The Denver startup ecosystem is vibrant.
The Denver startup ecosystem is vibrant. Inc. Magazine ranked Denver the #3 city in the U.S. for entrepreneurial activity.
Denver is the perfect city for the Denver startup environment. It has a promising future for startups, and the Denver metro area produces more than $5 billion of economic activity from the Denver startup ecosystem every year.
Denver’s startup companies include Level 3, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, and Yahoo!
Denver ranks fifth in the world for startup opportunities, with over 10,000 startups attending Denver library events alone. Denver has emerged as a startup capital, and Denver Startup Week is scheduled to reach local companies.
Denver unemployment is below 2.5 percent for Denverites (and even less than that for college-educated Denverites) and among the best of any major city in America.
One of the many Denver startups that is finding success locally is Denver-based ApartmentList, which provides rental Denver market information to Denverites looking for new homes. Content Translation Services: A Competitive Advantage for Your Business
Denver-based Sequent Medical, the first Denver startup company to go through the Denver Techstars accelerator program, and Denver startups Ampush Media Group and Shoutlet.
Two Colorado Cities Rank Among the Best in the US for Starting a Company
Denver and Colorado Springs made Inc. Magazine’s list of the top 50 U.S. Surge Cities.
Denver is home to several internet startups acquired by major corporations such as Google and Facebook, most notably Denver-based Niche, which Facebook acquired in December 2013.
Denver also has a deep pool of talent from nearby universities, including the University of Denver and Colorado State University, not to mention Denver is becoming a hub for the high-tech industry with more than 230 companies already located in Denver’s booming tech sector
Denver is also home to several new startups, such as Root Insurance, which is based in Denver, and SendGrid, which is headquartered in Denver. Forbes ranked Denver the #2 best place for business and careers in 2015 and was recently named the #1 city that’s crushing it (in terms of startup activity) by BuiltinColorado.
Denver is home to Denver Startup Week, one of the largest startup weeks in the nation. Denver Startup Week includes over 80 events filled with educational workshops, inspiring keynotes, and immersion experiences that will inspire you to build your own business.
Denver has plenty of entrepreneurial resources for entrepreneurs considering starting a new business in Denver, including co-working spaces such as Denver Startup, Denver Coworking, and Galvanize, as well as business accelerators such as Denver Startup Neighborhood and Boomtown Accelerator.
Denver has a strong network of angel investors, including the Denver Angel Conference and Rocky Mountain Venture Club, which have funded over 800 local startups.
Denver also boasts one of the nation’s most active startup communities, with over 75 meetups. Inc. Magazine has even recognized Denver’s vibrant startup community as Denver is home to one of the nation’s most active startup communities, with more than 75 meetups and Denver Startup tweets racking up an average of over 12,500 Twitter impressions per month. There are plenty of resources to learn about Denver’s business climate.
What is a startup ecosystem?
A startup ecosystem is a geographical area where companies, their employees, and professionals in universities and research centers collaborate to share knowledge, capital, and other resources for networking.
Denver has attracted talent from all over the country with its great weather, friendly communities, and incredible outdoor experiences, making Denver seem like an ideal place to live.
Denver also offers much support for entrepreneurs, with organizations such as Denver Startup Week’s founder’s community, which promotes business growth and improvement while providing opportunities for collaboration among CEOs of several different organizations throughout Denver.
Introduction Denver’s Startup Ecosystem
Denver’s startup ecosystem has been booming over the last few years. More than 1,000 active startups in Denver have contributed to a vibrant economy and a strong community of entrepreneurs that continues to grow rapidly.
These new startups have also attracted diverse industries, leading to increased innovation and competition in the market.
Denver is no stranger to success stories, but its recent rise as one of America’s most promising entrepreneurial hubs can largely be attributed to its commitment to cultivating an environment conducive to innovation.
The city’s supportive culture fosters close relationships between entrepreneurs who regularly meet at events like Startup Weekends, meetups hosted by organizations like New Tech Colorado, or informal gatherings at coffee shops.
This supportive culture goes beyond connecting entrepreneurs. Denver residents take immense pride in their city and constantly promote it to tourists and local businesses. Even the mayor has made multiple public claims about how wonderful a place it is to live.
While cities change rapidly year over year, Denver has found ways to continuously improve its infrastructure and offerings to attract new entrepreneurs from across the country.
Denver’s 2021 startup community is booming. The number of startups headquartered in Denver has reached an all-time high; Denver has more than 1,000 active startups, and it continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Denver’s startup ecosystem has been so successful because of the diverse industries it has attracted from around the world. This makes Denver’s startup economy competitive and innovative.
Denver is a prime example of how cities can succeed when building their livelihood around technology.
Denver is not the only city with a booming startup economy; over 50 cities worldwide have experienced growth in the tech industry.
Denver’s success story can also teach other cities how to succeed.
Denver Startup Week 2021
Denver Startup Week 2021 is Denver’s largest economic development initiative, taking place from October 13 to 17, 2021.
Denver’s goal with Denver Startup Week 2021 is to make Denver a global destination for entrepreneurs worldwide.
Denver believes that Denver Startup Week 2021 will be a “game-changer” as it will help Denver create a more robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and expand the number of companies in Denver.
Denver’s culture fosters close relationships between entrepreneurs
Denver’s startup community has been experiencing growth due to its culture of being a close-knit community.
Denver is a community where entrepreneurs feel a sense of belonging and confidence in their work.
Denver has a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, so Denver’s startups have been successful because they have support from one another. Denver is also an inclusive environment for entrepreneurs because Denver provides resources to help everyone succeed.
Denver has become known as the Silicon Valley of the Rockies. Still, Denver has stayed true to its Colorado roots by keeping it affordable for small businesses and creating an inviting business environment that can be replicated across the U.S.
Denver residents take pride in their city.
Denver natives are passionate homeowners who take pride in their city. Denver is a beautiful city with a thriving landscape and economy.
Denver also prides itself on being innovative, inclusive, and hungry for change. Its culture of collaboration is defined by Denver residents trying to work together to ensure that Denver will be the next Silicon Valley.
Denver was built on the idea of being a self-reliant community, so Denver has been successful because people have cut down on expenses by decreasing their reliance on outside help from the government.
Denverites have been successful because they have united as a community and have left politics out of the process so everyone can come together as one united front to become the next Silicon Valley.
Infrastructure and offerings to attract new entrepreneurs from across the country
Denver is a prime example of how cities can succeed when building their livelihood around technology.
Denver’s startup economy has been so successful because it has attracted a diverse number of industries worldwide, which makes it competitive and innovative.
Denver is not the only city with a booming startup economy; over 50 cities worldwide have experienced growth in the tech industry.
Denver’s success story can also teach other cities how to be successful. Denverites have also united as a community and successfully excluded politics from the process.
Denver is a prime example of how cities can learn from Denver’s success story and become the next Silicon Valley.
Denverites can also take pride in their city and continue to create a united front that will help Denver stay ahead of the curve as technology continues to disrupt industries worldwide.
Boulder’s Startup Ecosystem
Boulder is a Denver suburb with a thriving entrepreneurial community. It’s home to more than 400 startups, which grow at a rate of about 20% per year. The Economist has also recognized Boulder as the best place in the world for startups.
One way to measure the success of Denver’s startup ecosystem is by looking at Denver Startup Week. Denver Startup Week has been happening yearly, with over 20,000 attendees recently, and it continues to grow with each passing event.
Denver Startup Week has been called “Denver’s most important gathering for entrepreneurs, investors, and creatives,” which couldn’t be more accurate.
The week-long event includes dozens of events that promote entrepreneurship in Denver, with an attendance of over 20,000 people. Denver Startup Week has even helped launch companies like SurveyMonkey, Github, Matrix Marketing Group, and MindMixer, all started by Denver entrepreneurs.
The Denver Metro Area has created hundreds of new startups over the last few years. Denver ranks 4th in cities with the most Fortune 500 headquarters, so it would make sense that entrepreneurship is thriving here.
A study by CBRE found that Denver is also one of the best places to launch a business because its cost of living is lower than Silicon Valley’s. San Francisco, California, is 90.9% more expensive than Denver, Colorado. Meanwhile, the cost of living in Denver, CO, is 37.6% lower than in New York, NY.
Denver’s startup ecosystem continues to grow exponentially thanks to dozens of organizations sprouting throughout the city. These include Denver Startup Week, ImpactFlow, Lane, and Cohere.
Startup accelerators, Techstars
Boulder is Denver’s neighbor to the north and is home to Techstars, one of the city’s most successful startup accelerators.
The Denver-based accelerator invests in dozens of startups annually, selected using their unique selection process.
Techstars is an American seed accelerator founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado. As of 2019, the company had accepted over 1,600 companies into its programs with a combined market capitalization of $18.2bn USD.
The company moved from Denver to Boulder to use the accelerator program. Other Denver companies that have participated in the Techstars program include Move Loot, which eBay purchased, and FitTracker, a mobile app that tracks fitness activity.
Denver’s startup scene has been thriving over the last few years thanks to so many successful startups.
This includes well-known companies such as Zayo Group Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) and Elemental Technologies, recently acquired by Amazon Web Services for $350 million.
Denver startups have also attracted several large tech companies, including Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR), Oracle Corp.(NASDAQ: ORCL), and Lockheed Martin Corp.
Venture Denver is a Denver-based Venture Capital firm with over $400 million of committed capital.
With a team of experienced investors and decades of experience investing in disruptive technologies, the Venture Denver team has been able to identify and invest in early-stage companies with significant potential for global growth.
Their most notable investments include Cooper-Standard Automotive, Hires Holdings, and F5 Networks.
Boulder-based venture capital firm
The Foundry Group is a Boulder-based venture capital firm that connects people and ideas to create innovation.
Foundry Group invests in technology companies throughout the US and Canada. We also invest in the next generation of venture capital fund managers.
Foundry Group invests in technology companies throughout the US and Canada and in the next generation of venture capital fund managers.
1. The Foundry Group
Jason Mendelson, Ryan McIntyre, Seth Levine, and Brad Feld founded The Foundry Group in 2007.
We love what they have done by helping launch TechStars and helping the local startup community in Colorado.
All four currently serve as managing directors and partners within the firm; the management team has also grown to include Lindel Eakman.
Based in Boulder, CO, The Foundry Group takes a thematic approach to investing. Their current themes include investments in adhesive, distribution, glue, human-computer interaction, marketplace, and protocol businesses.
When considering an investment, they commonly invest in early and seed-stage ventures in the range of $250,000. However, they do inch up to Series A when the business model and founders are too good to pass up.
After Fitbit’s successful IPO, The Foundry Group’s recent investments include Impact Health, a health care algorithm company.
The company takes a multitude of customer inputs, preferences, and histories, and then its algorithm finds an insurance plan that best suits their situation. Impact Health is sort of like a dating service or maybe an Airbnb.
Many consider health care to be a risky investment given its uncertain future, but Impact Health’s mission is to make consumers more comfortable in making choices.
Foundry Group does not seem to share the concerns of others, and neither does TechStars, which came together to invest $13 million in Impact Health. TechStars was also founded by Brad Feld, a managing director at Foundry Group. They have been a favorite for a while and hit our top Colorado VC firms.
2. Access Venture Partners
Access Venture Partners is managed by David Gold (Managing Director), Kirk Hollan, Frank Mendicino III, Brian Wallace, Jay Campion, and Frank Mendicino II. Founded in 1999 in Colorado, with offices in both Denver and Boulder.
Access Venture Partners has experienced exceptional success in its funding strategy. Its investment focus is on technology companies with a need for early-stage investment partners. Its portfolio includes Kapost, CommercialTribe, Craftsy, Inspirato, Kapta, and LogRhythm.
Recently, AVP funded ShapeShift, a digital coinage converter. The company converts digital currency such as Bitcoin into Ether or vice versa. AVP invested $1 million into the startup. David Gold likened ShapeShift’s innovation in dealing with online currency to the emergence of the Internet in the 1990s.
A minority of people knew what the World Wide Web was, but those who knew thought it could change a lot of things, said David Gold.
3. High Country Venture
High Country Venture’s partners include Mark Lupa, Chris Marks, Scott Beck, Robert Schmideler, and Karin Boergers. Founded in 2005 in Boulder, Colorado, HCV invests in early-stage companies.
They also invest primarily in life sciences, including biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices, and internet technology. The firm’s portfolio includes EndoShape, Collective IP, Mosaic Biosciences, LogRhythm, and Lijit.
4. Boulder Ventures
Founded in 1995 in Boulder, Colorado, Boulder Ventures is managed by Kyle Lefkoff (Partner) and Peter Roshko (Partner). BV’s investment stage focuses on early-stage and emerging growth businesses. Its primary investment partners are Colorado technology companies. Its portfolio includes BroadHop, CenterStone Technologies, and Sovern.
Recently, BV invested in SyncHR, a new U.S.-based company whose software provides human capital management to businesses as a SaaS solution.
In an announcement, Boulder Ventures General Partner Peter Roshko said SyncHR provides unparalleled automation and innovation in the human capital management industry, which differentiates its SaaS platform from the competition.” In an extension of the fresh funding, SyncHR highlighted what it said was a year of record growth for the company.
5. Sequel Venture Partners
Sequel Venture Partners’ management includes Tim Connor (Partner), John Greff (Partner), Kinney Johnson (Partner), Dan Mitchell (Partner), and Tom Washing (Partner).
Founded in 2010 in Boulder, Colorado, Sequel Venture Partners focuses its investment in healthcare, enterprise IT, clean technology, and internet-based services. Their portfolio includes Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Myogen Inc., Wall Street on Demand, and Homesphere Inc.
Recently, SVP invested $3 million in San Antonio’s Xenex Disinfection Services, which sells robotic and ultraviolet equipment for disinfecting hospital rooms.
Since its initial launch in June 2010, Xenex devices have been distributed to four hundred hospitals to improve infection control protocols.
Startup Marketing Agencies
A startup marketing agency is a type of company that focuses on working with early-stage or emerging technology companies in their fields.
This can include providing services such as marketing, branding, PR, product development, sales generation, and training for business executives.
Since most startups are bootstrapped operations, they may not have the cash necessary to hire an entire marketing or PR team. A startup marketing agency can help them by managing those functions and training their employees on the ins and outs of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Startup marketing agencies often specialize in particular areas. However, at Matrix Marketing Group, we offer customized marketing plans and payment schedules for startups. We understand bootstrapping and cash flow.
Content Pricing
AIContentPad offers tiered subscription plans to accommodate various business needs, from startups to enterprise-level companies. Each plan includes different access levels to features and content generation capacities, helping businesses scale their content creation while managing costs effectively.
Conclusion on Denver’s Startup Ecosystem
Denver is no stranger to success stories, but its recent rise as one of America’s most promising entrepreneurial hubs can largely be attributed to Denver’s commitment to cultivating an environment conducive to innovation.
Denver has reached an all-time high in the number of startups headquartered here, and it continues to grow rapidly.
Denver’s startup ecosystem has been so successful because of the diverse industries it has attracted from around the world. This makes Denver’s startup economy competitive and innovative. Denver is a prime example of how cities can find success when building their livelihoods around technology, as Denver did with startups.
This city may teach other cities how to prosper by implementing this strategy (i.e., launching or supporting initiatives to attract entrepreneurs).
Denver is not the only city with a booming startup economy; New York, Boston, and San Francisco are among the top five cities in the world to witness such incredible growth because of their thriving business communities. Denver’s success story can teach other cities how they could be successful.
Denver is no stranger to success stories, but its recent rise as one of America’s most promising entrepreneurial hubs can largely be attributed to Denver’s commitment to cultivating an environment conducive to innovation.
Denver has reached an all-time high in the number of startups headquartered here and continues growing rapidly.
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