A group of major medical device manufacturers have joined a new initiative to bolster the security of their equipment amid a "growing number of cybersecurity threats." The University of Minnesota said its Center for Medical Device Cybersecurity would allow academia, government, and industry to collaborate to help ensure the safety and security of increasingly advanced [...]
The University of Minnesota and Launch Minnesota announced today a new startup incubator program that provides one-on-one coaching to help accelerate the growth of early-stage companies. Discovery Launchpad MN, operated by the UMN Technology Commercialization Venture Center and funded by the state’s Launch Minnesota program, offers a unique opportunity for startups that have previously received [...]
Launch Minnesota, an initiative from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, said Friday that it has awarded more than $672,000 in innovation grants to 20 technology startups from around the state. This is the first round of grants distributed by Launch MN. The next batch of grant applications will be completed by the end of [...]
Vensana Capital, a venture capital firm focused on medical technology, on Wednesday announced its first venture capital fund. Known as Vensana Capital 1, the $225 million fund has received financial backing from a range of investing institutions, including public pensions, university endowments, foundations, and health systems, Vensana officials said in a news release. Investment interest [...]
The University of Minnesota on Monday formally launched a program to help its researchers start businesses and build a bridge between grant funding and outside investment. The university's Venture Center developed the program, called Discovery Launchpad, as a response to what many innovators in educational institutions call the "valley of death" — the time between when [...]
With no class to take on venture capital investing, some University of Minnesota students decided to start doing deals instead. About two years ago, a group of business students quietly launched what became Atland Ventures, a VC fund with about $150,000 in capital under management. An alumnus who wished to remain anonymous provided the group [...]
The Twin Cities will host the first gathering focused on connecting university tech and startup funds with innovative companies and early-stage investors. COvergence, scheduled for July 11th, is aimed at jump starting conversation around active university proof of concept, startup, and venture gap funds and accelerators that will lead to greater collaboration to advance innovation from the lab to the marketplace.
Eight graduate students who are working toward their master’s or doctoral degree from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS); the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM); and the School of Public Health (SPH) were recently awarded fellowships from Minnesota’s Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy (MnDRIVE) for the 2018-2019 school year. The world’s population is expected to [...]
For the past five years, the Rochester Economic Development Fund has been striving to create new local jobs by financing business start-ups, like GoRout and Vyraid. The fund, financed with $5 million of local-option sales-tax dollars, has doled out more than $2.5 million in loans, investments and grants to 15 early stage companies and business [...]
International startup accelerator Techstars announced today that it is launching a new ag tech accelerator in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Called the Farm-to-Fork Accelerator, the program will be managed by Brett Brohl, previously an entrepreneur in resident at Techstar’s Retail Accelerator, also based in Minnesota. Cargill and Ecolab, some of the largest players in the ag tech [...]