TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

By Sally Schreiber

Minnesota is part of a federal multi-state Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant that will provide Adult Basic Education (ABE) digital literacy training through self-paced online classes and tutor assistance.

The program will introduce learners to computer and Internet skills, high-speed Internet resources and using the Internet for career planning.

The Minnesota Literacy Council (MLC) will serve as fiscal agent for the Minnesota portion of the grant, with management assistance from the St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium. The $5.8 M grant includes $3.3 M in federal funding and $2.5 M in matching funds (across five states), and is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2010 (ARRA).

In continuing their mission to share the power of learning through education, community building and advocacy, the Minnesota Literacy Council is ready to help low-income Minnesotans bridge the digital divide through this project.

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By Jerome Harrison

The Minnesota IT Workforce Collaborative and Advance IT Minnesota are announcing a new series of technology learning events called Tech IT Out! for Minnesota’s high school and post-secondary students.

The message for students is simple: if technology is such a relevant part of your lives already, why not explore an education or career path in technology?

Tech IT Out! will help to expose students to existing resources, as well as selected technology entrepreneurs and practitioners  who will share their personal stories and passions for technology firsthand.

Initially, during the week of April 18, the Tech IT Out! team will be bringing a crew of volunteer technology professionals to Apple Valley High School to deliver a two-day multimedia presentation and follow-up activity to ten different classes.

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By Ann Treacy

If a community is only as strong as its weakest link, how can we encourage stronger linkage across all of Minnesota’s counties?

Minnesota 2020 reports:

“Minnesota’s latest Census figures don’t paint a promising future for many rural communities. In fact, of the 37 counties that lost population since the 2000 Census all but one were rural. Now most towns rely on the strength of their nearby regional center for survival, making adequate infrastructure crucial to the countryside’s preservation.”

That may sounds like a rural issue, especially to folks living outside rural areas – but another recent report from the Minnesota Rural Partners indicates that there are inter-dependencies between rural and urban areas demonstrating that what happens in rural, doesn’t stay in rural– it trickles and flows to urban counterparts.

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By Kurt Roots

I’ve been analyzing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business and Technology Transfer (STTR) databases to identify some local high tech firms and their investments into R & D.

These programs provide clues into several high-tech firms in Minnesota specifically pursuing sophisticated algorithms and methods.

The primary source of funding for these firms was supplied by the Department of Defense (DoD) agency through the SBIR ($1b annual funding) and STTR ($100m annual funding) programs. The two programs are national vehicles used by many different government agencies to provide funding to small technology companies involved in early-stage R&D projects.

According to the DoD, they annually allocate up to $1,150,000 in funds for SBIR, which is focused solely used in funding high-risk projects at small tech companies. The STTR program has $850,000 set aside to help fund similar companies working in concert with researchers at universities. In both programs, the Air Force, Army, and Navy are the most influential branches of the DoD agency.

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By Max Fram-Schwartz

As a third year student at Macalester College with who’s curious about technology and startups, I take special interest in Minnesota’s future.

Two months ago, I began interning with Code for America (CfA) — an organization based in San Francisco, CA which helps cities across America use web technology to do a better job of providing services to citizens.

We believe that by understanding and leveraging modern technologies, that local governments can become more efficient, transparent, and participatory.

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By Cheryl Moeller & Tim Barrett

Four years after the first transistors were commercially available, a young man named Earl Bakken invented the first battery operated transistorized pacemaker in a Minnesota garage.   Earl’s innovative technology eventually led to the growth of Minnesota behemoth Medtronic, Inc.  Similar stories have been told about the origins of companies such as Apple, Hewlett Packard, and Google — all businesses that essentially started in the garage, albeit outside Minnesota.

Minnesota has a strong history in the computer systems industry as a result of companies such as IBM, Control Data, Unisys, and Cray. Sadly, our ‘High Tech’ leadership has eroded.

Where are the new tech businesses being started today?

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By Adrienne Peirce

Thanks to a dedicated group of local organizers, Product Camp returns to Minnesota on November 13^th from 9am to 4pm.   Product Camp, or PCamp, is an unconference that brings together product management, product marketing and brand management professionals for intense learning and high powered networking.

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By Peter Beacom

I stopped by The Robotic Sensor Networks Lab (RSN Lab) at the University of Minnesota (CS) last week to learn more about their research into the intersection of wireless sensing technologies and robotics.  Fascinating!

With a focus on algorithmic and systems aspects of Robotic Sensor Networks (RSN), The Lab is led by Dr. Volkan Isler who enjoys the cycle of deploying robots into the field, returning to “the office” to solve challenges that arise, and repeat. Broadly speaking, an RSN is a network of devices equipped with sensing, communication and actuation capabilities. With a focus on science rather than profits, the RSN Lab is able to pursue projects with extended timelines (try that with your bootstrapped startup).

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By John Sheehan

StartupWeekend Twin Cities is less than 24 hours away and I’m extremely excited to be headed north to take part in the festivities. As a startup enthusiast and Twin Cities expat who recently moved to Boulder, CO (for spousal career support), StartupWeekend is the kind of event I always wished had come to town when I was around.

As evidenced by the incredible demand for tickets, I know I’m not alone.

I see a bigger opportunity here than just a fun weekend of hacking. It’s not news that the startup environment in Minnesota is less than ideal and temporary excitement only goes so far — which is why I’m issuing a challenge:

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By David L. Welliver,

So, you’re crazy enough to strike out on your own and pursue your dream by starting a new company.  Why? Great! Here are some fundamental basics that you need to  be aware of based on my experiences in helping early-stage technology companies build their systems, models and plans:

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