Happy Thanksgiving, and welcome back to the Great North Labs newsletter!
This is the perfect time of year to reflect on what we are thankful for, and for giving back. We are most thankful for our investors, our advisors, and our portfolio companies, of course! They are the reasons we exist, work, and succeed.
We are also thankful for the developing startup ecosystem in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. There have been great developments recently like the Launch MN Initiative, the first Greater MN accelerator, and one of the largest seed funds ever raised in the Midwest!
There is still a need to improve. There are valid and pressing worries about the creation, automation, and distribution of jobs. Innovation and startups are increasingly important to our future. Did you know that from 1980-2010 about half of all jobs created in the US were from high-growth startups?
Founders Pledge
That is why we are challenging founders in Minnesota to make a Founders Pledge! The Founders Pledge is an international movement of founders dedicating equity to support nonprofits. This is a way for cash-strapped founders to provide impactful contributions to organizations they find important.
![](https://gnladmin.staging.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Local-nonprofits-benefit-from-equity-donations-1.png)
There are several existing structures and organizations, but basically, to make a Founders Pledge startup founders donate a portion of their future proceeds to local nonprofits. They give support to the organizations that support them. If the Founders Pledge becomes ingrained in the culture of our startups, it will create a virtuous cycle between successful startups and the people and organizations that help them succeed.
Supporting the Startup Ecosystem
According to research on early-stage entrepreneurship from the Kauffman Foundation, Minnesota is lagging behind on 4 key indicators of success. Our rate of new entrepreneurs, opportunity share of new entrepreneurs, startup early job creation, and startup early survival rate are all below average, with our composite score putting us at 46th compared to the rest of the US.
Nonprofits are a vital part of supporting early-stage entrepreneurship, and creating favorable outcomes for founders. By contributing to their success, founders can increase the chances of their own and future startups’ success. Join the movement and Great North Labs in making a Founders Pledge!
Events
The holidays are a busy time for everyone! If you find some time between family and friends, here are some events worth attending:
- Dec. 3rd- Medical Alley & AtriCure Networking Social. “This event brings the Twin Cities bioscience players together for expanding your network, hearing about exciting innovation and career opportunities. Appetizers, beverages, demos and tours of AtriCure’s MN facility will be provided.”
- Dec. 9th- FASTCON at the Science Museum in St. Paul. “The first-ever MinneAnalytics Data Science and Tech Conference focused on Food, Ag, Supply Chain, and Sustainability”
- Dec. 11th- Global Conversations: The Global Pulse of Minnesota. “Join a discussion with Global Minnesota’s President Mark Ritchie as he looks back over the evolution of Minnesota as one of the leading international regions, provides a snapshot of key indicators of the current global pulse of the state, and looks ahead at challenges and opportunities as we approach 2020.”
- Dec. 11th- Lunar Startups Lunch and Learn. “Lunar Startups is launching Cohort 3 in March 2020. Join us to learn more about the criteria, how to apply and our process for selecting startups.”
- Dec. 17th- TCB Mag 100 People to Know in Minneapolis. This annual event is a fun networking gathering put on by Twin Cities Business.
- Dec. 18th- MinneAMA- Hiring Junior Devs 101. Minnestar’s monthly virtual AMA session will feature Matt Decuir, founder of Invisible Network and Minneapolis Junior Devs.
- Dec. 19th- gBETA Greater MN-St. Cloud Pitch Night in St. Cloud, MN. This is the first cohort’s pitch night from the very first accelerator based in Greater MN!
Portfolio News
Inhabitr closed a $4M dollar series A round, led by Great North Labs. The news of the Chicago-based furniture rental platform was covered in TechCrunch, and in this piece by ChicagoInno.
2ndKitchen closed a $4.35M round. This startup connects restaurant kitchens with kitchen-less venues, such as bars and breweries. Investors included Hyde Park Venture Partners, Math Ventures, and M25.
Dispatch was named to CNBC’s Upstart 100, which includes “100 of the world’s most promising start-ups to watch in 2019”. Congratulations to the Dispatch team!
Job Board
Dispatch is hiring all over the country for Part Time Drivers and in Bloomington, MN for a Biz Dev Representative, HR Manager (Remote OK), Data Scientist, and CFO.
Structural is hiring an Associate Software Engineer in Indianapolis or St. Paul, MN.
TeamGenius is hiring a Sales Associate in Minneapolis.
FactoryFix is hiring a Software Engineer, Product Designer, and UX Designer in Madison, and a Biz Dev Specialist and Account Manager in Chicago.
2ndKitchen is hiring a Customer Success Manager, Account Executive, and Director of Sales in Chicago.
PrintWithMe is hiring a Customer Success Associate, Network Operations Specialist, and an Operations Lead in Chicago; Super User Technicians in Portland and Houston; and a Regional Sales Director for the West Coast.
Parallax is hiring a Customer Success Specialist, Quality Assurance Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, and for a Growth/Customer Acquisition role in Minneapolis.
Branch is hiring a Content Marketing Manager, Settlement Analyst, Customer Support Agent, Customer Success Manager, and Senior Backend Engineer in Minneapolis.
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Artboard-1@3x-e1714492694352.png)
April Newsletter
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/December-Newsletter-1.png)
June Newsletter
![Learn about HR in startups.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/startup-hr.jpg)
Demystifying Startup HR
![We're Hiring](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-3.png)
Head of Finance & Fund Administration- Venture Capital Firm (Remote)
![Learn about HR in startups.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/startup-hr.jpg)
Demystifying Startup HR
![August Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/August_22_Newsletter.png)
3 Portfolio Companies Make Inc. 5000 + Quicklly & Instacart Expand
![July Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/july_newsletter.png)
iraLogix closes $22M + Branch expands with Uber
![iraLogix Closes Series C](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/iraLogix_series_c.jpg)
iraLogix closes $22M Series C
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/June-Newsletter.png)
Flywheel lands Gates Foundation grant
![We're Hiring](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-3.png)
Venture Capital Analyst
![execution is king with orazio buzza](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-.png)
Orazio Buzza, Founder and CEO of Fooda – on Episode 13, “Execution is King”
![May newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/December-Newsletter-4.png)
$40M Fund II Raised!
![Eric Martell Interview](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screen-Shot-2022-05-19-at-6.50.59-PM-1200x673.png)
Eric Martell, Founder of Pear Commerce: Episode 13, Execution is King
![Great North Ventures Raises $40M Fund II](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-2.png)
Great North Ventures Raises $40 Million Fund II
![Investment Thesis: Fund II Strategy](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Thesis.png)
Investment Thesis: Fund II Strategy
![Investment Thesis: Community-Driven Applications](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Theses-5.png)
Investment Theme: Community-Driven Applications
![Investment Themes: Digital Transformation Through AI](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Theses-3.png)
Investment Theme: Digital Transformation Through AI
![Fund II Theses: Solving Labor Problems](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fund-II-Theses-4.png)
Investment Theme: Solving Labor Problems
![April Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/December-Newsletter-3.png)
Trends in the Gig Economy + Work in the Metaverse
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/December-Newsletter-2.png)
Portfolio raises $125M + talking fundraising with Branch CEO
![Omnia Fishing announcement](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/News-Template-replae-Background-Image-1.png)
Omnia Fishing closes $4M round, joins Great North portfolio!
![Interview with Atif Siddiqi](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-9.png)
Atif Siddiqi, Founder/CEO of Branch: Episode 11, Execution is King
![Execution is King Episode 10](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-9.png)
Michael Martocci, CEO and Founder of SwagUp: Episode 10, Execution is King
![Yardstik Series A](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/News-Template-replae-Background-Image.png)
Yardstik new to portfolio, closes $8M Series A
![NextGem News](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NextGem-News.png)
First venture studio startup comes out of stealth!
![January Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/January-Newsletter.png)
Insights for founders from a data guru, + FactoryFix raises a Series A!
![Execution is King - Interview with Una Fox](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-8.png)
Una Fox: Episode 9, Execution is King
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Blog-Post-Image-2.png)
Start With a Mobile App, Not a Website
![December Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/December-Newsletter.png)
2ndKitchen acquired by SoftBank-backed REEF + advice from an early Googler
![Interview with Joe Sriver](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-14.png)
Joe Sriver, 4giving: Episode 8, Execution is King
![2ndKitchen founders](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2ndKitchen-Founder-Photo-2-scaled-1-1200x837.jpeg)
2ndKitchen Acquired by REEF
![November Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/November-Newsletter-Copy.png)
Venture studio startup jobs + advice for founders from founders
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-7.png)
Best Advice from the Great North Annual Event: Episode 7, Execution is King
![October Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/October-Newsletter.png)
Newsletter: Do you fit our investing themes?
![Interview with Jonathan Treble](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Execution-is-King-cover-art-and-logo-5.png)
Jonathan Treble, PrintWithMe: Episode 6, Execution is King
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Anna-Mason-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Anna Mason, Revolution: Episode 5, Execution is King
![Mynul Khan Episode Cover Art](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Mynul-Khan-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Mynul Khan, FieldNation: Episode 4, Execution is King
![Nick Moran Episode Cover Art](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Nick-Moran-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Nick Moran, New Stack Ventures: Episode 3, Execution is King
![Molly Pyle Episode Cover Art](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Molly-Pyle-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Molly Pyle, Center on Rural Innovation (CORI): Episode 2, Execution is King
![](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Kaufenberg-Episode-Cover-Art-1200x675.png)
Justin Kaufenberg, Rally Ventures: Execution is King Episode 1
![September Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Newsletter-Blog-Post-Template-Copy.png)
Newsletter: “Podcast Launched: Execution is King!”
![Execution is King logo](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-08-04-at-11.03.10-PM-1200x679.png)
“Execution is King” – the Great North Ventures Podcast
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Newsletter-Blog-Post-Template.png)
Newsletter: Fund II is open for business!
![Portfolio Spotlight Blog post](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Blog-Featured-Image-3.png)
Unlocking the Potential of Anonymized Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Data
![Twitter posting for seed and pre-seed startups looking for funding](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Blog-Featured-Image-2.png)
Fund II is open for Business!
![Logo_primary](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Logo_primary.png)
Mike Schulte Promoted to Venture Partner
![April-Newsletter-1](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/April-Newsletter-1.png)
New Name + New Venture Studio
![Great North Venture Labs](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Blog-Featured-Image-1.png)
Great North Launches Startup Studio
![UST on The Wall](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/UST-on-The-Wall.png)
We Don’t Need No [full-time MBA] Education
![Moonshots at the Carlson School](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20190604_181149-copy-scaled-1-1200x682.jpg)
How the University of Minnesota is Embracing Startup Culture
![Top Stories of 2020, iraLogix, and LaunchMN Calls for Mentors](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/December-Newsletter.png)
Top Stories of 2020, iraLogix, and LaunchMN Calls for Mentors
![Building Capacity](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-29-at-12.55.57-PM.png)
Building Capacity for Innovation
![August Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/August-Newsletter.png)
Seizing Opportunity in a Recession, Allergy Amulet, and Twin Cities Startup Week
![July Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/July-Newsletter.png)
Recessionary times, a record-setting IPO, and Minnesota’s Resilient Startups
![Compass Resilience](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Compass-Resilience-1200x617.png)
Minnesota's Resilient Startups
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/June-Newsletter.png)
July 4th, Equitable American Dream-ing, and Robots Diagnosing COVID
![May Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/May-Newsletter.png)
Jumpstart, the Startup School, and Branch Wins a Webby!
![April 2020 Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/April-Newsletter.png)
COVID-19 Trends, the Great North response, and our Founders Survey
![Giving in the Time of Coronavirus](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Giving-in-the-Time-of-Coronavirus.png)
Giving in the Time of Coronavirus
![capitol building](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/low-angle-photography-of-building-1000738-scaled-1-1200x800.jpg)
COVID-19 Resources for Startups, State-by-State
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/March-Newsletter.png)
COVID-19, the CARES Act, and startups stepping up
![New Business Preservation Act](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/New-Business-Preservation-Act.png)
New Business Preservation Act
![February newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/February-Newsletter.png)
Digital Future Boardroom, PartySlate, and The Lean Startup School
![Startup Summit 2020](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Startup-Summit-2020-1200x600.png)
Great North Labs’s Startup Summit 2020
![Startup Summit 2020](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Startup-Summit-2020-1200x600.png)
Great North Labs's Startup Summit 2020
![Great North Labs January Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/January-Newsletter.png)
World Economic Forum, NoiseAware, and the Startup School reboot
![WEF dates](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Screen-Shot-2020-01-21-at-7.33.48-PM.png)
Great North Labs at the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos
![Top 5 Stories of 2019](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/December-Newsletter-Featured-Image.png)
Top 5 Stories of 2019
![November Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/November-Newsletter.jpg)
Taking the Founders Pledge, Inhabitr, and gBETA Pitch Night
![buildings with graph columns overlaid](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-27-at-10.27.33-AM.png)
Founders Pledge: Support the Organizations that Support You
![Great North Labs's October Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/October-Newsletter-.png)
BETA Showcase, Greater MN, and Launch MN comes to St. Cloud
![Twin Cities Startup Week 2019](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-09-at-7.01.37-PM.png)
7 Places to Spot Us at Startup Week
![September Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/September-Newsletter.png)
The Greater MN Meetup, Parallax, and Exponential Medicine
![August Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/August-Newsletter-Copy.png)
Greater MN at the big show, Neela Mollgaard heads Launch MN, and Misty’s roadtrip.
![July Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/July-Newsletter.png)
Talking VC, tech kids, and Forge North’s Horizon
![May Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/May-Copy.png)
June: Great North Labs’s first fund raised!
![May Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/May.png)
May: Innovation Ecosystems, SingularityU Kickoff, and PrintWithMe
![April Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/April.png)
April: Minnebar Recap, ZenLord Pro, and Supporting Entrepreneurs
![Minnebar14](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Minnebar14-1200x400.png)
MinneBar 14 Recap
![Tech Madness 2019](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tech-Madness-1200x457.jpg)
Dispatch and 2ndKitchen claim Tech Madness titles
![Minnesota Innovation Collaborative](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-04-at-6.12.37-PM-1200x402.png)
Minnesota Innovation Collaborative
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/March.jpg)
March: Minnebar, Hockey + Hustlers, and Innovation Workshops
![Great North Labs at CES](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/My-Post.jpg)
Great North Labs at CES
![Dec._Jan. Newsletter Copy 2](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Dec._Jan.-Newsletter-Copy-2.jpg)
Dec.-Jan.: Top Posts from 2018, pepr, Glowe, and Misty Robotics
![Top Posts 2018](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Top-Posts-2018.jpg)
Carried Interest: Top Posts from 2018
![Oct.-Nov. Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Oct._Nov.-Newsletter-Copy.jpg)
Oct.-Nov.: Singularity University, Exponential Tech, and the State of Innovation
![The Digital Transformation Summit will take place on July 25th in Minneapolis.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Digital-Transformation-Summit-2018-e1605573289717-1200x392.png)
Digital Transformation Summit, July 25th in Minneapolis
![June Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/June-Newsletter.jpg)
June: Silicon Lakes, FactoryFix, and the Digital Transformation Summit
![road sign silicon valley highway](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-15-at-12.20.39-PM.png)
Putting the “Silicon” in Silicon Lakes
![Smart factory equipped with AGV, robot carrier, 3D printers and robotic picking system](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/iStock-901810310.jpg)
Digital Manufacturing and Logistics
![May Newsletter Copy](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/May-Newsletter-Copy.jpg)
May: Team Genius, IoT, and the Future of Everything
![engineer and various business information. Internet of things industry.](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/iStock-858527370.jpg)
IoT 3.0
![Healthcare innovation image](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Healthcare-article-picture.png)
Healthcare Innovation
![March Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/March-Newsletter.jpg)
March: Exponential Tech, the “Goldilocks Zone”, and Minnebar 13
![February Newsletter](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/February-Newsletter.jpg)
February: Team Expansion, Dispatch, and Startup School Events
![Great North Labs Newsletter December 2017](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Headerlogo.png)
Great North Labs Newsletter – December 2017
![Rob-Back-To-The-Future-wide](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Rob-Back-To-The-Future-wide.png)
A Letter To My Younger Self
![mixed icons with brown color and tech theme](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Techy-Image-1568x1602.jpg)
Great North Labs Newsletter
![Original Great North Labs banner and logo](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GNL-Banner.png)
Great North Labs Featured on Tech.mn
![St. Paul city skyline](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/st-cloud-skyline.jpg)
Great North Labs Featured in St Cloud Times
![Ryan Weber teaching incubator class](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/RyanWeber-SummerIncubator-GreatNorthLabs.jpg)
Great North Labs – Featured on BizJournals.com
![computer on a desk](https://greatnorthventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/computer.jpg)