TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

By Steve Alexander, Star Tribune

“Target Corp. is testing a Netflix-like movie streaming service with its own employees.  Called Target Ticket beta (find it at www.targetticket.com/home/beta), the service claims to offer “instant access to 15,000 titles, new releases, classic movies and next-day TV.” The site requires a Target employee login to use.

The Target website says users can either stream or download movies (streaming video is not stored on a computer’s hard drive, and thus can be watched instantly instead of after a lengthy download.)  Target on Thursday acknowledged it was testing the video service with its employees, but provided no details.”

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By Thomas Lee, Star Tribune

“Target just friended Facebook, big time.  In its boldest foray into digital retailing, Target is launching Wednesday a test version of Cartwheel, an ambitious collaboration with the world’s largest social network that will allow users to earn savings via Facebook and then use their smartphones to redeem those savings in stores.

Though retailers have used social networks like Twitter and Pinterest to promote products and influence opinion, generating real sales has so far proven elusive. By using mobile devices to help drive people to its stores, Cartwheel might be the missing piece to this “multichannel” puzzle, Target officials say.”

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By Thomas Lee, Star Tribune

“With the U.S. Senate poised to pass a bill to allow the collection of online sales taxes, mega-retailers such as Best Buy Co. and Target Corp. are close to a legislative dream they have pursued for decades.

Only one problem: the issue might not matter as much anymore. Best Buy and Target, both based in Minnesota, have long argued that Internet giants like Amazon and eBay can unfairly offer lower prices because states do not require them to collect sales taxes. The federal legislation, called the Marketplace Fairness Act, authorizes states to require online retailers to collect the tax.”

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By Adam Belz, Star Tribune

“Kossi Gavi drives to class on Sunday afternoons to learn retail software, and the reason is simple.

People who wield computers to analyze large amounts of digital information are in high demand, and Gavi is learning a program that chain stores worldwide use to run their businesses. Workers who know the program can earn up to $80,000 per year.”

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By John Ewoldt, Star Tribune

“Pizza wasn’t cutting it anymore. Brandon Pryatel wanted more options for delivery than Domino’s or Papa John’s at the end of a long workday.

Now, thanks to new delivery services and advancing technology, Pryatel and others can choose from nearly 100 Twin Cities restaurants of wide-ranging ethnic cuisine, from the Ginger Hop, the Birchwood Cafe, Brit’s Pub, Tiger Sushi, the Lotus or Gandhi Mahal.”

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By Candace Wheeler, Star Tribune

“In schools across the west metro, iPads and other tablets are evolving from exciting novelties into established teaching tools.

The “one-to-one” student-tablet teaching model is enhancing learning from elementary to high schools in districts that include Bloomington, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. In some cases, they’re even saving schools money.

Bloomington’s Oak Grove Elementary School launched its tablet pilot program in March. Every student in one of two 4th-grade classrooms received a Samsung touch-screen tablet with an attachable keyboard.”

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By Lee Shafer, Star Tribune

“This week Heroic Inc. is launching its online service for people to refer friends and neighbors to a favorite car repair shop, roofer or house cleaner. Heroic is a start-up you want to cheer on, as all of us feel the pain of shopping for the right provider and not quite trusting what we read online.

One of the good things about having real in-the-flesh friends and neighbors is getting the straight dope on who can really be trusted to fix a Volvo or a replace an aging roof, and it’d be great to get their thoughts without having to place a phone call or send an e-mail.”

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By Thomas Lee, Star Tribune

“Best Buy Co. and Target Corp. have ended their experimental Geek Squad partnership, the Star Tribune has confirmed.

Last October, the two Minnesota-based retail giants launched a six-month pilot program in which Geek Squad agents staffed the electronics departments at 29 Target stores, mostly in the Denver area but also one location in the Twin Cities region.

Target had hoped Geek Squad agents would add value to its efforts to sell more televisions and computers, a category the Minneapolis-based company has struggled with in recent years.”

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By Thomas Lee, Star Tribune

“Best Buy Co. Inc. is exiting the venture capital business. Over the past five years, the company’s venture capital unit — Best Buy Capital — had invested millions of dollars in eight early-stage start-ups with the hopes of exclusively selling new technology through its retail stores.

But as new CEO Hubert Joly redirects Best Buy’s resources toward core store and online operations, the company is winding down Best Buy Capital, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. Best Buy officials declined to comment, except to say the unit still exists.”

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By Neal St. Anthony, Star Tribune

“Magnet 360, the fast-growing marketer, has raised $1.6 million in additional equity from existing investors to support a growth surge, bringing the total investment to about $5 million.

The four-year-old company, with about 40 clients including Häagen-Dazs, Digi, Allianz North America, 3M and Cargill, employs 85 people in Minneapolis and New York, where it opened an office in 2011.

It expects to open offices in San Francisco and Chicago this year.  In an interview, managing partner Scott Litman said the client list is expanding, the partnership with Salesforce.com is working, and that the firm expects to grow from about $17 million in revenue in 2012 to $25 million this year.”

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