If you think you've heard the name Brandon Wade before you probably have. He's the man behind a few high profile websites that borderline on legalized prostitution with the common theme being giving money or gifts for "companionship". Seekingarrangement.com and Whatsyourprice.com are two of Wades earlier and successful web businesses. They both center around sugar [...]
I'm definitely smart when it comes to some things. I can rebuild engines. I know the best spots to take pictures on Venice Beach. I know a thing or two about developing for Android and most things I can figure out. But there are other things that people think are simple, that I just don't [...]
Thursday and Friday of last week saw the first ever TechCocktail Celebrate. After combing the nation over the last five years looking at what the hottest startup company in each city was, Frank Gruber and the TechCocktail team decided to have a finals in Las Vegas. The event was a smashing success and is sure [...]
For the whole of 2013 the Greater Boston, MA area - and really Massachusetts as a whole - has been one of the top destinations for VC money. California and New York are oft considered the technology hubs of the US - rightly so - Boston has emerged as a major player, and is in-fact outpacing New York in many ways. Though it is clear that Boston relies heavily on the Ed-Tech and healthcare niches, the Superpedestrian and Sqrrl rounds display the cities growing technology diversity. It is a given that Massachusetts will not catch up to California anytime soon, but it is quite clear that Boston is thriving.
Within the past few months, there has been a revitalization, of sorts, within the media industry. Once again, there is tons of money being dumped into traditional media. There are new and inventive approaches to the media industries business model. There is even now a media accelerator, Matter - whom just announce the second cohort. The state of the media is strong.
The density of colleges and universities, coupled with the health of the education and technology sectors creates a sort-of perfect storm for LearnLaunchX. There is an incredibly rich talent pipeline, and people are flocking to join in the knowledge-based Boston economy.
What makes The Brandery successful is the fact that they drink their own Kool-Aid. It is one thing to talk about how great a city is or how great an industry is; it is another to roll up your sleeves and get to work. If an accelerator has a real focus on community - which The Brandery clearly does, as it boasts a more than 60% retention rate for all of its portfolio companies - it can enact a sort-of socially responsible investment strategy.
Yesterday, the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, powered by TechStars, held their inaugural demo day. Demo day, the culmination of the three-month intensive mentoring process, was by all accounts a great success. As a whole, the entire first batch shows great potential, but a few startups really stand out.
The Experiment Fund is already breaking down some of the traditional barriers between venture capital and the university system. In a little more than a year and a half of operation, the startups in Xfund's portfolio have raised a total of more than $10 million. It is hard to imagine that this trend from a University in Boston, well outside of Boston, does anything but continue to build momentum.
