Twenty Minutes: Recent Episodes
tech.mn
A podcast with the biggest Minnesota tech and startup news of the week tied up in a pretty 20-minute bow, Twenty Minutes by tech.mn talks with the people behind the headlines in short-form interviews. We condense the latest acquisitions, newest hires, and biggest product releases into a digestible, listenable, and personable experience so you can keep up without slowing down.
Featured Interviews:
Allisa Song, CEO of Nanodropper (Grand Prize Winner of MN Cup 2021)
Jessica Berg, Director of MN Cup
Headlines:
2021 Minnesota Startup Awards Recap
5 Companies Win Meda’s Million Dollar Challenge
Featured Interviews:
Ryan Broshar, Founder and Partner at Matchstick Ventures
Matchstick Ventures Announces $55 Million Fund III
Headlines:
SendSquared Hires New Vice President of Sales
Flywheel Secures $22 Million Series C, Announces New Acquisition
Rally Ventures Announces New Chief People Officer
Kaleidoscope Launches New ‘Award Builder’ Tool
TCSW 21 Event Spotlight: TCSW 2021 Opening Party
Featured Interview:
Kelly Schultze, Manager Director of BETA
Twin Cities Startup Week 2021 at a Glance
Headlines:
U of M Announces New Center for Medical Device Cybersecurity
Here Are Your MN Cup Finalists
TCSW 21 Event Spotlight: Tech Job & Opportunities Fair
Featured Interviews:
Dr. Achin Bhowmik, CTO and EVP of Engineering of Starkey
Starkey Announces New Generation of Hearing Aids
The tech.mn Podcast Summer Brewery Tour: Dr. Achin Bhowmik at Finnegans Brewing
Headlines:
Genome Medical Acquires GeneMatters
Ecommerce Startup GrocerKey Acquired for $42 Million
Twin Cities Startup Week 2021: The Ultimate Guides
Featured Interview:
Toby Madden and Chris Madden, St. Paul developers of Fifefer Island
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Headlines:
Calabrio Announces Hire of Chief Human Resources Officer
Meet the 14 Companies of the Fall 2021 BETA Cohort
FINNOVATION Lab Announces Fourth Fellowship Cohort
Featured Interviews:
Companies of the gBETA St. Thomas 2021 cohort:
SimBull
SimBull Sports Exchange helps sports fans profit from their knowledge by trading virtual shares that represent professional and collegiate teams. Users buy and sell shares in virtual sports teams that mirror objective results, interact with other fans in SimBull’s sports community, and monetize their sports content. SimBull has over 1,500 active members and a market cap of $350,000.
Kenneth Giles, Co-Founder and CEO | kenneth.giles@simbull.app | simbull.app
Willa’s
Willa’s creates deliciously creamy plant milks using whole, organic ingredients for the dairy-free foodie. Willa’s Plant Milks are revolutionary in their nutrition-packed simplicity, delicious consistency, and no-waste process, making them the healthiest and most sustainable options available. Willa’s is a consistent top-seller on Amazon and recently added Foxtrot and Erewhon as retail partners.
Christina Dorr Drake, Co-Founder and CEO | Christina@willaskitchen.com | willaskitchen.com
ZeSa
ZeSa manufactures patented instability training devices for training, rehab and prehab protocols. ZeSa’s devices, the Activator Training Platforms®, combine instability and rotation with five progressive levels of difficulty to help trainees achieve optimal strength, balance and flexibility. ZeSa Fitness has sold $129k in Activators, including to 25 professional sports teams (MLB, NBA, WNBA, NFL).
Cindy Vavra, Co-Founder and CEO | cindy@zesafitness.com | zesafitness.com
Seraph 7 Studios
Seraph 7 Studios develops console video games (PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo) that create change for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities all over the world. Seraph 7 distributes through online marketplaces for instant purchase-to-play. Seraph 7 provides science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics work-study for local high school students. Seraph 7 Studios is a Minnesota Public Benefit Corporation and will release its first game in Q1 2022.
Jules Porter, Founder | jules@seraph7studios.com | seraph7studios.com
Headlines:
HR Software Company Ascentis Acquires Cincinnati Time Systems
Branch Secures $48 Million Series B, Closes on $500 Million Credit Facility
Check out the Minnesota Companies That Made the 2021 Inc. 5000 List
New York Tech Company Unite Us Acquires Carrot Health
gBETA Medtech is Seeking Black Founders for Fall 2021 Cohort
Inspectorio Joins Apple Impact Accelerator Cohort
Headlines:
U.S. Bank to Acquire Chicago Fintech Startup
gBETA St. Thomas Announces 2021 Cohort
Twin Cities Startup Week Announces COVID-19 Policies
SendSquared Secures $1 Million Seed Round
Arctic Wolf Names New CEO
Featured Interviews:
James McNeal, Principal Architect of James McNeal Architecture and Design
Chris Knutson, Co-founder and CEO of TeamGenius
Headlines:
Suma Brands Secures $150 Million Series A
Ecolab Opens New Design Center in Eagan
Meda Announces Million Dollar Challenge Finalists
Best Buy Announces Investments With Brown Venture Group
Bright Health Releases Q2 Financials in Earnings Call
Claros Technologies Raises $5.3 Million Series A
Niron Magnetics Raises $21.3 Million
Featured Interview
Allisa Song, CEO of Nanodropper
Nanodropper Announces First Board of Directors
Headlines
Wicked Kitchen Expands Into Krogers
Datasite Acquires Toronto-Based Firmex
Headlines
Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars Announces Leadership TeamIPOs, M&A the Big News in Medical Alley Association Quarterly Reportsoona Announces New Chief Operating Officer75F Secures $28 Million in Series A RoundFormer Ecolab CEO Joins Ownership Group of JIT Services
Featured Interviews:
Alfredo Martel, CEO and President of Meda
Apply for the Fourth Annual Million Dollar Challenge for Minority Entrepreneurs Today
Headlines:
Minnesota Statistics Show Small-Business Boom
Technovation[MN] Announces Winners of Appapalooza 2021
Digi International Acquires California-Based Industrial Data Communications Company
Flywheel Announces Partnership with Madison-Based Medtech Company
Minnestar Announces Minnedemo35 Presenter Lineup
Show Your Support for Launch Minnesota (Updated: Fully Funded)
Surmodics Acquires Ireland-Based Vertex Medical Ltd.
Featured Interviews:
Sean Higgins, CEO of BetterYou
BetterYou Secures $2.25 Million Funding Round
Headlines:
Medical Device Company CVRx Makes Public Debut
Nexben Hires New CTO
Kavira Health Expands Into Employee Health
Register for the Bold Open 2021 Reverse Pitch Event Today
Headlines:
Bright Health Goes Public With Biggest IPO in Minnesota History
Drake’s Organic Spirits Closes in on $10 Million Financing Round
Best Buy Announces New Commitments to Support BIPOC, Diverse Businesses
Apply for the Fourth Annual Million Dollar Challenge for Minority Entrepreneurs Today
Arctic Wolf Announces Plans for European Expansion
Featured Interviews:
Brian Skalak, Director of Marketing and Events, REM5 Virtual Reality Laboratory
REM5 Partners With Twin Cities Film Festival for VR Experience
Yasameen Sajady, CEO and Co-founder of Maazah
Headlines:
Announcing The tech.mn Podcast Summer Brewery Tour
Bright Health Details IPO Terms in SEC Filing
5 Startups Chosen for OnRamp Education Workforce & Innovation Accelerator
OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference to Announce New Accelerator Participants
Featured Interviews:
Casey Schultz, Executive Director of BETA
BETA Acquires tech.mn to Increase Community Amplification
Headlines:
Brightstone Venture Capital Targeting $50 for Third Funding Round
Jamf Shareholders Propose $340 Million Stock Sale
Sezzle Announces New Scholarship Program
Sentera Secures $25 Million Series C Round
Featured Interviews:
Susan Langer, CEO of Space, LLC
Reseda Group Acquires Live.Give.Save, Launches Spave 2.0
Jeanette Dorazio, CEO of Leadpages
Leadpages Announces New North Loop HQ
Headlines:
Get a Glimpse of Future Medtech at the gBETA Medtech Pitch Event
AI Company Lucy Secures $3 Million Series A
Featured Interviews:
Jessica Berg, Director of MN Cup
MN Cup Announces 2021 Semifinalists
Headlines:
Groove Capital Announces Four-Part ‘Angel Fest’ Event
Icario Names New CTO
Featured Interviews:
Maria Burns Ortiz, CEO and Co-founder of 7 Generation Games
Headlines:
Sezzle Partners With Ally Lending for Long-Term Lending Program
Bright Health Files for IPO
NetSPI Secures $90 Million in Growth Funding
Featured Interviews:
Jazz Hampton, CEO and General Counsel of TurnSignl
New Startup TurnSignl Aims to Get Everyone Home Safe
Headlines:
Upsie Announces $18.2 Million Series A
A Sezzle IPO Is Coming
HealthTech Company AmVentureX, Inc. Raises $1 Million
JAMF Acquires Security Technology Company for $400 Million
HelpSystems Acquires Beyond Security
When I Work Announces New CTO
Lone Wolf Technologies Acquires HomeSpotter
Featured Interviews:
Elizabeth Caven, Managing Director of the OnRamp Insurance Accelerator
OnRamp Insurance Accelerator Announces 2021 Cohort
Russ Straate, Associate Director of the Venture Center in UMN Technology Commercialization
University of Minnesota, Launch Minnesota Announce New Startup Incubator
Headlines:
TinySeed Unveils Spring 2021 Cohort
HelpSystems Announces New Investment From Harvest Partners SCF
Live.Give.Save Announces New Chief Partnership Officer
Flywheel and Imbio Partner for Lung Disease Discovery Solution
Sportsdigita Announces Second Funding Round From PEAK6
Featured Interviews:
Brennan Townley, CEO of Collaboration.Ai
Collaboration.Ai Wins $10 Million Contract With U.S. Special Operations Command
Headlines:
Communications Systems, Inc. Enters Into Purchase Agreement With Lantronix, Inc.
75F Joins the Google Climate Accelerator
Branch Raises Nearly $19.5 Million
Featured Interviews:
Liz Giorgi, CEO and Co-founder of soona
soona Secures $10.2 Million in Series A Funding
Mary Grove (Managing Partner - Bread and Butter Ventures, Co-founder and Executive Director - Silicon North Stars) and Damola Ogundipe (CEO - Civic Eagle, Board Member - Silicon North Stars)
Learn more about the Silicon North Stars Founders Circle and donate
Headlines:
gBETA Greater MN St. Cloud Announces Spring 2021 Cohort
Nanodropper, Inc. Secures $1.4 Million in Seed Round Funding
gBETA Medtech Announces Lineup for Spring 2021 Cohort
Featured Interviews:
Chris Iles, Senior Director, Brand Experience & Innovation of the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins and Techstars Team Up for New Accelerator
Hannah Schulte of Clothing Collective and Jori Walton, Rosa Gastelum, Roxy Montoya of Mixed Bag Creative Studio
MCAD’s PitchFest 2021: View and Vote
Headlines:
Bright Health Acquires Zipnosis
TTEC Holdings, Inc. Acquires Bloomington’s Avtex Solutions for $490 Million
Viral Drone Video to be Auctioned as NFT in Support of Lake Street Businesses
Zubie Names New CEO
SiteKick Closes $2.3 Million Seed Round, Signs Ryan Cos. as Client
Featured Interviews:
Danielle Steer, Founding Executive Director of Lunar Startups
Lunar Startups Announces Cohort 4 Lineup
Rob Weber, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Great North Ventures
Great North Ventures Announces New Fund, Venture Studio
Headlines:
DEED Awards $376,000 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to 15 Startups
FINNOVATION Lab Seeking Entrepreneurs for Fourth Cohort
Sitecore Acquires Four51, Plans to Expand in Minneapolis
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Featured Interviews:
Chris Reedy, Vice President of Acquisitions of SureSwift Capital
SureSwift Capital Acquires Tradervue
Headlines:
ClickSwitch Sold to Q2 Holdings
BETA Announces Dates for Twin Cities Startup Week 2021
Great North Ventures Announces New Fund, Venture Studio
Digital Mass Expands Team With Salesforce Developers
Sezzle Announces B Corp Certification
MCAD’s PitchFest 2021: View and Vote
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Featured Interviews:
Scott Stallman, Provost of Dunwoody College of Technology
Dunwoody to Offer Two Online Degree Programs
Meg Steuer, Director of Platform of Forge North
Fill out the 2021 Startup Community Events Survey
Headlines:
Thoma Bravo Announces Acquisition of Calabrio
SportsEngine Expands Partnership With FlipGive
Captionmax Acquires Calgary-Based National Captioning Canada
SkyWater Technology Files Registration Statement for IPO
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Viral drone videos, Minnedemo, a not-so-tiny TinySeed raise, and more. This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 19.
Featured Interviews:
Anthony Jaska, Director and Co-Founder of Rally Studios, and Jay Christensen, Aerial Cinematographer
Minneapolis Drone Videos Blow Up the Internet
Maria Ploessl, Executive Director of Minnestar
Minnestar Unveils Presenter Lineup for Minnedemo: Back to Campus
Headlines:
Imbio Health Product Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance
TinySeed Announces Second Fund of More Than $25 Million
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A Shark Tank debut, FeMNist Days, a new cohort lineup, and more This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 12.
Featured Interviews:
Beth Fynbo, President & Founder of Busy Baby
Erinn Farrell, Co-founder & Chief Experience Officer of The Coven
Learn more about and register for FeMNist Days
Headlines:
BETA Announces Lineup for Spring 2021 Cohort
Sezzle Announces Partnership With Trees of the Future
Three Minnesota Companies Make ‘America’s Best Startup Employers’ List
Marco Technologies CEO Announces Retirement
Watch the Touching Stories of Our Latest Fuckup Nights Speakers
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Well and Good props, human security platforms, caption tech, and more. This the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 5.
Featured Interviews:
Aneela Idnani, Co-founder of HabitAware
Matt Meents, CEO & Founder of Yardstik
Yardstik Announces General Availability of ‘Human Security Platform’
Truck Morrison, CEO of Captionmax
Headlines:
RBA Announces Acquisition of Saturn Systems
M-RETS Completes First Hourly Renewable Energy Certificate Transaction
Sezzle Financial Report Shows Record Results
Marani Health Announces $3.7 Million Raise, New Board Member
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Data-protection mergers, states of the state, innovation grants, and more. This the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, February 26.
Interview Stories:
DEED Awards $450,000 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to 17 Startups
Headlines:
Data Protection Companies Join Forces in Arcserve and StorageCraft Merger
Medical Alley Association Launches ‘Medical Alley Starts’ Initiative
Google Announces Plans for Rochester Office
Isaiah Goodman of MoneyVerbs Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud
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Fishing raises, facial recognition bans, cryptocurrency, and more. This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, February 19.
Interview Stories:
Compute North Secures $25 Million in Growth Capital Funding
Lemonada Unveils 10 New Podcasts for 2021
Esports Documentary Featuring St. Louis Park High School Team Releases Today
Shaye Mandle Announces Departure as Medical Alley Association President & CEO
Headlines:
Omnia Fishing Raises $2.1 Million
Minneapolis City Council Approves Ordinance Banning Purchase of Facial Recognition Technology
Shrpa Partners With Explore Minnesota to Spark Tourism
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Here’s an understatement to end all understatements — life moves fast. And if you’re part of the startup and tech community in Minnesota, it can feel like it moves even faster.
Twenty Minutes by tech.mn is for you. A podcast with the biggest Minnesota tech and startup news of the week tied up in a pretty 20-minute bow, Twenty Minutes talks with the people behind the headlines of the week in short-form interviews. We condense the latest acquisitions, newest hires, and biggest product releases into a digestible, listenable, and personable experience so you can keep up without slowing down.
Twenty Minutes by tech.mn. Every Friday.