When Valerie and Cesar Beltran decided to open Beltran’s Meat Market & Grill in Northglenn four years ago, they thought their past experience of running their own meat market in New Mexico and then a Front Range tortilla factory was enough to make them creditworthy. But as opening day approached, the couple realized they needed […]
startups
Posted inBusiness, News
As society changes, Colorado investors want to make more impact with their money
Back in 2014, the Colorado Health Foundation made an unusual decision. The philanthropic organization, known for helping nonprofits, put its money into a for-profit startup, myStrength, a behavioral health app. It was neither a grant nor a donation. And it wasn’t quite venture capital, where multimillion-dollar investments often aim for tenfold returns. Technically, it was […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Growth, News, Politics and Government
A rural venture capital fund in Colorado is offering $275,000 investment to winner of virtual pitch series
For the past two years, Cory Finney and his partners at the $17.5 million Greater Colorado Venture Fund have traveled across the Western Slope in their camper vans, investing millions in rural startup companies and connecting them with a network of mentors and business leaders. When the pandemic settled on the state, they parked their […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News, Politics and Government, Technology
A plea by Colorado tech firms for a faster response to coronavirus goes national
Just after Colorado identified its first case of coronavirus 12 days ago, Denver companies Ibotta and Guild Education were telling employees to work from home. As more cases were identified locally, a growing group of technology executives began maneuvering behind the scenes. They were concerned that efforts to prevent COVID-19’s spread to vulnerable communities wasn’t […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Tech startups come to the Mountain West, but can they grow?
BOISE, Idaho — Tech startups have been migrating into cities all around the Mountain West, from Denver to Salt Lake to Boise. However, when it comes to them taking over as the nation’s next Silicon Valley, Nick Crabbs, a partner at the tech startup Vynyl, has his doubts. “We’re not going to be the next […]
Posted inBusiness, Education, Growth, News, Technology
Colorado’s newest billion-dollar B Corp is part of a movement to make a social impact — and profits
Fast-growing Guild Education figured out how to help more than 400,000 service workers take college classes — and get their employers to pay for them. It’s no wonder that investors have been drawn to the profitable-ish business model and a nearly unlimited number of potential users. Last week, investors led by General Catalyst managing director […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Is Denver’s startup scene welcoming for veterans?
In the past 10 years, more than 100,000 people have moved to Denver, many drawn by the mountains, its breweries and dispensaries and the vibrant economy and startup scene. In its 2017 report on metropolitan areas, the Kauffman Foundation ranked Denver 10th in the nation for startup activity. The same report ranked Denver eighth in […]
Posted inBusiness, Growth, Technology
A Denver startup asks every potential investor: Have you faced sexual harassment complaints?
Last spring, Elizabeth Giorgi was shocked but not surprised by the inappropriate questions from potential investors about her relationships and whether she planned to have children. The cofounder of Denver video-startup Soona decided — enough! She understood the funding world’s reputation for bad behavior. It blew up in mid-2017 when several prominent Silicon Valley male […]
Posted inBusiness, Technology
$1 billion has flowed from venture investors to Front Range companies this year
Natty Zola remembers pitching potential investors back in 2009 on his first startup, a digital travel-journal company in Boulder. He found one — in Boise, Idaho. Back then, the Denver-metro area’s reputation for entrepreneurship was just emerging. Boulder tech accelerator Techstars was in its third year of cohorts. Prominent Boulder venture capitalist Brad Feld had […]