Open Season for NM Startups & Entrepreneurship
It feels like there’s fresh energy and activity for startups in New Mexico this season – and it’s not even spring.
Venture Acceleration Fund from LANS is seeking new proposals, we’re working with several partners on New Mexico’s first Startup Weekend, UNM’s Business Plan and Entrepreneurial Challenge is moving into its final phases, High Desert Discovery District is partnering with the Arrowhead Innovation Network for a new HD3 Discovery Day and Technology Ventures Corporations’s Deal Stream Symposium celebrates its 20th year – with a special day in cooperation with Startup New Mexico. And I’m sure there’s more. It feels like a good time to be part of our state’s growing startup ecosystem and the year has just begun.
Here are a few highlights:
HD3 DISCOVERY DAY W/ ARROWHEAD INNOVATION NETWORK (APPLICATIONS DUE 2/22)
High Desert Discovery District (HD3) has partnered with the Arrowhead Innovation Network at NMSU to offer New Mexico innovators the opportunity to vet and discuss their innovations, challenges, and strategies with a highly experienced group of business achievers. Each HD3 advisor has extensive experience in matching technology opportunities with needs in the marketplace, product development, investment strategy, marketing and sales, management, valuations and exits. In addition to their experience, each advisor also brings a wide international network of contacts and resources that are tapped to accelerate the most promising discoveries. Sessions will be held at Arrowhead Center at NMSU March 20-21st.
For application and more information, please visit http://www.hddd.org/pdf/Discovery_Day_at_Arrowhead_Description_and_Criteria_for_Application.pdf Deadline has been extended to 2/22
UNM TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION & ENTREPRENEURIAL CHALLENGE (INTENT TO PRESENT FORM DUE 2/20)
UNM’S Technology Business Plan Competition continues to grow with substantial prizes and services available to the winners – and recent grads (from 2007 on) are welcome to participate. UNM students from all UNM schools and colleges may collaborate on teams that commercialize technology products developed at UNM, Sandia National Labs, Los Alamos National Lab, or elsewhere in the state. More rules, information on the event and more visit http://techbizplan.mgt.unm.edu/ (“Intent to Present” form due 2/20 by 5:00 PM).
UNM’s “Entrepreneurial Challenge” allows students to create new small firms in all aspects of business, connect and grow. Find more information at: http://ec.mgt.unm.edu/
VENTURE ACCELERATION FUND (PROPOSALS DUE 3/1)
The Los Alamos Connect Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF) makes investments in technology commercialization. Established in 2006, VAF helps Northern New Mexico companies commercialize technology and take it to market faster. Companies located in the Northern New Mexico counties of Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel, and Mora are given preference for funding, as are projects associated with LANL technology or expertise. For more information, visit: http://losalamosconnect.net/index.php?page=lans-venture-acceleration-fund
STARTUP WEEKEND SANTA FE (3/1-3)
We’re excited to work with our partners to bring the Kauffman Foundation powered “Startup Weekend” event to New Mexico, March 1-3 at the Santa Fe Business Incubator. It’s one of the world’s most popular and effective events for bringing developers, designers and other entrepreneurs together to take venture ideas from the concept stage through prototyping, validation and final pitch to a panel of judges from the investment and startup worlds. Info at http://santafe.startupweekend.org and registration at: http://santafesw.eventbrite.com
LEAN CANVAS WORKSHOPS
To help prepare for Startup Weekend, we’re providing a series of free workshops on using the ‘Lean Canvas’ tools adopted by many in the “Lean Startup” movement (a near-essential building block for Startup Weekends and bootstrapping entrepreneurs everywhere). Join us for free sessions:
Thursday, 2/21 5:30 PM in Taos: http://leancanvastaos.eventbrite.com/
Wednesday, 2/27 11:30 AM in Santa Fe: http://leancanvassfbi.eventbrite.com/
Thursday, 2/28 11:30 AM in Los Alamos TBD
Also on the menu with the Tech Council and our partners?
OPEN COFFEE SANTA FE (2/20)
Entrepreneurs and investors get together monthly in Santa Fe for coffee, casual conversation and occasional content. This month, join us, Startup New Mexico and Los Alamos Connect from 9AM at the Swiss Bakery in Santa Fe: http://opencoffeesfe20feb.eventbrite.com/
BIOSCIENCE CENTER: IP DO’S & DON’TS FOR STARTUPS (2/26)
The Bioscience Center IN Albuquerque hosts David Conklin and Craig Metcalf of the law firm Kirton│McConkie (Salt Lake City, UT) for a discussion relating to the Do’s and Don’ts of Intellectual Property for Startups. Info at: http://ipdosanddonts.eventbrite.com
TECHNOLOGY VENTURES CORPORATION: DEAL STREAM SUMMIT (4/2-4)
The Deal Stream Summit facilitates private investment partnerships among emerging technologies within federal laboratories and startups, entrepreneurs and investors. Through the years, this conference—previously known as the Equity Capital Symposium—has provided opportunities for hundreds of companies to receive funding and has fueled the commercialization of laboratory R&D and IP. Of the companies that presented at this forum, some 30 percent have received funding, a remarkable record. View the agenda here; with info and Registration here.
Special access and pricing for Thursday sessions is available for members of Startup New Mexico – which is free! Sign up for Startup NM and the Startup America at their page (http://www.startupnm.org), then select Startup New Mexico Attendee in the Registration Type section here.
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