ARTICLES
The next level of Startup Genome
Startup Genome began as a side project for Dave and myself about two years ago. We talked to hundreds of startup community builders around the world, learned what they needed to help their local communities, built a product, grew our curator network to over 300 and slowly improved Startup Genome when we had free time on nights and weekends.
Today I'm excited to share that we're taking Startup Genome to the next level with a larger team, renewed focus and brand refresh.
Startup Genome began as a side project for Dave and myself about two years ago. We talked to hundreds of startup community builders around the world, learned what they needed to help their local communities, built a product, grew our curator network to over 300 and slowly improved Startup Genome when we had free time on nights and weekends.
Today I'm excited to share that we're taking Startup Genome to the next level with a larger team, renewed focus and brand refresh.
I'm now full-time on Startup Genome.
The multi-talented Geoff Wood, former COO of Silicon Prairie News, has also joined the team full-time to handle our content strategy, build our curator network, help with product and also do what he does best: geeky operational stuff.
Our lead developer Chris Taulborg has been focused on building the new version of Startup Genome over the past three months.
We partnered with GoodTwin to build a new professional design and brand identity, which we quietly launched last night.
We're equally excited to share that The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has awarded Startup Genome a grant (which they announced this morning)!
From our friend Dane Stangler, the director of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation: “Mapping local start-up ecosystems not only provides an important tool to communities, but it will create a treasure trove of rare data on local start-ups. Our plans include studying how start-up communities develop and identify action steps that cities can take to grow their entrepreneurial community and measure their progress.”
And from Tom Ruhe, vice president of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation: “Startup Genome enables entrepreneurs and investors to plug into their city's start-up scene, which has untold benefits to them and their local economies. ...everyone wins when communities gain a better understanding of their city's entrepreneurial climate.”
We'll be using the grant to build out our product roadmap and fund operational expenses.
Read Kauffman's announcement about the grant.
We're laser-focused on helping startup community builders.
You know who you are. You are the hackathon organizers, the Startup Weekend organizers, the managers and mentors at local accelerators, the brave souls who opened a coworking space in your city, the Startup Digest curators, etc. You are a special breed of altruistic people, yet you have very little support.
Our mission is to build tools that help you do what you do better: educate and connect local entrepreneurs + measure and grow your local startup community.
In addition to redesigning the entire UX, we worked with GoodTwin to create a sophisticated new brand. What do you think?
For those of you building with the Startup Genome API, here's a smaller, sleeker way to cite Startup Genome as a source:
Find more logos in several formats here.
Join us! Our goal is to have 1,000 active curators by the end of the year.
Be a curator for your local startup community.
Already have a map or an existing local site? Hook it up to the Startup Genome API or embed our map directly on your site (just click the "Embed" button at the bottom of any map). There's even a RepresentMap integration.
Today I'm excited to share that we're taking Startup Genome to the next level with a larger team, renewed focus and brand refresh.
I'm full-time + Geoff Wood
I'm now full-time on Startup Genome.
The multi-talented Geoff Wood, former COO of Silicon Prairie News, has also joined the team full-time to handle our content strategy, build our curator network, help with product and also do what he does best: geeky operational stuff.
Our lead developer Chris Taulborg has been focused on building the new version of Startup Genome over the past three months.
We partnered with GoodTwin to build a new professional design and brand identity, which we quietly launched last night.
Support from Kauffman
We're equally excited to share that The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has awarded Startup Genome a grant (which they announced this morning)!
From our friend Dane Stangler, the director of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation: “Mapping local start-up ecosystems not only provides an important tool to communities, but it will create a treasure trove of rare data on local start-ups. Our plans include studying how start-up communities develop and identify action steps that cities can take to grow their entrepreneurial community and measure their progress.”
And from Tom Ruhe, vice president of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation: “Startup Genome enables entrepreneurs and investors to plug into their city's start-up scene, which has untold benefits to them and their local economies. ...everyone wins when communities gain a better understanding of their city's entrepreneurial climate.”
We'll be using the grant to build out our product roadmap and fund operational expenses.
Read Kauffman's announcement about the grant.
Our focus
We're laser-focused on helping startup community builders.
You know who you are. You are the hackathon organizers, the Startup Weekend organizers, the managers and mentors at local accelerators, the brave souls who opened a coworking space in your city, the Startup Digest curators, etc. You are a special breed of altruistic people, yet you have very little support.
Our mission is to build tools that help you do what you do better: educate and connect local entrepreneurs + measure and grow your local startup community.
Brand refresh
In addition to redesigning the entire UX, we worked with GoodTwin to create a sophisticated new brand. What do you think?
For those of you building with the Startup Genome API, here's a smaller, sleeker way to cite Startup Genome as a source:
Find more logos in several formats here.
1,000 curators
Join us! Our goal is to have 1,000 active curators by the end of the year.
Be a curator for your local startup community.
Already have a map or an existing local site? Hook it up to the Startup Genome API or embed our map directly on your site (just click the "Embed" button at the bottom of any map). There's even a RepresentMap integration.
Contact Us
Our data shows that collaboration is at the core of the fastest growing startup ecosystems. We work with forward-looking organizations who understand that joining the global startup economy is key to to drive innovation and spur economic growth.