TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

StartupShoppe Inc. announced today the official launch of  online video application ‘Minnesota Startup Showcase’  built specifically for entrepreneurs to refine, record and spread their message.

With technical aspects already built into the app, StartupShoppe simply collects the executive summary/slide-deck and records a 5-7 minute video of the CEO or founder essentially pitching the venture.  The final product features a single, wide screen video of the startup founder presenting on the left with corresponding slides rotated on the right, above a brief text description and a link to the .pdf executive summary.

The promotional tool aims to help entrepreneurs succinctly tell their story through a personalized medium and back it up with real time supporting documents – all while providing busy stakeholders a quick and interactive means to learn the fundamentals of the business.

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Accelerant (n.): a A substance that is used as a catalyst to increase the speed of or to cause sooner than expected.

In an effort to better support Minnesota innovators and entrepreneurs, Minneapolis Law Firm Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi (RKMC) has developed and launched a suite of targeted legal resources specifically for the “sophisticated pre-money start-up”. The Accelerant program, which is generally limited to highly-skilled entrepreneurs with high-growth business models, aims to provide entrepreneurs with a systematic and cost-effective approach to the necessary legal componentry of their venture.  As RKMC Partner and Accelerant initiator Kevin Spreng describes:

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On Monday, April 12th, Minneapolis will join the likes of Orlando, Seattle, Denver, Pheonix, Utah and Baltimore with the launch of “Crowdpitch Minneapolis.”

Coordinated locally by Angel network Rain Source Capital, the event is designed to bring together local tech entrepreneurs, mentors and service providers in an informal and energetic setting.

Indirectly, it’s implied that Angel Investors from both the FundingUniverse.com & Rain Source network will be watching for Minnesota talent!

According to the website,

“Crowdpitch is the ‘American Idol’ for those tech entrepreneurs selected to pitch their company to a panel of experts and a live audience.“

The expert panel (TBA) will serve as a means of vetting the startups through a brief Q&A session before the audience casts its vote with $100 “funny money” towards the best startup. Ultimately, the winning startup will receive in kind services ranging from SEO, financial/accounting services, payroll, and Amazon web services – collectively valued at $8,000.  It’s rumored that more prizes may also be announced as the event nears.

The pitches will be followed by a free networking lunch.  Don’t miss this opportunity to pitch your startup to Minnesota peers and experts! You can signup to pitch and/or attend on the homepage here.

Update 4/8/10: companies & judges announced:

• Vast Enterprises, which makes environmentally friendly pavers

• 4Crowd, a tech startup that’s developed a Web site to help businesses communicate with potential customers

• Diabetes Sentry Products Inc.

• MobileRealtyApps- branded MLS home search apps for real estate agencies

Judges:

• Graeme Thickins, Minnov8 blogger

• Jesse Stremcha, 3C Capital Partners

• Frank Vargas, Gray Plant Mooty

• Steve Ruelle, Twin Cities Angels

• Pete Birkeland, RAIN Source Capital

Justin Porter is a Venture Center Analyst with the University of Minnesota’s Office of Technology and Commercialization (OTC).  The OTC oversees all aspects of technology commercialization, including patenting and licensing of intellectual property, development of start-up companies, and the providing of resources for researchers.  In other words, they are the mechanism by which IP developed from within the University’s research field (3,500 strong) is packaged and released into the market.  This process is generally known as “tech transfer” amongst other Universities and research institutions around the world.

In 2009, the OTC generated around 95 million dollars in gross revenue on behalf of their IP portfolio which (not surprisingly) is predominantly medical & life science-but does include IT,  hardware and software.  For detailed information and statistics on how the OTC compares with its peers, The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) provides a comprehensive assessment of the tech transfer market at large.  Here is a glimpse of the IT/Software the shelf here at the U of M.

Join us as we chat for 20 minutes with Justin about his role with the OTC- where they’re at, where they’re going and why they want to partner with entrepreneurs and startup companies.

Are you versed in both CSS/HTML AND PHP development? If so, we’d like to get to know you better. Our company is looking for a Twin Cities based developer.

About Our Company:
We are small Minneapolis company with big technology. We have an all-star team that fosters creativity, innovation and a sense of entrepreneurship. Our alumni have gone on to work for the likes of
Google, Yahoo, and Mozilla.

Who We Need:
We are seeking a person with two different skill sets:

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Location: 1600 University Avenue West, St Paul, MN 55104 (Spruce Tree Building).

Terms: Month to Month, through 2010.

Price: 700/month – first & last upfront.

Details: 1-3 executive suites are available for sublease through Angel Investment Consortium Rainsource Capital .  The shared accoutrements include: reception area, conference room, wi-fi, private phone line(s) and printer.  Room dimensions are approximately 10 by 12 and open to single tenants or small teams of 2-3. Parking includes 1 ramp space (possible more).

Contact: Pete Birkeland; PBirkeland@RainsourceCapital.com, 651.632.2140