The Definitive Guide to the Fort Collins Startup Scene
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The Definitive Guide to the Fort Collins, Colorado Startup Scene Chris J Snook & Brianne Snook Co-Founders of Launch Haus Version 1.2 a publication of
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Published by Launch Haus for our guests and fellow entrepreneurs, this is the definitive resource for all those working in the startup ecosystem of Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Inspired by the Hitchhiker's Guide to Boulder Tech Community and Sam Teller's Guide to LA Startups, Brianne and I have decided to illuminate and connect the world to the amazing resources and players in the NoCo Ecosystem. Future iterations will ensue as we continue our primary research and interface activity. Version 1.1 Updates -DeBugged all Hyperlinks to "Active" -Added two more Meetups/Resources -Launched the Feedback Survey live link
Transcript of The Definitive Guide to the Fort Collins Startup Scene
The Definitive Guide to the
Fort Collins, ColoradoStartup SceneChris J Snook & Brianne SnookCo-Founders of Launch Haus
Version 1.2
a publication of
Contributors to this guide:
1. Chris J Snook, Co-Founder/Venture Catalyst; Launch Haus
2. Brianne Snook, Co-Founder/General Manager; Launch Haus
3. Doug Johnson, SVP Capital Access; Rocky Mountain Innosphere
4. Mike Freeman, CEO; Rocky Mountain Innosphere
5. Charisse Bowen, Executive Director; CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship
6. Steve Hamaker, Designer & Identity Specialist; Stevaker Design
THANK YOU
Guidelines to Amplify Your Results and Adoption into Colorado’s Startup Ecosystems1. This state is led by the Entrepreneurs, supported by Feeders, and amplified by Mentors2. Promote Fort Collins as an AWESOME place to live, work, and innovate!3. Give Generously Before you Expect to Get!4. Enjoy the culture, lifestyle, and people!5. No Whining…Act and Make a Positive Difference!6. When you have a BIG EXIT…Give back to the Ecosystem!7. Contribute Something to each interaction8. Have an “Open Door”9. Be in a constant state of “discovery”. Learn and Connect others to resources they need!10. Promote our fellow ecosystems and friends in Boulder and Denver and visit often,
encouraging them to do likewise!
ETIQUETTE
Want to skip around? Here’s what we’re going to cover.
OVERVIEW6. Why Fort Collins?
7. Notable Companies
9. Movements
10. Meetups/Events/Maps
13. CSU Entrepreneurship
14. Capital Access
RESOURCES17. Incubators
21. Prototype labs
24. Venture Capital
26. Office Space
28. Co-Working
30. Finding Talent/Jobs
31. Get Connected
32. Legal/Hr/Dev/Accounting
LIFESTYLE &ACTIVITIES34. “Hop”pening Places
35. Stay Caffeinated
36. Trails/Parks
42. Author Profile
44. Rate this Slideshare
The essential understanding that’ll get you up to speed and connected in a hurry!
OVERVIEWDISCLAIMER: Last Updated 2/8/14We’re going to walk you through a snapshot of the most relevant resources, players, and movements to help you insert into, contribute to, and benefit from the Fort Collins Startup Ecosystem. We are continually adding to this as we become aware of new additions and changes in the marketplace. We don’t know it all but this is a great place to start!
#4 Best Places for Business/Life (Forbes)
#2 National list of Top Metro Areas for High Tech Startup Density
#1 Best Places to Live (Money Magazine)
Best Cost of Living index on the Front Range (Affordable Housing, Affordable Talent, Affordable and Ample Office Space, Amazing Schools for your Kids, & Our Outdoor Lifestyle Rocks!
WHY FORT COLLINS?1
2
FUN FACT #1Fort Collin’s historic downtown was the
inspiration for Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.
www.advancedmicrolabs.com
www.vandynesuperturbo.com
www.dvmsystems.com
www.zeroheroevents.com
www.pandabicycles.com
www.sprigtoys.com
www.datasplice.com
www.beginagaintoys.com
www.clearpathlabs.com
www.ridekick.com
www.stewartenv.com
www.weatherflow.com
http://us.wirsol.com
www.propel-labs.com
www.brinkmanpartners.com
SOME (NOT ALL)NOTABLE STARTUPS
www.art4dvm.com
http://www.carboanalytics.com
www.fluonic.com
www.kromatid.com
http://fireflymedicalinc.com/
www.strenatus.com
http://vet-dc.com
www.bluemargin.com
www.canvasbackonline.com
www.communityfunded.com
www.dh2i.com
http://exchangemeds.com
www.meritagesystems.com
www.metstat.com
www.mocodevco.com
www.orderstorm.com
www.physicalactivityinnovations.com
www.youseeu.com
www.avividtechnologies.com
http://www.boulderev.com
www.czero-solutions.com
http://www.fabriq.co
www.logimesh.com
www.navituspower.com
Open Water Foundation
www.optienzsensors.com
www.pneumaticoat.com
http://www.solidpowerbattery.com
www.symbioenergy.com
NOTABLE EMPLOYERS
• Colorado Water Innovation Cluster
• NETZERO Communities
• Social Entrepreneurship/CSU
• Drive Electric Northern Colorado
• Colorado Entrepreneurial By Nature
• Startup Revolution
• 1 Million Cups Noco
MOVEMENTS
MEETUPS• NewTech Fort Collins• Fort Collins Internet Marketing Tools/Techniques• Fort Collins Talent Trade• LabWorx• Fort Collins Digital Gunslingers• Innovation After Hours• The Caffienated Business Network• The Mobile Workforce (Location Neutral)• Entrepreneurs• NoCo Real Estate Investors Group• NoCo Renewable Energy Society• EntrepreNerds• SBDC's New Lean Startup Intensive• LAUNCH NoCO
Show Up–Contribute–Receive
EVENTSMark Your Calendars!• Bohemian Nights/NewWestFest
• Venture Adventure Challenge• Fortoberfest
• Tour De Fat
• Downtown Fort Collins Events
• NREL Industry Growth Forum
• Rocky Mountain Cleantech Open• Fort Collins Startup Week
• Blue Ocean Enterprise Challenge
STARTUP GENOME MAPFort Collins, Boulder, Denver
Over 820 New Tech Companies…
You can add your Startup, Event,
Association, Accelerator, etc. here:
http://www.bdnt.org
COLORADO STATEEntrepreneurship
The Venture Accelerator provides entrepreneurship training, advising, and mentoring for student run ventures. Select entrepreneurs are incubated for a 12 month period to develop the idea and to better position it for a successful launch. The Accelerator program consists of two stages: the Immersion Lab which runs for four months and the Start-Up Spring Board which runs for eight months.
The Immersion Lab is a 16-week intensive track program that engages up to twelve student entrepreneurs and their teams in a hands-on, execution style training opportunity that is focused on launching their new ventures. During the Immersion Lab, participants will work with a mentor and multiple advisors who guide them as the venture teams deliver measurable outcomes in a time sensitive manner.
The Start-Up Spring Board is the second -stage of the accelerator program.
VISIT: www.biz.colostate.edu
CAPITAL ACCESSThanks to the tremendous innovative thinking of the leadership at Rocky Mountain Innosphere, Fort Collins has one of the most efficient and equitable Access to Capital ecosystems in the country
Funding Vehicles Include:• Donor Pool for Seed Stage
• Debt Fund
• Community Development Venture Capital Fund
• Program and Entrepreneur Sponsorship
Grants/Debt/Angels/VCs
Learn More at:Rocky Mountain Innosphere Capital Access
Tax Credit Example for Innosphere Donors
Innosphere Contribution Amount $100,000
Assumed 35% Federal Tax Rate -$35,000
4.63% Colorado Tax Rate -$4,630
Colorado EZ Tax Credit -$25,000
Adjusted “Cost” To The Contributor $35,370(35.37% of Total Contribution)
CROWDFUNDOne of Fort Collins own new tech startups with a successful Seed round is ready to make sure your new idea gets off the ground With an innovative solution set for crowdfunding.
• Offer Rewards and In-Kind
• Offer Equity
• Non-Profit Donations
• White labeled Enterprise platform for brands
• Community Funded Marketplace
• And more
communityfunded.com
The Places and People You Need toMeet and Visit in Fort Collins andthe Front Range Ecosystems.
RESOURCES
INCUBATORSMentorship-Access to Capital-Acceleration!
LAUNCH
THE INNOSPHEREInnosphere has an Expanded Cleantech Program!
A great resource for cleantech entrepreneurs: The recently launched “Innosphere at CREED” office is located at the Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED). CREED is co-located with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO — the only federal laboratory dedicated to the research, development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Visit www.rmi2.org
NON-PROFIT
INCUBATOR
Accelerating Job Creation & Entrepreneurship
THE CSU HATCHERYCSU incubates its own startup companies—these three student entrepreneurial companies were chosen to accommodate space at Innosphere and have full access as clients. The current three hatchery companies include:
Cam-Keeper1
Stuff’N Mallows2
Wild Fit Gyms3
ACCELERATORS NEARBYImagineH2O - The Leading Path-to-Market Resource for Promising Water Entrepreneurs1
CleanTech Open - The World’s largest Clean Tech Accelerator2
Founders Institute - World's Largest Startup Accelerator, with a mission to "Globalize Silicon Valley"3
TechStars - provides seed funding from over 75 top venture capital firms and angel investors who are vested in the success of your startup4
PROTOTYPE LABS
IDEA2PRODUCT
CSU IDEA2PRODUCT LAB
Facilities at the Idea to Product lab include five 3D printing platforms, with two more scheduled to arrive in the near future to take the total up to seven, and meet the anticipated increased demand from this community. The 3D printers are capable of processing up to 18 different materials and therefore offer wide scope for new innovation in developing product ideas.
A nominal fee is required to use the facilities provided in order to cover costs of materials and maintenance.
CSU VENTURES
• Discover I.P. & Co-Founders
• License, R&D, Incubate, and Commercialize New Solutions
• Access Capital, New Tech & World Class Research
Technology Transfer
TECH TRANSFER
VENTURE CAPITAL
• Vista Ventures• Bohemian Companies LLC• Foundry Group (Boulder)• Access Venture Partners• High Country Ventures
• Aravaipa Ventures
LOCAL FRONT RANGE VCs
OFFICE SPACE
3-500 EMPLOYEES
READY TO SCALE?harmonytechnologypark.com
Flexible Space for 3-500+
CALL BRINKMAN PARTNERS AND
REFERENCE OUR GUIDE AS YOUR
REFERRAL SOURCE: 970-206-4500
AVAILABLE 2014
CO-WORKING
1-5 TEAMM
ATES
NEED AFFORDABLE DESKS?• http://www.hivefortcollins.com
• http://coherecommunity.com/
• Jefferson’s Study
• www.launchha.us (coming 2014)
AVAILABLE!
FINDING TALENT/STARTUP JOBS•Innosphere Startup Job Board
(http://www.rmi2.org/page.asp?NavID=58)
•Launch Haus Startup Job distribution list-Send your CV to Chris J Snook for distribution to dozens of local startups in Fort Collins/Loveland
•Create a profile and complete the personality assessment on CoFounders Lab and search Fort Collins/Loveland, CO
NOW HIRING!
GET CONNECTEDPress/Newsletters/Social• http://www.innovationews.com
• http://www.startupcolorado.com
• http://www.houseofgenius.org (coming to NoCo in 2014)
• http://www.xconomy.com (Colorado)
• http://www.facebook.com/launchhausfc
• http://www.twitter.com/launchhausfc
• http://www.coloradotechnology.org (CTA)
• http://www.builtincolorado.com
WELCOM
E!
LEGAL/HR/DEV WORK ETC• Cooley LLP (Startup/Venture Track Legal)
• TriNet (PEO/HR Outsourced)
• Sonata Services (Dedicated Outsourced Programmers/Developers Offshore/North America/China
• NowCFO (Outsourced CFO and Accounting)
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
LIFESTYLE ACTIVITIES
WORK/LIFE
BALANCE
“HOP”PENING PLACES
• Odells
• New Belgium
• Equinox
• Fort Collins Brewery
• Coopersmiths
• Black Bottle Brewery
CRAFT BEER
STAY CAFFEINATED
• Starry Nights Café
• MUGS Coffee Lounge
• Everyday Joes
• Bean Cycle
• Cranknstein
JAVA!!
TRAILS, PARKS, ETC.• Fort Collins Trail Map
• Fort Collins Parks Map
• Estes Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Bike Fort Collins
FUN!
RECENT
QUOTE“Now with a unified brand…In the near future we envision a statewide Colorado Startup Week.”
Aaron KennedyCMO-State of Colorado
Within high-tech ICT sector (Information and Communications Technology), new firm births grew by 210% and Fort Collins was #2 Nationwide for High Tech Startup Density in 2013! Source: Kauffman Foundation
A GREAT
STATISTIC
THE FORT COLLINS NEWCOMER INTEGRATION CHECKLIST
Study and Review This Guide and its Links
Email [email protected] for personal introductions
Attend a relevant Meetup or Open Event
Take a Tour of Innosphere, CSU Idea2Product Lab, & Launch Haus (opening 2014)
4 SIMPLE
STEPS
Welcome to the Fort Collins Startup
Ecosystem! Please help us make this guide
more valuable in future versions by taking
our quick survey. Thanks in advance!
TAKE OUR 2 SECOND SURVEY NOW
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FREE ADMISSIONFORT COLLINS, CO | MENTOR SESSION 2014
REGISTER FOR A V.I.P. INVITEwww.launchha.us
FREE OFFER
CHRIS J. SNOOK & BRIANNE SNOOK
AUTHOR
PROFILES
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