After yesterday’s post, “Is Perception the Reality with MN Venture Funding?” we received a lot of email and some comments about the state of angel and venture investing in Minnesota. There is a lot of buzz amongst startups (and wannabees) who feel like this State is risk averse and a place where angels and VCs focus on the ‘easy’ spaces: medtech and healthcare.
Is that true? We talk with Pete Birkeland, CFO at RAIN Source Capital, the largest network of Angel Investment Funds in US. Pete is part of a team that manages 23 funds in 6 six states with $40 million under management and is a guy who has worked in this area for 10 years on both the entrepreneurial and investor side.
Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott & Graeme Thickins (Phil Wilson is off this week).
Music by The Varatones and their song, “Surf Blaster” from Music Alley.
The Podcast
Podcast: Download (Duration: 59:59 — 34.7MB)
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Discussed During the Show:
- Apple’s “Antennagate” press conference video; RIM’s (Blackberry) response
- Rainsource Rainmakers Conference, September 23-24 with early bird discount good until the end of July and this year is open to everyone
- On the podcast our guest Pete Birkland mentioned:
- Crowdpitch and Funding Universe;
- Jon Coudron and his startup MinuteBids;
- Lisa Foote and her startup MixMobi;
- Matt Bauer and his startup PedalBrain;
- Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) releases the signup forms for startups & individuals to get certified (which then leads to angels being able to take the 25% Angel Tax Credit)
- Also mentioned other venture capital models like TechStars and YCombinator
- New York VC Fred Wilson.
- Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis/St. Paul (SMBMSP) “Small Business Gets Social” next Friday, July 23, 2010