Founders or Investors: These are the top 5 signs a startup will succeed
As a tech founder and investor, I have spent a lot of time thinking about why some startups scale and why others fail. You have to when your livelihood is riding on whether or not you can execute. And when you’re putting other peoples’ money on the line, knowing what to do and being able […]
Post-Pandemic Times – Sand Hill Moves to Middle America
Tech Sector’s Growth has Accelerated It is no secret that during the pandemic, the tech sector is delivering stronger returns than other sectors. As examples, underlying the stock prices, Zoom sessions increased from 10M daily in Dec 2019 to 200M daily in March 2020. Daily broadband usage in the US jumped from 13.2GB in March […]
Where to Invest in the Midwest: Venture Across Asset Classes [updated]
Over 10,700 venture-backed companies received a combined $136.5 billion in funding in 2019, and the year saw double the exit value of 2018.[i] As stocks, real estate investments, and venture capital reach record highs, what are investors thinking about where to invest? The answer depends on the type of investor: Large funds such as university […]
September: Great North Labs Startup Ecosystem Kickoff Recap, Twin Cities Startup Week
Great North Labs Startup Ecosystem Kickoff “It doesn’t take a lot of capital with early-stage tech companies to make a big impact.” – Ryan Weber The Great North Labs Startup Ecosystem Kickoff brought together successful entrepreneurs and innovators to learn about the current state of the tech and investment ecosystem and network with like-minded professionals. 25 speakers, 6 portfolio […]
August: Great North Labs Startup Ecosystem Kickoff, ZAPinfo, and the necessity of advice and capital availability
Great North Labs’s August Update Fostering Midwest success means making guidance and capital available for tech startups Great North Labs got the front-page treatment in the Star Tribune Business section this Sunday. Former investment banker, consultant and corporate officer (and current business journalist) Lee Schafer talked about building successful tech companies with Ryan and Rob […]
July: Pitchly, ForwardFest, and Where to Invest in the Midwest
Great North Labs’s July Update Where to Invest in the Midwest At Great North Labs we are constantly making the case for investing in venture capital in the upper Midwest. Skepticism ranges from the size of the funds here, to the funding opportunities of the region, to the value of venture itself. GNL partner Pradip […]
May: Team Genius, IoT, and the Future of Everything
The Industrial Internet is the future- and it’s being built now. IoT and Analytics are transforming industry, and who know industry like the upper Midwest? Add to the decades of institutional experience a community of educated tech adopters, then just add water (liquid capital) and stir. BAM! Forget Silicon Valley, this is Silicon Lakes. Read […]
March: Exponential Tech, the “Goldilocks Zone”, and Minnebar 13
Exponential Technology Intel co-founder Gordon Moore famously predicted that computing power would grow exponentially by doubling every two years (“Moore’s Law”). The implications of such rapidly improving computing power are now evident all around us, but back when Gordon predicted such growth it was hard to imagine a future with such incredible computing power. In […]