StartupNorth

Category: Canada

  • BlitzWeekend: Launch a Startup in a Weekend

    We were going to make a post about BlitzWeekend, but what’s better than information straight from the source? Here is a guest post from Heri, a co-organizer of BlitzWeekend, with all the details.

    BlitzWeekend (organized by Heri Rakotomalala, Denis Canuel, and Mehdi Akiki) is coming to Montreal this February. We are inviting teams of designers, developers, and entrepreneurs to build a startup in 2 days, from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. BlitzWeekend is inspired by StartupWeekend, but there are some key differences. Where StartupWeekend attempted to get over 60 people introduced and working together on one project in one weekend, BlitzWeekend teams and projects should be setup before the event. We will be providing the space and other necessities, but it?s up to each team to find a project and to organize themselves.

    For new entrepreneurs, we offer an opportunity to go through all the stages of a startup: finding talented partners to collaborate with on an idea, writing a business plan, building and deploying the product. Teams will have an opportunity to present their final product at the end of the weekend and receive feedback from other participants and a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

    blitzweekeend-website.jpgIf you are already involved in a startup, it is also an opportunity to build our your existing product. 48 hours is ample time to create a Facebook / Open Social app or a widget to distribute your content to blogs. You can also view it as a challenge to test new technologies you haven?t had time yet to try out. Think of BlitzWeekend as your R&D lab.

    We expect most of the teams to focus on web applications, but BlitzWeekend is also open to teams working on innovative mobile applications, desktop software, games, etc. If all you really want to do is hack some hardware, then so be it!

    We will be limiting attendance for the event to 50 people, which should make for about 10 teams. We?ll open registration as soon as we secure the venue. For now, you can join the Facebook group, and post about your potential ideas and team members. Of course, we will also be updating the blog.

    See you in Montreal this February!

  • Investment Banking for Startups – Q1 Capital launches Private Investor Network

    Raising funds for a startup is a full time job. As Craig Hayashi of Maple Leaf Angels pointed out in his recent posts, it can easily take 6 months to raise an angel round. Fortunately, there are options for entrepreneurs who want to focus more of their attention on building the business and less of their precious time on the next financing.

    Golden KeyMeet Frances Fast of Q1 Capital. She specializes in getting startups funded… fast. There is such a thing as a startup investment banker. Frances recently joined Q1, to lead their Private Investor Network, but she is not new to the industry; Frances has been working with angel groups in Canada for nearly a decade, talk about a golden Rolodex.

    If your startup needs to raise over $750,000, you might want to consider the services of an investment bank. They’ll put together your pitch book and get you in front of an interested audience; of course you’ll still need to sell it.

    Investment banking for startups… sounds fancy, what’s the catch? Well, an investment bank’s services are not free. At the close of financing they get a 7% success fee and along the way charge a retainer to keep everyone’s eye on the ball and moving toward closing a deal.

    Sure you can do it yourself. Put together your own private placement memorandum, hunt down angels and vcs, try and get a meeting, etc. But if this is your first time down the startup financing road or you have more vital things to focus on, bringing on an experienced deal maker can keep everything on track and moving forward… fast.

    Contact: Frances Fast, Q1 Capital
    Tip: Be sure to sign up for the Q1 newsletter, it is chock full of need to know info!

  • JobLoft makes an exit

    JobLoft2JobLoft, the Toronto-based company at the center of the Dragon’s Den soap opera last year has finally been paid their due. In a move that both shows how much you do not want investment from the Dragon’s Den, and which shows how a little hard work pays off, JobLoft is being acquired by OnTargetJobs.

    OnTargetJobs runs a network of job boards including Hcareers, which caters to the hospitality industry. Our guess is that JobLoft’s map functionality will be brought to Hcareers. OnTargetJobs is backed by Warburg Pincus. No word yet on the acquisition details, but we’ll try and scoop TechCrunch.

    Congrats to the JobLoft crew on a successful exit.

  • BarCamp Canada!

    BarCamp Canada LogoMark your calendars, BarCamp Canada is coming to town! Montreal is hosting Canada’s first-ever nationwide BarCamp, to be held next month, Saturday, November 3. For those of you not yet familiar with BarCamp, it is an unconference par excellence. While I can’t tell you exactly what will be presented (the schedule is set that day), I can guarantee it will be one of the most engaging experiences of the year.

    Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited. The only cost is participation. So plan a car pool, jump on a train, or find a cheap flight. This event you don’t want to miss.

    What: BarCamp Canada
    Where: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    When: Saturday, November 3, 2007
    Cost: Participation (Free!)