Minnesota’s one and only startup accelerator program, Project Skyway, is extending the window to apply for their second cycle, according to co founder Casey Allen.
Initially slated to close last month, the move suggests a more patient approach based off learning experiences from the first class, which ran from August through October of last year.
“We’re going downstream to earlier stage companies this time,” Allen explained. “…we have a more precise idea of what kind of companies we’re looking for. And in the quest for that that, we’re extending the opportunity to ensure the best fit and right culture,” Allen said.
By Steve Alexander, Star Tribune
“A Twin Cities man has become the latest consumer to sue Apple, AT&T and California software firm Carrier IQ for allegedly spying on his iPhone via secret monitoring software. About 60 similar lawsuits have been filed against cellphone companies nationwide.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis by consumer George Howell, says the alleged spying violates federal privacy, wiretap and fraud laws.”
By Elizabeth Millard, The Line
“Local IT companies seem to always be in need of more professionals for development work, and now they have new resource that could fill their IT departments in the future.
The IT-Ready Apprentice Program is launching in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with an eye toward other cities in the future. The non-profit program covers the cost of recruitment, training, and certification for employees taking on help-desk, call-center, and technical duties.”
Local software startup Minneapolis Biomass Exchange (MBioEx), which has developed a proprietary online exchange for biomass feedstocks, recently announced the addition of two new advisory board members — Luca Zullo and David Kurzman.
Luca Zullo is the founder of VerdeNero LLC, a biomass and biofuels consulting firm. He formerly was Project Lead at Cargill Environmental Finance, developing second generation biofuels and bio-energy projects, especially “waste” to energy projects. Luca has also worked at Cray Research in the US and Shell Research in The Netherlands.
By Chris Mellor, Channel Register
“Compellent co-founder and CEO Phil Soran has announced he is retiring on 31 March, the integration of Compellent into Dell having been more or less completed.
The announcement was made at Dell’s Storage Forum in London today. Soran stayed on for a year after the acquisition by Dell to bed the acquisition down, and he feels things are now in good shape. Co-founders Larry Aszmann and John Guider left quite quickly after the acquisition.”
Via News Release
“ST. CLOUD, Minn. — January 10, 2012 — Predictive analytics firm eBureau today announced it is spinning off its online advertising targeting business into a new company called TruSignal.
Effective immediately, the move highlights the growing importance of eBureau’s ad targeting business line, and creates a formal corporate entity, with an experienced management team and dedicated resources, that can concentrate on accelerating revenue in one of the hottest marketing channels of the past two decades.”
Via News Release
“MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 09, 2012 — Rimage Corporation (NASDAQ: RIMG) today announced that it has named Robert Olson (55) to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Olson is the Chairman and primary investor in Swift Knowledge, LLC, a business analytics software company focused on the banking and finance markets.
He was also the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stellent, Inc., a publicly traded enterprise content management software company that was sold to Oracle Corporation in 2006.”
Via News Release
“…UnitedHealth Group has announced strategic partnerships with three health technology companies that offer mobile products and services designed to help improve consumers’ health and well-being.
UnitedHealth Group’s new business partners — CareSpeak Communications (NJ), Lose It! (MA) and Fitbit (CA) — help simplify the consumer health care experience by making relevant, practical information easier to access by using consumer-friendly technology devices such as smartphones and other mobile devices.”
Hybrid SaaS product & IT consulting firm Agile Frameworks has recently joined the tech executive org known as Minnesota Emerging Software Advisory (MESA), according to founding mentor Kevin Spanbauer.
After spinning the company out of Braun Intertec in mid-2011 to commercialize software applications and other IP previously developed in house, Agile’s President Mike Anders led the new company in the search for qualified local advisory and found it in MESA.
“Their mission and our needs were aligned…and the services they offered were precisely what we were seeking,” said Anders. “I have found Jim Moar’s mentorship insights to our needs and anticipation of challenges spot on, and his recommendations concise, actionable, and effective thus far.”
Via News Release
“MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 5, 2012– Capella Education Company (NASDAQ:CPLA), a provider of online post-secondary education, primarily through its wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, today announced that Scott Kinney has been named Capella University president.
Previously, Kinney was president of West Education Group at Thomson Reuters Corporation. Additionally, Capella University’s interim president Deborah Bushway, PhD, will become vice president for Academic Innovation.”
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