Techstars announces Sustainability Accelerator in Denver
Techstars announced on Wednesday its new accelerator program for sustainable-focused startups in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Applications will open in January for a July launch in Denver. Techstars will be looking for entrepreneurs who use technology to address global issues like food and water shortages and climate change. [Press Release]
Marketing tech company acquires Closely
Massachusetts-based UpCurve announced on Thursday its purchase of Denver startup Closely. Closely launched in 2009 with the mobile marketing app Perch, which helps small businesses track how people are responding to their business and what competitors are up to. Closely will merge with UpCurve’s digital marketing products and services under ThriveHive, a Boston startup that UpCurve acquired last year. [Xconomy]
MergeLane wins federal funding
Boulder-based MergeLane was one of 20 winners to receive $50,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s accelerator competition. Launched in 2015, MergeLane also received funding last year, collecting another $50,000 alongside 67 other accelerators across the country. [Denver Business Journal]
Invest Local Colorado launches program to help startups develop crowds for crowdfunding
Invest Local Colorado, a company providing crowdfunding platform services, announced this week that it has launched a free Build Your Own Crowd program. Its goal is to help entrepreneurs, social enterprises and community projects build a crowd that will later participate in a capital campaign. [InnovatiaNews]
CenturyLink’s $30B purchase of Level 3 finalized
On Wednesday, CenturyLink closed on its acquisition of Level 3, a deal valued at around $30 billion that gives CenturyLink shareholders 51 percent ownership. Level 3 will now officially brand as CenturyLink. As part of the merger, Level 3’s CEO Jeff Storey will become president of CenturyLink and will take over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2019 when CenturyLink’s CEO Glen F. Post III retires. [The Denver Post]
