Edition 17: September 2024 Startup Events and News In Colorado
Community fueled resource for Colorado's startup ecosystem.
BIG MONTH with a lot of great Denver Startup Week events - we hope to see you all out and about! Thank you for your continued support of this newsletter.
Fill out the linked forms if you have an event or news you’d like included in the next edition of this substack and also posted to the Colorado Startups calendar.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
RVC Pitch Academy - September 2024 - The RVC Pitch Academy is a half-day workshop designed to do much more than polish a founder’s pitch and presentation skills. From delivering a compelling presentation to negotiating a successful deal, this workshop will prepare founders to understand many of the terms and processes used by VCs and sharpen their venture strategy. RVC’s Pitch Academy instructors have years of experience working with angel + venture capital investors; the Pitch Academy content reflects deep and useful insights about investor priorities and interests. With the help of the EDA, RVC is offering Pitch Academy for free to all underrepresented entrepreneurs. If interested, please email adam@rockiesventureclub.org.
When: September 3rd, noon
Where: Hybrid: In-Person at Mile High United Way, 711 Park Ave W, Denver, CO 80205 or Online - Zoom Virtual Meeting
Who should attend: Entrepreneurs
Contributed by Adam at Rockies Venture Club
Thunderview CEO Dinners - THUNDERVIEW CEO DINNERS is a monthly dinner founded to introduce a diverse set of CEOs (across backgrounds, stages and markets) to one another to share their experiences and receive outside perspectives. Each dinner is capped at 50 participants — a mix of early-stage, scaling, exited and bootstrapping CEOs, plus a few VCs to provide capital’s point of view. Our August dinner features a fireside chat with Mike Platt, of Cooley LLP, discussing the legal issues that impact early stage startups (incorporation, equity allocations, fundraising, etc) and when to pull the trigger.
When: September 5th, 6pm
Where: Mercury Cafe (2199 California St, Denver, CO 80205)
Who should attend: CEOs at bootstrapped and VC-backed product and technology companies (no service providers, please)
Contributed by Eric Marcoullier
Silicon Flatirons Presents Startup Variety Show - The Show returns this fall! Please join us on Monday, September 9 at Colorado Law for the Startup Variety Show. The Variety Show ranks among the best ways to engage with Colorado’s Front Range entrepreneurial community. Now in its second year, Variety Show stitches together the startup scene, CU Boulder, innovators from the Federal Labs, as well as technologists from incumbent technology companies.
When: September 9th, 5pm
Where: Denver, CO
Who should attend: Startups, established entrepreneurs, community members, recent graduates, undergrad/grad students
Contributed by Christine at CU Boulder
Golden Angels Investor Forum - Join us for the Golden Angels Investor Forum, presented by RVC and Traxion. RVC Investor Forums bring together accredited angel investors interested in fast-growing, early-stage companies in Colorado. These forums serve to pool the wisdom, expertise, and capital of many individual angels. At this forum, investors will listen to three live pitches, and afterwards, discuss the merits and risks of each venture. Both new and experienced investors are welcome at forums -- this is the best way to learn hands-on about angel investing! *Please note, in order to attend this event, one must be an accredited investor. If you are an accredited investor, and interested in attending, please email adam@rockiesventureclub.org.
When: September 10th, 5pm
Where: Morris & Mae Collective (18475 W Colfax Ave Suite 132, Golden, CO 80401)
Who should attend: Accredited Investors
Contributed by Adam at Rockies Venture Club
Boulder New Tech Climate Night - Six companies helping to clean up our planet will be sharing information about the technology they have developed and how it helps solve environmental problems.
When: September 12th, 6pm
Where: Founder Central at Sweater Ventures 2000 Central Ave. Boulder, CO
Who should attend: Investors, Inventors, Engineers, Product, Marketing, Techyeets
Contributed by Susan Crouse
TEDxBoulder - TEDxBoulder is thrilled to announce its return in September 2024. This year’s event promises to be an extraordinary gathering of thought leaders, innovators, and visionaries ready to share their ideas that have shaped the world both in the past and at present. TEDxBoulder brings together diverse perspectives, cutting-edge ideas, and groundbreaking insights to foster meaningful conversations and ignite transformative actions.
TEDxBoulder is also looking for organizations in the community interested in making a tax-deductible donation to sponsor the event and be recognized. Please check out the sponsor page on the TEDxBoulder website if you want to learn moreWhen: September 14th, 4pm
Where: Chautauqua Auditorium
Who should attend: Anyone who wants to learn about new ideas and connect with those in the community who also care about new ideas
Contributed by Stephanie Sladnick
Denver Startup Week - Built by the community for the community, Denver Startup week is a celebration of everything entrepreneurial in Denver and is the largest free event of its kind. Join us as we celebrate a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Denver and beyond, showcasing and building a global culture of innovation. Natty will be hosting the following events on 9/18:
2-3pm: How to Raise Seed Capital
3-4pm: How to Raise Growth Capital
4-5pm: Reverse Pitch: Get to Know The VCs Investing in Colorado Startups
5-6pm: Founder and VC mixer -
When: September 16-20th
Where: Denver, CO
Who should attend: Anyone in the startup ecosystem!
Contributed by Natty at Matchstick Ventures
Party on a Tuesday! - Join a sophisticated and fun networking event to connect with Colorado entrepreneurs, investors, and startup community members.
The Party will be held at one of Denver's hottest entertainment venues, Riot House, in the heart of downtown. This venue will make this year's Party the best yet, with multiple levels, an open-air rooftop, and multiple music stages!
When: September 17th, 4pm
Where: Riot House, Denver, CO
Who should attend: All Startup Community folks welcome
Contributed by Micah at Colorado Startups
Boulder AI Builders Meetup - Come meet the people building interesting products with AI in Boulder. Startup Week Edition!
When: September 18th, 5pm
Where: Denver, CO
Who should attend: Anyone involved in or interested in the AI builder space
Contributed by Shannon at Matchstick Ventures
The State of Colorado Tech Accelerators - We have some incredible tech accelerator programs in our amazing state. But how do you decide which might be right for your startup?! Come meet those leading Colorado's top tech accelerator programs and to make a connection with them!
Who you will hear from:
Michael Bevis, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, City and County of Denver
Sasha Green, Techstars Program Manager
Adam Sanchez, Rockies Venture Club
Max Cupp, Exponential Impact Executive Director
Tim Jones, Innosphere
Samuel Houser
…and more to come!When: September 18th, 5pm
Where: The Commons on Champa (1245 Champa St, Denver, CO, 80204)
Who should attend: Founders, Investors, Mentors, Advisors
Contributed by Adam at Rockies Venture Club
Outdoor Industry Funding Summit - This invite-only summit brings resources and opportunities together in Crested Butte, Colorado by connecting vetted investors and early-stage company founders who are seeking investment. Two days will be spent in the beautiful Gunnison Valley forging meaningful relationships and gaining cutting-edge industry insights from a lineup of guest speakers. Applications open July 15th.
When: September 19th
Where: Crested Butte, CO
Who should attend: Outdoor Industry founders who are raising capital in the second half of 2024.
Contributed by TJ at Ice Lab
Startup Hike- Startup Week Edition! Do you like being outside? How about on a Friday morning when the trails aren’t packed? Startup Hikes is a series designed to help you meet and get to know other local startup founders, operators, investors, and community members. Whether you’ve been in Colorado forever or just moved here, see some familiar faces and meet new ones.
When: September 20th, 9am
Where: Denver, CO
Who should attend: Anyone in the Startup Community or the Startup curious!
Contributed by Micah at Colorado Startups
Welcome to Boulder - Once a month, we welcome anyone new to the Boulder tech and startup scene, in person. We'll answer your questions, direct you to the right resources, and help make introductions where appropriate. Plus you'll meet other community members and individuals new to Boulder, yay new friends!Please RSVP so we know who to expect - and feel free to come every month as you get more integrated, you can help the next new person feel welcome.
When: September 20th, 4pm
Where: T/aco Boulder
Who should attend: Anyone new to the tech scene in Boulder and Denver
Contributed by Nicole Glaros
Boulder Open Coffee Club (BOCC) - This is an informal group for anyone interested in the startup community, particularly those with an interest in technology. We've been meeting regularly since 2007.
The group typically includes entrepreneurs, investors, designers, developers, product managers, and other interesting people. A typical session include 2/3 regulars and 1/3 newcomers - all are welcomed!
Many thanks to our sponsor MojoTech!When: September 10th and 24th, 8am (every other Tuesday)
Where: Virtual and in person (check registration)
Who should attend: Anyone interested in startups & tech!
Contributed by Chris Vieville
NEWS AND RESOURCES
Venture Partners at CU Boulder announces job opening for Licensing Manager- Venture Partners at CU Boulder is excited to announce an opening for a collaborative team member with a passion for innovation. The Licensing Manager manages innovations and their intellectual property (IP) from world-leading scientists and engineers and is a central figure in the CU entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Licensing Manager's contributions are integral to Venture Partners’ mission to translate research innovation into positive social and economic impact.
Contributed by Daniel at the University of Colorado
Love this mashup! Thanks for putting it together.
The one event that I found recently which is an amazing community in Boulder is "Boulder Pitch" formerly known as 1 Million Cups, happening every Wed morning at 9 am.