By Chris Newmarker, Finance and Commerce
“MINNEAPOLIS, MN — In vetoing the Republican-controlled Legislature’s property tax bill, Gov. Mark Dayton ended up rejecting many other measures supported by the economic development community.
An angel tax credit extension, a sales tax break on business equipment purchases and expanded tax breaks for new data centers were among the casualties.”
By Elizabeth Millard, Finance and Commerce
“Matthew Dornquast launched his career by becoming one of the first shareware producers in the world and soon landing a job at tech haven Control Data. Then he graduated from high school.
So it’s no surprise that Dornquast’s latest venture, Code 42 Software, is one of the most notable technology ventures in the state.”
By Chris Newmarker, Finance and Commerce
“A luxury homebuilder is planning to construct a $30 million, 36,311-square-foot data center in Minnetonka. And surprise, it’s going to look like a mansion.
The Minnetonka Planning Commission on Thursday will meet to review plans from Excelsior-based Keith Waters & Associates to build a data center for FiberPop Solutions, an Owatonna-based startup that says it wants to create 10 community-based data centers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri.”
By Jeremy Stratton, Finance and Commerce
“Code 42 Software executives were drawn two years ago to move the company’s offices out of downtown Minneapolis and over the Mississippi River to Riverplace.
The extra space has come in handy.
Code 42’s headcount more than doubled to 86 in 2011, and is now at 92. It’s expected to grow to at least 150 by the end of 2012 — now that the company has raised $52.5 million in one of the largest venture capital raises ever in the state.“
By Matt M. Johnson, Finance and Commerce
“Barely 6 inches long, Lee Anderson’s green, gypsum-powder model of a double hyperbolic paraboloid roof line hardly seems the most impressive object in the Digital Fabrication Lab at the University of Minnesota.
Though not impossible to draw or build, the calculus-derived shape defies the modeling abilities of even Anderson, a professor at the university’s School of Architecture. Instead of attempting to carve it, as he was apt to do in his post-graduate days, Anderson designed it on a computer, then printed it.”
By Bob Geiger, Finance and Commerce
“Minnesota has made significant progress in increasing the percentage of households with broadband Internet service. But barriers of geography, age and income pose challenges to reaching the goal of being in the nation’s top-five states.
State Commerce Commissioner Michael Rothman and representatives of the nonprofit Connect Minnesota issued a report Thursday detailing the state’s efforts to increase penetration of broadband to state households.”
By Arundhati Parmar, Finance and Commerce
“A nonprofit in northern Minnesota is about to launch a project that will ultimately bring eight northeast rural counties into the 21st century by providing high-speed Internet.
Earlier this year, the Mountain Iron-based Northeast Service Cooperative received $43.5 million in loans and grants from the federal government to lay 915 miles of fiber optic cable in the region. The nonprofit is set to issue a request for proposal (RFP) by Nov. 15, said Lyle MacVey, director of information technology.”
By Bob Geiger, Finance and Commerce
“Amid all the depressing jobs and employment reports issued lately, it’s good to find that one interactive firm has actually increased its staff size this year by 50 percent.
That rapid expansion, from 100 in January to an expected 150 positions with expected hires by Oct. 25, involves interactive marketing and software development firm The Nerdery.“
By Scott Carlson, Finance and Commerce
“The Dolan Company, the Minneapolis-based corporate parent of Finance & Commerce, is taking a stake in BringMeTheNews.
Dolan and Padilla Speer Beardsley, a Minneapolis-based public relations firm, are investing a cumulative $1 million in the Twin Cities-based news aggregation and radio broadcast news service. As a part of the investment, The Dolan Company CEO James P. Dolan and Padilla Speer Beardsley CEO Lynn Casey are joining the board of BringMeTheNews, which currently includes company founder Rick Kupchella and GoKart CEO Don Smithmier.”
By Peter Lindstrom, via Finance and Commerce
“In his essay “How to Be Silicon Valley,” Paul Graham, co-founder of the successful early-stage startup accelerator, Y Combinator, outlines four traits that he believes a place must have in order to be a hub for tech startups:
- An attractive city with personality.
- A strong research-based higher education institution.
- Policies and networks that support and encourage investments in young, emerging tech companies.
- A culture of innovation that is willing to take a risk.
So how do we match up?”
It might be educational for the other entrepreneurs in the community to know this isn't YC and the s...
Author: Casey AllenGood for you... congratulations! The Twin Cities is a great place to lead this charge. If you can ...
Author: Darren CoxCongrats, Heroic!
Author: Dana SeversonJustin and team rock.
Author: GraemeThickinsCan you elaborate on that?
Author: Jeff Pesek