Tech{dot}MN

Starting a business is tough, but winding one down after years of effort can be equally challenging.

How do you handle the tough conversation with your customers? Your stakeholders? Yourself?

Amber Gunn Thomas created an online business around the DIY economy.  The Patchery was a marketplace that enabled everyday people to be part of the creative process without having to be an amazing artist, or designer. After being full time on the Patchery for three years, since April 2014, Amber made the decision to cease operations in the spring of 2017.

In this Entrepreneur 2 Entrepreneur series curated by Sean Higgins and underwritten by Router Ventures, she talks for the first time about lessons learned and what the process was like for her:

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The Inspectorio brothers (L-R) Carlos, Fernando and Luis Moncayo Castillo moved their company – and their lives – to Minneapolis following the Techstars + Target Retail Accelerator class of 2016.

Since that integration, the quality and compliance software startup has been booming every sense, attracting an initial $3.7m seed round in early 2017 with a follow-on $10m series A announced this past week.

We talk with Cofounder and CMO Fernando Moncayo Castillo about what’s going on with Inspectorio right now:

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15 M&A transactions concerning Minnesota tech companies were counted from April 1 – June 30, 2018 (Q2). Below is a list of each of those specific deals, as well as some aggregate/meta analysis.

Thank you to local M&A pro’s Franklin Partners for underwriting this research.

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Via News Release

“Earlier this week we kicked off our 2018 Techstars Retail Accelerator program and welcomed 10 new startups to Minneapolis to learn from the best in the industry. Similar to previous years, we have a diverse set of founders from all over the world dead set on upending the status quo within the retail industry.”

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Similar to our regular running columns Who’s coming to and moving around Minnesota? + Which Out of State Tech Companies Have a Presence Here?

…Who are Minnesota’s Private Equity-Backed Tech Firms? is introduced to thoroughly understand and track another important element of Minnesota’s ever changing tech story.

Thanks to Minnesota tech M&A specialists Franklin Partners for underwriting this research.

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The Nerdery has named Adrian Slobin CEO after nearly a year without one.

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Via News Release

“Minneapolis, MN, July 17, 2018 – Edmentum, a global leader and the original pioneer in online teaching and learning programs, announced the appointment of Eric Doan as Chief Financial Officer. Eric joins a newly expanded and highly focused leadership team that is committed to putting educators first by delivering proven, research-based curriculum and assessment programs designed to improve student achievement.”

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Via News Release

“LIMA, Pa., July 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Pilot Freight Services (Pilot), a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, is excited to announce its acquisition of Manna Freight Systems (Manna), a final mile logistics provider based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, in a strategic move to create unparalleled final mile service for furniture and appliance delivery with installation capabilities.

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