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Launch Minnesota Newsletter: November 2022 Edition

Global Entrepreneurship Week

This week, Launch MN joins a collective of individuals and organizations throughout the country and around the world to celebrate international innovation during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Organized by the Global Entrepreneurship Network, GEW is a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation that is active in 180 countries with roughly nine million participants in 35,000 activities.

You’re invited to a virtual GEW event this week hosted by Launch Minnesota and the Minnesota Trade Office to discuss the challenges and opportunities of expanding your business internationally. Our event, “Expanding Your Startup Globally,” will take place Wed. Nov. 16 at 1:00 p.m. Learn more.

The following Launch MN partners also have events planned for GEW:

Free Coworking Day
Entrepreneur Mastermind: Navigating Business Law

Gustavus Adolphus College

New SSBCI Programs

DEED announced last month that it secured $97M in new funding to support small businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The latest program addition is the Growth Loan Fund, which provides direct loans to innovative seed and early-stage technology businesses. Loans range from $100,000 to $400,000. Learn more

Details about the Direct Investment and Multi-Fund Venture Capital Programs will soon be announced. Learn more

Visit DEED’s new Small Business Hub for the latest updates on SSBCI programs

Southwest Innovation Roundtable

We helped host a regional roundtable with our partner Startup SW and celebrated five years of 1 Million Cups (1MC) in Mankato.

Two Launch MN grantees, Vortrex and GoMigo, began the session with updates about their growth since first pitching at 1MC several years prior. After the 1MC presentations, Launch MN led a conversation about the growth of entrepreneurship in Mankato. Panelists said that the startup scene has grown in the past few years thanks to organizations like 1MC, MNSU-Mankato and SBDC.

Launch MN looks forward to continuing our work in Mankato and the rest of Southwest Minnesota in 2023 and beyond!

MN Ventures Event

We were happy to partner with the University of MN, Medical Alley Association and MNSBIR-STTR Accelerator to host MN Ventures. Congrats to the startups selected to pitch: Eva Medtec, LLC , MicroWash, Evia Bio, Babbl, Primal Therapies Inc , XanthosHealth, and SitEat.

The next MN Venture event is Feb. 24, 2023.

Health FWD Conference - Dec. 2

Health FWD is a new event created through a collaboration between Mayo Clinic Platform and Mayo’s Office of Entrepreneurship. Health FWD 2022 will feature presentations from innovation leaders, panel discussions with entrepreneurs, VCs, service providers and networking events.

The conference will also host the winter edition of Walleye Tank, a life and health science business pitch competition.

Tickets are required to attend in person. Register here.

Development Grants from St. Thomas

EIX and the Schulze Family Foundation will award up to $125,000 in development grants to institutions to support developing e-Fest teams and/or entrepreneurship related programs and activities.

To be considered for the grant, schools must be a four-year college or university, offer at least one entrepreneurship course and encourage the development of an undergraduate e-Fest team.

First time grantees will receive $2,500. After receiving one grant, the institution may apply again for up to $1,500.

Learn more

Friday Forum Archive

Launch Minnesota’s Friday Forums are an opportunity for Minnesota’s startup community to learn about new skills, growing industries and trends in technology. We hosted nine Friday Forums in 2022 with topics ranging from Web3 and Blockchain to legal assistance and polishing your pitch.

All of these sessions are archived on our site. Visit this page to watch all of our 2022 Friday Forums.

Dates and topics for 2023 coming soon!