Berd Spokes Helps Bring Home Gold
DEED and Launch MN had a hand in supporting at least one of the Minnesota companies getting a lot of attention during the Olympic Games. Both men’s and women’s mountain bike gold medalists were riding bikes with spokes made by Hopkins-based Berd Spokes, which received a $66,000 Launch MN Innovation Grant in 2020.
The Berd spokes on the winning riders’ bikes are half the weight of regular spokes, according to CEO and Co-founder Charles Spanjer – and they reduce vibration by 200%.
“Berd received a Launch Minnesota Innovation Grant in 2020, which was well before we could fully support the operations of our start-up company with commercial revenue alone. Without this and other grants that we received there is no doubt that we would not have succeeded,” Spanjers said.
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Clean Chickens Receives $1M Federal Grant
Clean Chickens and Co. received a $1,026,7330 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to help build a new meat processing plant and assist local farmers in accessing new markets. Chief Operating Officer Greg Wierschke hopes to break ground on the 5,000 square-foot facility next month. Clean Chickens and Co. received a $21,000 Launch Minnesota Innovation Grant in 2022.
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Ambient Intelligence to Present at International Conference
Ambient Intelligence, a Launch Minnesota grant recipient developing contactless patient-monitoring technology for long term care facilities, will present several publications at the upcoming Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia.
Ambient Intelligence Founder and CEO Brian Johnson and Ida Bagus Kresnasandi, Medical Device Innovation MN, plan to discuss four topics, including noninvasive radiofrequency monitoring technology and establishing a remote patient monitoring infrastructure. All of Ambient Intelligence’s research will be published by Wiley, a scientific journal.
MN Cup Announces Finalists
Judges have selected 27 companies to advance to the finalist round of MN Cup, the state’s largest startup competition.
Three companies in each of the competition’s nine divisions will continue to work on their businesses with the support of experienced mentors as they prepare for the MN Cup finale during Twin Cities Startup Week next month. A total of $400,000 is available in cash prizes for the remaining competitors.
Congratulations to all of the companies still in the running, including seven Launch Minnesota Innovation Grant Recipients!
Learn more about the full list of finalists
Twin Cities Startup Week 2024
Twin Cities Startup Week (TCSW) celebrates the innovators and industries that make up Minnesota’s expansive startup ecosystem. Tickets are now available for TCSW 2024, and organizers are still accepting session host submissions.
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Free Value Proposition Courses - September & October
The University of Minnesota’s Value Proposition Design Courses offer valuable business education and insights for pre-launch and early-stage technology entrepreneurs. Participants utilize Lean Startup tools and receive feedback from instructors experienced in science and technology entrepreneurship. These classes are available at no cost to participants thanks to grant funding from Launch Minnesota.
The five-week Value Proposition Design Online Certificate Course will begin September 26. The four-week Value Proposition webinar will start on October 21.
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OSBI Hiring Administrator
DEED's Office of Small Business and Innovation is hiring an administrator to support the departments activities. The position plays a crucial role in maintaining office efficiency and will interact with internal and external partners. OSBI is accepting applications through August 27.
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Upcoming Events
Find more events on Launch MN's Statewide Startup and Small Business Calendar.
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