Minnov8

Showcasing Minnesota Technology Innovation

Minnov8 Gang 329 – #IAmMNTech

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iammntech_mainThis week’s show has two bonus guests: our guest host, Julio Ojeda-Zapata, and our guest Nick Roseth. The former has unique perspectives on the tech stories covered and the latter has an exciting new Minnesota-tech-centric documentary called DocuMNtary, an effort which has this Kickstarter to ensure it gets made. Go there, watch the trailer, and support it!

A new hashtag has also emerged, #IamMNTech, which is the perfect way to identify Minnesota’s accelerating technology ecosystem and promote anything tech-centric here in the #North. Use it going forward.

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Phil Wilson and Julio Ojeda-Zapata (Graeme Thickins is off).
Music: Blue Funk by Donconscenti under a Creative Commons License.

The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:03:56 — 37.3MB)

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Download or listen link

Story Links
Past Week’s Biggest MN Stories
Our Guest

nick-rosethNick Roseth (LinkedIn) of SWAT Solutions. With 16 years in digital, Nick has worked with companies big and small to grow business while leveraging available resources. He and a small group of tech enthusiast have launched this Kickstarter campaign to tell the story of the thriving technology community in the Twin Cities.

See more at DocuMNtary and also see this article, which Julio Ojeda-Zapata published right after this podcast recording: St. Paul man planning DocuMNtary.

Other Top Tech Stories
Cool Thing of the Week
Upcoming Events

MN Cup is Now Accepting Applications

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MN Cupmn-cup-home – the largest statewide new venture program in the country – is now accepting applications for its 11th competition.

MN Cup is the premier resource for Minnesota entrepreneurs. They support emerging entrepreneurs from across the state through events, educational programming and an annual new venture competition that provides them with tools, resources and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures. The competition inspires entrepreneurs to begin their startup journey, supports them as they develop a solid business plan, provides exposure for their ideas and offers numerous opportunities to expand their networks.

The 2015 MN Cup competition is now accepting applications. Apply here.

MN Cup & Treehouse Health – Free Event

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mncup-treehouse-logosYou are invited to join Minnesota Cup, and other key organizations, at TreeHouse Health on September 16, 4:30-7:30 pm, for refreshments and a practical discussion on fundraising and intellectual property considerations.

Hear from knowledgeable local experts: professionals from AVL Growth Partners, a firm that delivers financial expertise to early-stage firms, and  Christensen Fonder, a leading Minneapolis-based intellectual property law firm.

This free event is open to all in the Twin Cities startup community.  Lots of time for valuable networking — and come with your questions!

Register Here

Is Minnesota successful in entrepreneurship?

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minnesota-sealGood story at MinnPost by Scott Litman, co-founder and Managing Partner of Magnet 360 (@scottmagnet) and co-founder of Minnesota Cup, and John Stavig, Director of the Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, Carlson School of Management (@gooddrjds).

Minnesota has consistently been at or near the bottom among all states in the formation of new business entities per capita and the headline from the latest Kauffman Foundation report reinforces this. Business formation rates per capita are one measure of entrepreneurial activity, and since 2007 our state has not placed above 40th. Many have voiced concern over this data, but business formation rates per capita can be a misleading measure, as it does not distinguish between high growth ventures, lifestyle businesses and sole proprietorships.

Read the rest here…

via @MNHeadhunter

Minnesota Cup Application Process Now Open

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mncuplogoThe ninth annual Minnesota Cup competition – the largest statewide new venture competition in the country – will close its application window on May 17 at 11:59 p.m. Entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses have two weeks to enter their breakthrough business ideas on Minnesota Cup’s website for a chance to compete for $200,000 in prize money.

The competition is free to enter and encourages entries from a wide range of business ideas in six divisions – Energy & Clean Tech, General, High Tech, Life Science & Health IT, Social Entrepreneur and Student. Entrepreneurs advancing in the competition will have the opportunity to advance business ideas, gain exposure, learn about resources available to entrepreneurs, be paired with mentors, meet members of the Cup’s review board – and win cash prizes if their idea is judged to be among the best entries.

Submissions must contain a description of the product or service, explanation of the market size or opportunity, a sales and marketing overview, brief operating plan and high level financial projections and assumptions.

For more information and to enter, please visit www.breakthroughideas.org.

Launch a Start-up With U of MN Tech

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MNcup-logoThis just in from Minnesota Cup: Entrepreneurs and business executives are invited to a free entrepreneur event hosted by the University of Minnesota – Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC).  The purpose of this event is to educate local entrepreneurs on how to work with the OTC. The event will explain the process for technology licensing and how to build start-up companies based on University of Minnesota research.

Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 from 5:00-7:30 PM

Location: Maroon & Gold Room, McNamara Alumni Center (200 Oak Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455)

Agenda:
5:00-5:15 pm – Registration and Networking
5:15-5:20 pm – Welcome and Opening Remarks
5:20-5:45 pm – How to work with the U of MN – OTC
5:45-6:30 pm – Panel Discussion

  • Moderator: Doug Johnson, Office for Technology Commercialization
  • John Bergstrom, Early Learning Labs
  • Ken Shain, SMART Signal Technologies
  • Bill Faulkner, Ascenix
  • Eric Madson, Embomedics

6:30-7:30 pm – Networking with Refreshments and Hors d’oeuvres

Register Here

Minnov8 Gang 136 – Pedal to the Metal

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This past summer amazed the Gang in how there has been a constant and continuing stream of new announcements, mergers and acquisitions, and major battles in the mobile space. We discuss this and much more in this week’s podcast.

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott and Phil Wilson (Graeme Thickins is off this week)
Music: “Kitchen Sink Boogie” by Big George Jackson Blues Band via Music Alley.

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 33:30 — 19.6MB)

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Discussed during the show:

Upcoming Events:

Interview of startup QONQR (MN Cup Runner-Up, High Tech Division)

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QONQR started as the winner of the first Twin Cities Startup Weekend in September 2010, a competition in which teams have 48 hours to build a prototype and pitch their business. Since then, QONQR has been accepted into the Demo Track of MidVenturesLAUNCH in Chicago and was a finalist in the Entertainment Category of the 2011 SXSW Accelerator, competing against Hall of Fame Game Designer, Lord British!

QONQR is the first in a line of geosocial games from the Minnesota-based company of the same name. The six QONQR team-members have been working together for years. In addition to being friends, and passionate gamers, they are experienced designers, deelopers, and entrepreneurs.

I interview Justin Peck and Andy Pickett from QONQR, the Minnesota Cup competition High Tech Division Runner-Up, at the final awards event on September 8th:

EarthClean Takes the MN Cup!

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Last night, EarthClean, a Minneapolis-based start-up that makes an environmentally friendly fire retardant, was named “Minnesota’s Top Breakthrough Business Idea” and honored for its innovative business concept. Area business leaders and investors selected EarthClean as the 6th Annual Minnesota Cup winner, awarding it $20,000 as Clean Tech & Renewable Energy Division winner and an additional $20,000 as grand prize recipient.

Founded in March 2009, EarthClean develops innovative, game-changing technologies and high performing products that are safe for plants, animals, fish and people. The start-up’s first product, TetraKO®, is a biodegradable and non-toxic water additive that helps firefighters knock down and suppress fires far more effectively than currently available suppressants. The product is pumped through standard fire equipment and adheres to any surface, in any attitude, of its targeted structure. Exposed to heat, TetraKO immediately attacks the fire tetrahedron (the chemical chain reaction of fuel, oxygen and heat) resulting in a dense, white steam that is cooler than the fire itself, thus further suffocating the blaze. The result is exceedingly fast and thorough extinguishment with far less fire destruction and water damage, and reduced risk for fire fighter professionals.

Congratulations to the EarthClean team! If you have a moment, check out this video on the fire retardant at WCCO.com and head on over to the MN Cup website and view the press release which is here.

Minnov8 Gang 83: Innovation is Accelerating

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The Gang covers much of what happened this past week in innovation, specifically surrounding the Minnesota Cup, Unsummit, iPhone 4 introduction and we even discussed an infamous news item, the ICANN authorization of the new “.xxx” top level domain.

Show Hosts: Steve Borsch, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson (Tim Elliott was off this week).
Music by Al Phlipp and the Woo Team and their song, “Timber Stone” from Music Alley.

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:03:01 — 36.8MB)

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Discussed during the podcast:

+ SMBMSP at Target Center
+ Minnesota Cup Semifinal event and the semifinalists
+ UnSummit
+ 2005 Bush Administration objection to the .xxx top-level domain
+ The Collaborative
+ A fabulous resource for anyone in business in Minnesota (especially startups!), the James J. Hill Library
+ Alvenda funding ($5M from Split Rock: link to PDF)
+ W3i mobile strategy announcement coming. Check their site Monday morning.