, Experts in Denver Say”
Occipital Debuts 3D Scanner for iPads, Raises $100K on Kickstarter
Occipital, a Boulder-based startup that specializes in computer vision and augmented reality, has been quiet recently, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been busy. The company announced Tuesday it has created its first piece of hardware, a 3-D infrared scanner called Structure Sensor that attaches to mobile devices. Occipital also launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise … Continue reading “Occipital Debuts 3D Scanner for iPads, Raises $100K on Kickstarter”
Gnip Co-founder Jud Valeski on His Flood Shots Seen Around the World
Gnip co-founder and chief technology officer Jud Valeski has a unique perspective, both professionally and now personally, on disasters like the 100-year flood that just devastated Colorado. In his day job, Valeski helps oversee Boulder-based Gnip’s efforts to collect about 3 billion public social media activities every day. That includes every public Tweet and Tumblr … Continue reading “Gnip Co-founder Jud Valeski on His Flood Shots Seen Around the World”
DSW Guide, Day 2: Jobs, Money, Music, and Speed Dating for Nerds
Denver Startup Week shifts gears Tuesday. If the kickoff luncheon and opening party were Monday’s highlights, Tuesday is all about business, at least until the speed dating for nerds (yes, you read that right.) Panels on jobs and fundraising are among the day’s events top events. Check the Denver Startup Week calendar for more details … Continue reading “DSW Guide, Day 2: Jobs, Money, Music, and Speed Dating for Nerds”
P2Binvestor Garners $1,200,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a62d343c-550e-4050-b1de-c8daf321c276 Date 9/17/2013 Company Name P2Binvestor Mailing Address 1500 Cherry St Louisville, CO 80027 Company Description P2Bi is convinced that small and midsized businesses are the engines for job growth and the key to economic prosperity in the United States. However, these businesses face real problems obtaining the short-term working capital they … Continue reading “P2Binvestor Garners $1,200,000 Series A Financing Round”
5 Minutes with “Guru” Seth Godin to Kick Off Denver Startup Week
Seth Godin wants you to hurry. Not to get a million Twitter followers and become the next Miley Cyrus, but to take advantage of a moment of upheaval that is allowing entrepreneurs to start companies like never before. And he wants you to hurry because that moment might be passing. Godin, a bestselling author, widely … Continue reading “5 Minutes with “Guru” Seth Godin to Kick Off Denver Startup Week”
Slow Down to Speed Up: Startup Advice from Feld, Miner, & Yesware
It was April Fool’s Day, 2011. Matthew Bellows walked into a board meeting for his startup, Yesware. In the room were Brad Feld and Rich Miner, prominent venture capitalists from Foundry Group and Google Ventures, respectively, who had just led seed investments in Yesware. Bellows, the startup’s CEO, had previously started WGR Media and sold … Continue reading “Slow Down to Speed Up: Startup Advice from Feld, Miner, & Yesware”
Don’t Be Naïve: 7 Things to Know Before Taking a Biotech Startup Job
You’ve spent years working hard to hone your skills in science, medicine, or business. You’ve accomplished things, and you have the talent and desire to do more. You may be bored, or stuck at a dead end job in academia, Big Biotech, or Big Pharma. You are intrigued by a job posting you just saw … Continue reading “Don’t Be Naïve: 7 Things to Know Before Taking a Biotech Startup Job”
Do VCs Add Value?
Vinod Khosla’s recent comment during an interview with Michael Arrington that 95 percent of VCs don’t add value (and that 70-80 percent might actually add negative value in their advising) got me thinking about the underlying dynamics of the question. I agree with Khosla that a surprisingly large portion of VCs add little value, but … Continue reading “Do VCs Add Value?”
Surefire Medical Lands $16,419,987 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c96ba473-943f-4539-adb2-157f9f288907 Date 9/16/2013 Company Name Surefire Medical Mailing Address 8601 Turnpike Drive Westminster, CO 80031 Company Description The Surefire Infusion System is designed to precisely deliver embolic agents through the sophisticated expandable tip portion of its catheter. Website http://www.surefiremedical.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $16,419,987 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Surefire Medical Lands $16,419,987 New Funding Round”
DSW Guide, Day 1: Seth Godin, Diversity, and Partying Startup Droogs
Denver Startup Week kicks off Monday with an action-packed first day. Here’s a sampling of some of the day’s events. Check the Denver Startup Week calendar for more details about these events, plus lots of other events not mentioned here. The events are free, but they do want you to register in advance. This certainly isn’t … Continue reading “DSW Guide, Day 1: Seth Godin, Diversity, and Partying Startup Droogs”
Mentoring Startups is Hard: Five Ways to Be a Better Mentor
Mentoring has become a more significant part of the economy today than since, perhaps, apprenticeships in the Craftsman Age. Why? The rise of entrepreneurship and our expanding freelance economy are driving massive transformation, and workers are increasingly required to find their own means of making a living. During the Industrial age, most labor was focused … Continue reading “Mentoring Startups is Hard: Five Ways to Be a Better Mentor”
Denver Ready to Open Doors to Entrepreneurs as Startup Week Returns
Want to know how big Denver Startup Week has become in just its second year? Maybe you should ask the fire marshals. They might have to drop by to make sure things don’t get too crowded, like they did at last year’s kickoff event. Denver Startup Week starts Monday with a luncheon that stars marketing … Continue reading “Denver Ready to Open Doors to Entrepreneurs as Startup Week Returns”
The iPhone 5S and 5C: Everything Is Amazing and Nobody Is Happy
Our expectations about how fast personal technology should evolve have come totally unglued from reality. That was all I could think this week as I surveyed media and consumer commentary about the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, which Apple unveiled at a Sept. 10 press event. From any reasonable point of view, these new … Continue reading “The iPhone 5S and 5C: Everything Is Amazing and Nobody Is Happy”
Rach.io Racks Up Second Big Win, Takes $15K Prize at Apex Challenge
Looks like Rach.io, a Denver-based startup that makes technology for smart sprinkler systems, has found the perfect way to launch a company in Colorado and raise the equivalent of a small angel round—win a business plan challenge every two weeks. Rach.io took home the $15,000 top prize Wednesday at the Colorado Technology’s Association Apex Challenge. … Continue reading “Rach.io Racks Up Second Big Win, Takes $15K Prize at Apex Challenge”
Convercent Garners $500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=05c2c6f7-ec85-41be-a57c-97c974ea38e1 Date 9/12/2013 Company Name Convercent Mailing Address 929 Broadway Greenwood Village, CO 80203 Company Description Convercent brings culture and compliance together in the first integrated cloud application so that companies can promote the good and manage the bad in an intelligent and productive way. Website http://www.convercent.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Convercent Garners $500,000 New Round”
Colorado’s Apex Meeting: Startups Celebrate, Old Guard Shows Life
Leaders of Colorado tech companies are gathering today in Denver for the Colorado Technology Association’s Apex Conference. The crowd at Apex is mostly the part of Colorado’s tech industry that wears ties instead of t-shirts (yes, actual ties), but startups will take the spotlight later today for the Apex Challenge. The challenge is a $20,000, … Continue reading “Colorado’s Apex Meeting: Startups Celebrate, Old Guard Shows Life”
Kauffman Report: It Takes Decades to Build a Startup Hub
The Kauffman Foundation caused a stir in economic-development circles last month with a report showing that high-tech startups are more evenly spread across the United States than many people assume. When researcher Ian Hathaway, an economic advisor with the advocacy group Engine, ranked metropolitan areas in terms of their per-capita density of high-tech startups, his … Continue reading “Kauffman Report: It Takes Decades to Build a Startup Hub”
Xconomy is Looking for Detroit Innovation Champions
In 2010, Xconomy opened its fourth news bureau in Detroit, joining Boston, Seattle, and San Diego. Even though this was a time when record numbers of global media were parachuting into town and writing stories showcasing “ruin porn” and what they deemed as the hopelessness of the Motor City’s plight, Xconomy had a different mission … Continue reading “Xconomy is Looking for Detroit Innovation Champions”
New Tech Colorado’s Reich Looks Back at 7 Years of Community Building
If you’re active in Colorado’s world of tech startups, you know New Tech Colorado and its monthly meetups in Boulder and Denver. The grassroots organization is almost 10,000 members strong, and a few hundred tech companies—ranging from Google to Backflip Studios to Techstars companies to brand-new startups—have presented at its gatherings. You also know Robert … Continue reading “New Tech Colorado’s Reich Looks Back at 7 Years of Community Building”
Standing Cloud Acquired by SF’s AppDirect, Will Remain in Boulder
Standing Cloud, a venture-backed startup in Boulder, has been acquired by AppDirect for an undisclosed price, the companies announced Tuesday. Standing Cloud was developing a marketplace and management tools for cloud-based applications, offering more than 100 applications like WordPress, Drupal, and SugarCRM to clients. San Francisco-based AppDirect and Standing Cloud were working on very similar … Continue reading “Standing Cloud Acquired by SF’s AppDirect, Will Remain in Boulder”
5 Reasons You Should Drop Everything and Start Growing Bugs
Around the world, since the dawn of time, humans have eaten insects. The Western aversion to the idea is a recent phenomenon. With feed conversion ratios double that of chicken, and nearly six times that of beef, edible species like the common house cricket are a popular food source worldwide. In countries such as Thailand, … Continue reading “5 Reasons You Should Drop Everything and Start Growing Bugs”
TapInfluence Taps Into Colorado VC Firms for a $5M Series B Round
TapInfluence, a Boulder, CO-based startup that develops software to power influencer marketing campaigns, has closed a $5 million Series B round, the company announced today. The new investment increases the total amount raised by TapInfluence (which until March was named BlogFrog) to $9 million. Grotech Ventures led the round, which was oversubscribed, and Access Venture … Continue reading “TapInfluence Taps Into Colorado VC Firms for a $5M Series B Round”
AppDirect Acquires Standing Cloud for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7396cf14-a4fd-4218-818a-197d9e3f7807 Date 9/10/2013 Company Name Standing Cloud Mailing Address 1433 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description Standing Cloud provides simple, yet powerful, services that make it fast and easy for you to run open source applications in the cloud. We allow you to focus on putting cloud applications to work for … Continue reading “AppDirect Acquires Standing Cloud for Undisclosed Sum”
A Startup’s Years-Old Gift Finally Pays Off for Colorado Nonprofits
The Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado has sold its shares in Automattic and used $24,000 from the sale for grants to two Boulder nonprofits, the foundation announced Monday. The money comes from equity the foundation, known as EFCO, originally held in IntenseDebate, which developed software for online commenting systems. The company was founded in 2006, and … Continue reading “A Startup’s Years-Old Gift Finally Pays Off for Colorado Nonprofits”
Are Some Degrees Better than Others for Big Pharma Leaders?
Biopharmaceutical companies are under a great deal of financial pressure these days, and many are tinkering with long established business models. There can be no doubt that the industry is in flux as a result of pricing pressures from insurance companies, changing patent regulations and expirations, healthcare reform, and an increased focus on proving significant … Continue reading “Are Some Degrees Better than Others for Big Pharma Leaders?”
Which VCs Are Poised to Profit From the Biotech IPO Boom?
Biotech venture capitalists, as a group, haven’t had much to cheer about the past few years. But this is shaping up to be the year the storyline changes, thanks to the ripple effect from the biotech IPO class of 2013. The story of biotech venture capital over the past few years, as many readers know … Continue reading “Which VCs Are Poised to Profit From the Biotech IPO Boom?”
Mile High Roundup: Techstars Grads Stay Busy, Rally Reports Results
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a look at some of the interesting things that have happened over the past two weeks in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. In this edition, Techstars stays busy after its demo day, three Techstars grads close rounds (and one gets a new CEO), and Rally … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: Techstars Grads Stay Busy, Rally Reports Results”
Enzymatics Snares Boulder-based ArcherDx For Diagnostics Play
Beverly, MA-based Enzymatics has grown into a 100-employee company in seven years thanks to the rapidly evolving use of DNA sequencing machines. Now, it’s taking some of the cash it has hoarded away to make its first acquisition: a nine-month-old startup named ArcherDx. Enzymatics is announcing today that it has snapped up the Boulder, CO-based … Continue reading “Enzymatics Snares Boulder-based ArcherDx For Diagnostics Play”
Get Your Own Personal NPR Station with Swell
We’ve hit the time of year dreaded by all public radio fans: pledge drive season, when stations hold your favorite NPR and American Public Media programs hostage until enough listeners pay up. Until recently, there’s only been one way around this semiannual torture ritual, and it’s only been available to listeners of KQED here in … Continue reading “Get Your Own Personal NPR Station with Swell”
VC Term Sheet Workshop
Leaders from Colorado Law’s Silicon Flatirons Center will join with area attorneys to break down VC term sheets. This hands-on workshop teaches participants critical elements of terms sheet negotiations between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. The workshop features the opportunity for participants to negotiate some trickiest and most crucial VC terms, and then receive feedback from … Continue reading “VC Term Sheet Workshop”
Boulder Tech Job Fair
Thirteen local companies are looking to fill more than 100 open technical positions at this event hosted by the Boulder Chamber and Cardinal Peak. Employers are looking for employees with skills in a wide variety of programming languages and ranging from entry-level positions to senior embedded engineers with 10 or more years of experience. Together, … Continue reading “Boulder Tech Job Fair”
Ten Companies to Face Off Next Week to Be Colorado’s “Startup Idol”
The ten finalists for the upcoming Apex Challenge have practiced their pitches in front of mirrors and friends. Now it’s time for them to take the stage in front of about 1,000 people to compete for cash prizes totaling $20,000. The Apex Challenge is a pitch competition on Sept. 11 that’s part of the Colorado … Continue reading “Ten Companies to Face Off Next Week to Be Colorado’s “Startup Idol””
5 Things Biotechs Should Do to Take Advantage of The Boom
We are currently enjoying a much needed resurgence in the biotechnology industry. The industry has been the best performing sector in the stock market for the last two years and it appears it will be again this year. This performance has enabled companies to raise capital, either publicly or privately, in record amounts. We expect … Continue reading “5 Things Biotechs Should Do to Take Advantage of The Boom”
Platform Ecosystems in Big Data
I have written about the platform eco-system trend in technology recently. To recap, a business that has been gaining ground in the tech world is the technology platform developer network model, wherein large numbers of developers can use the platform to build their businesses cost-effectively without the handicap of huge infrastructure expenditure. Some of the … Continue reading “Platform Ecosystems in Big Data”
Graphic.ly Garners $1,300,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5e738888-b148-4fea-bd81-423d96949aee Date 9/4/2013 Company Name Graphic.ly Mailing Address Undisclosed Boulder, CO 80501 Company Description Graphic.ly is a place for all people that, like us, love the art and story telling that lives within the pages of a comic book or graphic novel, and enjoy nothing more than sharing that enthusiasm with their … Continue reading “Graphic.ly Garners $1,300,000 New Funding”
Creator of Colorado’s Vice Finder Talks Website, Logo, and Pot Shot
Rick Griffith is the type of entrepreneur Colorado says it wants to support. Then again, maybe the home of the Mile High City doesn’t want to be associated with people like Griffith. It’s hard to tell, as the governor himself is sending mixed signals. Griffith and his team won the Hack4Colorado Hackathon in June, taking … Continue reading “Creator of Colorado’s Vice Finder Talks Website, Logo, and Pot Shot”
Fight Over Uber is Battle Over Innovation in Dallas
I’ve lived in Dallas almost my entire adult life, but until this week I had never attended a city council meeting. The meeting started off with a bang as a woman dressed in traditional African costume (along with an accompanist on drums,) who serenaded Mayor Mike Rawlings just before she accused the sergeant-at-arms of “wanting” … Continue reading “Fight Over Uber is Battle Over Innovation in Dallas”
Biotech and Fantasy Football Picks for Fall 2013
There’s an old saying about surgeons. They are “sometimes wrong; never in doubt.” If only the same could be said for biotech writers. I’ve been sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and sometimes embarrassingly wrong the past couple years I’ve made predictions about biotech and fantasy football. Last year, I doubted both Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings … Continue reading “Biotech and Fantasy Football Picks for Fall 2013”
Summits, Grassroots, Failures: 5 Takes on Colorado Innovation Week
With Colorado Innovation Week drawing to a close and the Colorado Innovation Network Summit wrapping up Thursday, it’s a good time to look back at the week’s highlights (beyond Sal Khan’s presentation) and collect some thoughts about the event. It was a stimulating and encouraging week that shows Colorado is thinking seriously about innovation and … Continue reading “Summits, Grassroots, Failures: 5 Takes on Colorado Innovation Week”
Help Save Our Innovation Economy from the SEC’s Rewrite of Reg D
Over the past 30 years, the United States has developed an infrastructure to nurture, grow, and fund early stage companies that is the envy of the world. There are more than 250,000 active angel investors in this country, and nearly one out of every five of the startup investments they make are in California. At … Continue reading “Help Save Our Innovation Economy from the SEC’s Rewrite of Reg D”