SendGrid moves from Boulder to Denver in preparation for IPO
Email service provider SendGrid is preparing for an IPO next year by consolidating three offices across Colorado into a new Denver headquarters. That means 60 employees are moving from the old Boulder headquarters while 120 more employees at two Denver offices will all be working together later this year in the former Qwest Tower building. [SendGrid]
Techstars starts fundraising drive for nonprofit arm
Techstars Foundation, the nonprofit initiative from the tech-minded mentorship program, is raising funds to boost diversity in tech entrepreneurship. The foundation has an ambitious goal of raising money from every member of the Techstars community. Each donation up to $100,000 will also be matched by Techstars co-founder Brad Feld and his spouse Amy Batchelor. [Press release]
New website highlights college majors that could lead to Colorado jobs
Going to college practically guaranteed a good career in the past, but today’s graduates need to have the right degree to land a killer job. A new website, Launch My Career Colorado, identifies high-demand jobs, especially those in tech, for companies across the state, and highlights the degrees or certifications needed to land those jobs. The website is a partnership between the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, College Measures, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Gallup. [Denver Business Journal]
Dating app MeetMindful raises $820K, plans Portland expansion
MeetMindful is in the middle of a $1.6 million funding round, but the company announced this week it has already raised more than $800,000. The Denver company will use the funds to draw in more users, focusing on expanding the Portland market. The dating app is all about finding soul mates based on interests like yoga, meditation, healthy living and personal development. It already has users in Austin, New York, Los Angeles and other cities, but plans to focus growth in Portland starting later this year. [BusinessDen]
Women lead this year's University of Colorado Catalyze accelerator class
The majority of this year’s startups accepted at University of Colorado’s Catalyze accelerator are run by women. But the program’s goal wasn’t diversity; women just had the best teams this year, with only three of the eight teams led by men. Open to students and recent grads, this year’s class includes a new language learning system, a beekeeping health tracker and a college mobile dating app. [Boulder County Business]
StickyDocs, INDUSTRY Denver launch new internship to bolster diversity
Diversity is a growing issue in tech communities across the country, but StickyDocs and INDUSTRY Denver are teaming up to provide internships to underrepresented groups. The new program, called Hop Up, is now accepting applications for its first cycle, beginning July 11 in Denver. Interns will learn leadership, entrepreneurial and workplace skills as part of a larger diversity initiative called HueCoLab. [Press release]
concept3D launches new mapping platform
Mapping programs from Google or Apple are great at getting you around on public streets, but there are many places where their mapping data doesn’t reach. With concept3D’s new atlas3D mapping platform, businesses can get detailed 3D maps of convention centers, hotels, airports and other privately owned spaces. Just like Google Maps, altas3D maps can include 360-degree photo spheres, navigation and even virtual tours on desktop or mobile. Boulder-based concept3D even supports third-party data, so businesses can display available spaces in parking lots or crowded areas in a theme park. [Press release]
Techstars alum Stream introduces new tutorial series
Many coding tutorials give you the basics of what the framework does, but practical applications of the tech may not be so obvious. Stream’s new Cabin React/Redux tutorial walks students through building a full-fledged app and how those frameworks fit in. Students will build an image sharing app using the latest coding techniques with 10 distinct tutorial sessions. [Press release]
QuickZip’s replacement for the fitted sheet wins $250K
QuickZip took home the top prize from the Capital Championship, a national entrepreneur competition, securing $250,000 for their zip-on fitted sheet replacement. Their patented base sheet stays on the bed while a zip-on top portion easily comes off for cleaning. The women-led team beat out eight other competitors after meeting with experts and mentors. They plan to use the funds to increase market share in the juvenile bedding space, where fitted sheets can be a pain to switch out. [Press release]
Images via featured companies
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