From Boulder to Broomfield: why these 3 startups chose Colorado

by Christine Schmidt
July 17, 2014

From Boulder to Colorado Springs, startups are popping up and tech businesses are rapidly expanding. Colorado Springs was recently named the top city for small businesses by the National Journal, though Denver recently got into a tiff with tech companies over an outdated software tax. So why is Colorado the best for your business? Here, three Colorado startups talk about why they each love their own tech community.

 

[ibimage==28850==Large==none==self==null]

Yuzen

What it does: Yuzen offers a box of elegant and natural items to subscribers every three months. The husband and wife team of Jen Vaughan and Ted Ning created this company in 2012 after spending time in the Japanese Alps of Nagano. “We loved experiencing the pace and cadence of Japan and it affected us deeply,” Ning said. “This is what country living essentially is all about—slowing down to the rhythms of seasons and nature, and Japan especially has its own particular way of doing this. It allowed us to take in the brilliance of Japanese autumn colors, the warmth of neighbors’ kindness, the beauty and delicacy of spring cherry blossoms, and the appreciation of traditional local food, festivals and culture.”

Why it does it: “We are both inspired by companies who knit together multiple LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) missions at once,” Ning said. “Whether a company focuses on community building, sustainability, fair-trade, wellness, organics, or a combination of missions, LOHAS brands have discovered both innovation and creativity. Through Yuzen, we want to share these amazing companies and their products.”

Why Colorado is a fit for Yuzen: “We recognize that people crave a quiet moment to pause, but so rarely give themselves permission or the time to do so,” Ning said. “Yuzen encourages reconnection with that quiet, wise place inside all of us. We provide supportive and eco-conscious products that people can feel good about – and more importantly, nourish that space.”

 

[ibimage==28851==Large==none==self==null]

App-X

What it does: Established in 2006, App-X provides flexible, web-based software solutions for alternative asset fund managers, institutional investors, and impact investors.

Why it does it: “The reason I started App-X and the reason that I am excited to be here today has evolved quite a bit,” founder Kevin Kelly said. “In 2006 I was not happy in my job and I felt my career had plateaued. It was risky to start a company at that time but ‘I had to do it.’ Now I feel like we are beyond startup stage and it’s all about continuing to learn and grow and to assist in the growth and development of the other folks working at App-X.”

Why Broomfield: “No offense to Boulder or Denver because they are both amazing as well, but Broomfield has been perfect for us. Boulder and Denver are gaining national and international exposure as very entrepreneurial in nature, [and] Broomfield sits right in the middle of that,” Kelly said. “When people think ‘startup’ I think they oftentimes envision 20-somethings in a garage somewhere. At App-X, we’re a little older than that. Most of us are in our 30s and 40s, with kids and other stuff going on in our lives. Being in Broomfield we can afford great office space with easy parking and we can afford to have lots of space.”

 

[ibimage==28853==Large==none==self==null]

Fruition

What it does: Founded in 2003, Fruition is a full-service digital agency with in-house design, development, SEO, social, infrastructure, and SEM team members. Currently, it maintains more than 500 websites and each year generates over $500 million in sales for its clients, which range in industries from home décor to credit card companies. In addition, its SaaS platform has more than 49,000 active websites.

Why it does it: “Our mission statement sums it up, at Fruition we help companies get online, stay online, and use the Internet to their competitive advantage,” founder and president Brad Anderson said. “Getting online means design, development, and hosting; staying online includes; hosting, security, optimization; and using digital to their competitive advantage includes everything we do to drive more sales from SEO, to social, to what people are calling growth hacking now. Growth hacking is a fairly new catchy phrase that captures what we’ve been doing at Fruition for over a decade.”

Why Denver: “Being centrally located in Denver, we draw from as far north as Boulder and as far south as Colorado Springs,” Anderson said. “The talent pool is tremendous and it hasn’t been an issue finding people who are as passionate about the web as we are! We even have one team member that commutes in from Palo Alto.”

Colorado startup guides

LOCAL GUIDE
Best Companies to Work for in Denver & Boulder
LOCAL GUIDE
Coolest Tech Offices in Denver & Colorado Tech
LOCAL GUIDE
Best Perks at Colorado Tech Companies
LOCAL GUIDE
Women in Colorado Tech