A few Twin Cities startups are alive and kicking, so says an article in Monday’s StarTribune. And not just the usual med-tech ventures one expects in Minnesota, such as Apnex; the companies featured in the story were web/mobile firms incubated in Y Combinator: FanChatter and Socialbrowse.
While I’m skeptical about the long-term viability of any company that rests upon social interaction, Facebook included, I applaud the efforts of FanChatter and SocialBrowse to get something going in the Minnesota startup scene. Sure, there are some others worth mentioning. A quick Crunchbase search for companies in the Minneapolis area pops up a few familiar names, like GasBuddy and TinyUrl, but that pales in comparison to the wealth of startups in Silicon Valley.
I spent the past few years living in Palo Alto, and I have witnessed first-hand how pervasive entrepeneurship can become in a culture. Out in Silicon Valley, it’s a badge of honor to be working at a startup. Out in Silicon Valley, everybody seems to know at least a few VCs. Out in Silicon Valley, there’s an extensive support structure for entrepreneurs and their fledgling companies. Minnesota has a ways to go.
In Minnesota, it seems that most residents don’t even have a clear understanding of the word “startup.” They smile and nod, because they’re Minnesota Nice, but the concept evades them. I’d like to see that change.
Part of the trouble is that the Twin Cities are often thought of as a med-tech innovation center. Other subjects might get short shrift. I have a background in medical devices, but I’m not qualified (yet) to lead such a venture, so I prefer to focus on smaller IT-type ideas, even those small enough to be bootstrapped.
Here are some resources and entrepreneurial resources that might be of use to Minnesota startups:
- VCs: Split Rock Partners, Rain Source Capital, the yet-to-be-launched Altavail Partners, others listed at the MVCA
- Competitions/Demo Days: MinneDemo, Minnesota Cup
- Companies: Crunchbase listings
- Organizations: Minnesota High Tech Association, getSTEM
If anybody is interested in a Minnesota HN-type meetup, let me know. Also, feel free to pass along any information to add to the list.