TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

MinneDemo is a ‘geek show and tell’ where local presenters have seven (power point free) minutes to demonstrate their real, working technology products.

Produced by Minne*, the event is Minnesota’s largest and longest running demo experience.  Dozens of companies and products have come through MinneDemo over the years;  many have tasted success, others not so much.

For those who didn’t catch a ticket, we’ll have a livestream available right here on the homepage starting around 6 when these nine technologies are scheduled to demo in front of a live audience 500 strong:

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zyngram – (4:40) – mail real postcards to your kids, friends or family from your mobile phone.

Naiku – (13:27) – helps students learn more.

8thBridge - (21:45) – social commerce.

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Minne* announced earlier today the original MinneDemo experience  is coming back for one more pass before we close the books on 2011.

The events coordinators are tentatively lining-up this fall scene for 6pm on October 6th or 7th, likely at St.Thomas again.

“We’re agile,” remarked catalyst Ben Edwards when pressed for the specifics.

For those unfamiliar, the event is a ‘geek show and tell’ where ten presenters have seven power point-free minutes to demonstrate their real, working technology products made in Minnesota.  The application call was made earlier today seeking those interested in a chance to share their projects in front of an audience of hundreds.

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Whatever the motivation — to learn, network, hire, pitch, find inspiration or quench curiosity — over 1,000 Minnesota technology, design and startup enthusiasts passed through the doors of Best Buy HQ over a a 12 hour window yesterday.

Heralded as the largest BarCamp in the US, the latest production of MinneBar (6th to date) was easily the best yet in terms of participation, session breadth / quality, reach and energy.  Guided by Minne* catalysts Ben Edwards, Luke Francl and Adrienne Pierce, the unconference was clearly a success on many levels; the message is clear: Minnesota tech has arrived.

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On Saturday, May 7th, at Best Buy Headquarters in Richfield will be the sixth incarnation of MinneBar — a free and largely decentralized (un) conference aimed at getting those in Minnesota’s tech and design communities together to discuss topics that interest them.

Registration is now open and so is the opportunity for you to signup to lead a session!

Minne* Community Catalyst Ben Edwards anticipates building off last years attendance of roughly 750, with sights set on a cap of 1,000. “Not only is MinneBar Minnesota’s largest and longest running tech gathering, but also one the largest barcamps across the country,” according to Edwards.

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By Kari Petrie, St.Cloud Times

“Local entrepreneurs were given just seven minutes Tuesday to present their product and ask for help to build their business during an event at St. Cloud State University.Ten startups presented during MinneDemo, which gives companies seven minutes each to get out the word about their businesses. The event also featured time when participants could network with others in the tech community.

Tuesday was the first time a MinneDemo event has been conducted outside of the Twin Cities. A standing room only crowd of about 200 people gathered at Atwood Memorial Center for the event co-sponsored by Times Media.”

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By Kari Petrie, St. Cloud Times

“…Tatge will present next month at MinneDemo, an event that gives start-ups a chance to show their product and network with others in the tech community. It’s the first time the event will be outside the Twin Cities.

MinneDemo will be April 12 at St. Cloud State University. Organizers expect 225 attendees at the event, which is already sold out.”

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Having previously featured 9/10 of last night’s Minnedemo presenters, today is less on what our audience already knows about these unique Minnesota startups (videos below) and more on cultural impact of last nights big event on Minnesota’s tech community.

Relatively few were paying attention in the beginning when a small group of enthusiasts would gather somewhere like the (then Franklin Ave) Acadia Cafe or Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant to share their budding projects with peers; based on a historical context of the past three alone, one thing is clear: Minnedemo is now on a whole new level.

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Behind all the talk about innovation, startups and entrepreneurship in Minnesota are two men who have (modestly) been building the local tech community for years through a series of initiatives culminating under the brand umbrella Minne*.

It started back in 2006 with Minnesota’s first barcamp unconference aka MinneBar, followed by “show and tell” MinneDemo (next up: Jan 13), and more recently the introduction of MinneSpark.

“When we created barcamp, I had no idea what Minne* was going to be…I just thought Minnesota needed a barcamp…and we had one and it was a good time…then Luke Francl and Dan [Grigsby] picked up the Demo events, and it became a number of events and we needed something to support all these things,” says Minne* Catalyst Ben Edwards.

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The 9th production of MinnDemo will take place on Thursday, January 13, 6:00pm at St. Thomas’ Schulze Hall.

MinneDemo happens roughly 2-3 times per year to showcase real, working technology products made in Minnesota. In January, ten companies will give 7-minute demos of functional hardware and/or software. In addition to the Minnesota tech buzz, the event is known for facilitating some of the best startup networking in town.

Organizers Ben Edwards and Luke Francl have moved the event to St. Thomas from its previous location at Intermedia Arts in Uptown. “We’ve had such a huge level of interest in this event that we’ve needed to move it around as space has become an issue. We’re always looking for better venues,” said Ben. In the past the event has been held at Chang Mai Tai, Acadia Cafe (before it moved), O’Gara’s, and Intermedia Arts.

Updated 1/5/10 12:45 – The 10 demonstrations include:

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