This document provides an overview of the startup scene in Fort Collins, Colorado. It begins with contributors to the guide and guidelines for amplifying results in the local ecosystems. It then covers an overview of why Fort Collins is a good place for startups, notable companies, movements, meetups/events, resources at Colorado State University, and sources of capital. Subsequent sections discuss incubators, prototype labs, venture capital funds, office space, co-working spaces, finding talent, and ways to get connected. The document concludes with sections on lifestyle activities and author profiles. The overall document serves as a guide to help newcomers integrate into the Fort Collins startup community.

1. The Definitive Guide to the
Fort Collins,
Colorado
Startup Scene
Chris J Snook & Brianne Snook
Co-Founders of Launch Haus
Version 1.2
a publication of

2. Contributors to this guide:
1. Chris J Snook, Co-Founder/Venture Catalyst; Launch Haus
2. Brianne Snook, Co-Founder/General Manager; Launch Haus
3. Doug Johnson, SVP Capital Access; Rocky Mountain Innosphere
4. Mike Freeman, CEO; Rocky Mountain Innosphere
5. Charisse Bowen, Launch Director; Galvanize FoCo
6. Steve Hamaker, Designer & Identity Specialist; Stevaker Design
THANK YOU

3. Guidelines to Amplify Your Results and Adoption into Colorado’s Startup Ecosystems
1. This state is led by the Entrepreneurs, supported by Feeders, and amplified by Mentors
2. Promote Fort Collins as an AWESOME place to live, work, and innovate!
3. Give Generously Before you Expect to Get!
4. Enjoy the culture, lifestyle, and people!
5. No Whining…Act and Make a Positive Difference!
6. When you have a BIG EXIT…Give back to the Ecosystem!
7. Contribute Something to each interaction
8. Have an “Open Door”
9. Be in a constant state of “discovery”. Learn and Connect others to resources they need!
10. Promote our fellow ecosystems and Launch NoCo city nodes Longmont, Greeley and Loveland, and
collaborate with Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs and visit often, encouraging them to do
likewise!
ETIQUETTE

4. Want to skip around? Here’s what we’re going to cover.
OVERVIEW
6. Why Fort Collins?
7. Notable Companies
9. Movements
10. Meetups/Events/Maps
13. CSU Entrepreneurship
14. Capital Access
RESOURCES
17. Incubators
23. Prototype labs
27. Venture Capital
30. Office Space
32. Co-Working
34. Finding Talent/Jobs
35. Get Connected
36. Legal/Hr/Dev/Accounting
LIFESTYLE &
ACTIVITIES
38. “Hop”pening Places
39. Stay Caffeinated
40. Trails/Parks
46. Author Profile
48. Rate this Slideshare

5. The essential understanding that’ll get you
up to speed and connected in a hurry!
OVERVIEW
DISCLAIMER: Last Updated 2/8/15
We’re going to walk you through a snapshot of the most relevant
resources, players, and movements to help you insert into,
contribute to, and benefit from the Fort Collins Startup Ecosystem.
We are continually adding to this as we become aware of new
additions and changes in the marketplace. We don’t know it all but
this is a great place to start!

6. #4 Best Places for Business/Life (Forbes)
#2 National list of Top Metro Areas
for High Tech Startup Density
#1 Best Places to Live (Money Magazine)
Best Cost of Living index on the Front
Range (Affordable Housing, Affordable
Talent, Affordable and Ample Office Space,
Amazing Schools for your Kids,
& Our Outdoor Lifestyle Rocks!
WHY FORT COLLINS?
1
2
FUN FACT #1
Fort Collin’s historic downtown was the
inspiration for Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.

7. www.advancedmicrolabs.com
www.vandynesuperturbo.com
www.dvmsystems.com
www.zeroheroevents.com
www.pandabicycles.com
www.sprigtoys.com
www.datasplice.com
www.beginagaintoys.com
www.clearpathlabs.com
www.ridekick.com
www.stewartenv.com
www.weatherflow.com
http://us.wirsol.com
www.propel-labs.com
www.brinkmanpartners.com
SOME (NOT ALL)
NOTABLE STARTUPS
www.art4dvm.com
http://www.carboanalytics.com
www.fluonic.com
www.kromatid.com
http://fireflymedicalinc.com/
www.strenatus.com
http://vet-dc.com
www.vorticwatches.com
www.canvasbackonline.com
www.communityfunded.com
www.dh2i.com
http://exchangemeds.com
www.meritagesystems.com
www.metstat.com
www.mocodevco.com
www.orderstorm.com
www.physicalactivityinnovations.com
www.youseeu.com
www.avividtechnologies.com
http://www.boulderev.com
www.czero-solutions.com
http://www.fabriq.co
www.logimesh.com
www.navituspower.com
Open Water Foundation
www.optienzsensors.com
www.pneumaticoat.com
http://www.solidpowerbattery.com
www.symbioenergy.com

8. NOTABLE EMPLOYERS
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9. • Launch NoCo
• Colorado Water Innovation Cluster
• NETZERO Communities
• Social Entrepreneurship/CSU
• Drive Electric Northern Colorado
• Colorado Entrepreneurial By Nature
• Startup Revolution
• 1 Million Cups NoCo
• Greeley Unexpected
• Startup Loveland
• Startup Longmont
MOVEMENTS

10. MEETUPS
• NewTech Fort Collins
• Fort Collins Internet Marketing Tools/Techniques
• Fort Collins Talent Trade
• LabWorx
• Fort Collins Digital Gunslingers
• Innovation After Hours
• The Caffienated Business Network
• The Mobile Workforce (Location Neutral)
• Entrepreneurs
• NoCo Real Estate Investors Group
• NoCo Renewable Energy Society
• EntrepreNerds
• SBDC's New Lean Startup Intensive
• LAUNCH NoCO
Show Up–Contribute–Receive

11. EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars!
• Bohemian Nights/NewWestFest
• Venture Adventure Challenge
• Fortoberfest
• Tour De Fat
• Downtown Fort Collins Events
• NREL Industry Growth Forum
• Rocky Mountain Cleantech Open
• Fort Collins Startup Week
• Blue Ocean Enterprise Challenge

12. STARTUP GENOME MAP
Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver
Over 820 New Tech Companies…You
can add your Startup, Event,
Association, Accelerator, etc. here:
http://www.bdnt.org

13. COLORADO STATE
Entrepreneurship
The Venture Accelerator provides entrepreneurship training,
advising, and mentoring for student run ventures. Select
entrepreneurs are incubated for a 12 month period to develop the
idea and to better position it for a successful launch. The
Accelerator program consists of two stages: the Immersion Lab
which runs for four months and the Start-Up Spring Board which
runs for eight months.
The Immersion Lab is a 16-week intensive track program that
engages up to twelve student entrepreneurs and their teams in a
hands-on, execution style training opportunity that is focused on
launching their new ventures. During the Immersion Lab,
participants will work with a mentor and multiple advisors who guide
them as the venture teams deliver measurable outcomes in a time
sensitive manner.
The Start-Up Spring Board is the second -stage of the accelerator
program.
VISIT: www.biz.colostate.edu

14. CAPITAL ACCESS
Thanks to the tremendous innovative thinking of the
leadership at Rocky Mountain Innosphere, Fort Collins
has one of the most efficient and equitable Access to
Capital ecosystems in the country
Funding Vehicles Include:
• Donor Pool for Seed Stage
• Debt Fund
• Community Development Venture Capital Fund
• Program and Entrepreneur Sponsorship
Grants/Debt/Angels/VCs
Learn More at:
Rocky Mountain Innosphere Capital Access
Tax Credit Example for Innosphere Donors
Innosphere Contribution Amount $100,000
Assumed 35% Federal Tax Rate -$35,000
4.63% Colorado Tax Rate -$4,630
Colorado EZ Tax Credit -$25,000
Adjusted “Cost” To The Contributor $35,370
(35.37% of Total Contribution)

15. CROWDFUND
One of Fort Collins own new tech startups with a
successful Seed round is ready to make sure your new
idea gets off the ground With an innovative solution set
for crowdfunding.
• Offer Rewards and In-Kind
• Offer Equity
• Non-Profit Donations
• White labeled Enterprise platform for brands
• Community Funded Marketplace
• And more
communityfunded.com

16. The Places and People You Need to
Meet and Visit in Fort Collins and
the Front Range Ecosystems.
RESOURCES

17. INCUBATORS
Mentorship-Access to Capital-Acceleration!

18. THE INNOSPHERE
Innosphere has an Expanded Cleantech Program!
A great resource for cleantech entrepreneurs: The
recently launched “Innosphere at CREED” office is
located at the Colorado Center for Renewable Energy
Economic Development (CREED). CREED is co-
located with the U.S. Department of Energy's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in
Golden, CO — the only federal laboratory dedicated
to the research, development, commercialization
and deployment of renewable energy and energy
efficiency technologies.
Visit www.rmi2.org
Accelerating Job Creation & Entrepreneurship

19. THE CSU HATCHERY
CSU incubates its own startup companies—these three student entrepreneurial
companies were chosen to accommodate space at Innosphere and have full access
as clients. The current three hatchery companies include:
Cam-Keeper1
Stuff’N Mallows2
Wild Fit Gyms3

20. GALVANIZEGalvanize FoCo provides members three working environments (Seat, Desk, Suite) along with specific
perks for individuals, startup teams, and funded/larger startups. The co-working space is the hub of tech energy in Fort
Collins and also houses the G-School and serves as a meeting and drop in hub for Galvanize Ventures and other Angel
Groups and Venture Capital firms. www.galvanize.it Contact Launch Manager Charisse Bowen charisse@galvanize.it
Galvanize FoCo Co-Working (Opening Summer 2015)1
G-School/GalvanizeU2
Galvanize Ventures3

21. ACCELERATORS NEARBY
ImagineH2O - The Leading Path-to-Market Resource
for Promising Water Entrepreneurs1
CleanTech Open - The World’s largest Clean Tech Accelerator2
Founders Institute - World's Largest Startup Accelerator,
with a mission to "Globalize Silicon Valley"3
TechStars - provides seed funding from over 75 top venture capital firms
and angel investors who are vested in the success of your startup4

22. ACCELERATORS NEARBY
Boomtown Boulder – Tech Accelerator focused on the
intersection of Big Data, Media, and Design5
MergeLane- Broadening the On-Ramp for women-run-companies6
4

23. PROTOTYPE LABS

24. CSU IDEA2PRODUCT LAB
Facilities at the Idea to Product lab include five
3D printing platforms, with two more scheduled
to arrive in the near future to take the total up to
seven, and meet the anticipated increased
demand from this community. The 3D printers
are capable of processing up to 18 different
materials and therefore offer wide scope for new
innovation in developing product ideas.
A nominal fee is required to use the facilities
provided in order to cover costs of materials and
maintenance.

25. FORT COLLINS CREATOR HUB
406 N College Avenue Fort Collins CO
www.fortcollinscreatorhub.org
The makerspace in Downtown Fort Collins CO

26. CSU VENTURES
• Discover I.P. & Co-Founders
• License, R&D, Incubate, and Commercialize New Solutions
• Access Capital, New Tech & World Class Research
Technology Transfer

27. LOVELAND CREATOR SPACE
The Loveland Creator Space is a non-profit,
members funded and operated cooperative
“makerspace” for engineers, artists, musicians,
and tinkerers of all sorts to come together and…
CREATE!
Like a traditional “hackerspace”, the primary
objective of LCS is to provide a community-
driven work shop that offers its members access
to tools, machinery, and classes to help promote
creative engineering in Loveland and Northern
Colorado.
Learn more and come check it out
www.lovelandcreatorspace.com

28. TINKERMILL (LONGMONT)
TINKERMILL is a place where like-minded people
interested in art, technology, science and business
can collaborate on creative projects; share tools;
learn; teach; make things; prototype new ideas,
products and services; start ventures; meet new
people; and share knowledge.
Our facility prides itself in a variety of resources
including, but not limited to 3D printers, CNC
Millers, 40 watt lasercutter, machine shop,
woodworking shop, auto bay, video/audio studio,
art studio, sewing station, meeting rooms, data
center, robotics lab, vacuum chamber, and we’re
continuously expanding our resources.
Learn more and come check it out
www.tinkermill.org

29. VENTURE CAPITAL

30. • Vista Ventures
• Bohemian Companies LLC
• Foundry Group
• Access Venture Partners
• High Country Ventures
• Aravaipa Ventures
• Galvanize Ventures
• Rockies Venture Club
• Tallwave Capital
LOCAL FRONT RANGE VCs

31. OFFICE SPACE

32. READY TO SCALE?
Flexible Space for 3-500+
CALL CBRE Fort Collins and reference
this guide and #relotonoco
970.372.3843

33. CO-WORKING

34. NEED AFFORDABLE DESKS?
• http://www.hivefortcollins.com
• http://coherecommunity.com/
• Jefferson’s Study
• www.galvanize.it (Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver)
• www.armoryworkspace.com (Downtown Loveland)
• http://www.Tinkermill.org (Makerspace in Longmont)

35. FINDING TALENT/
STARTUP JOBS
• Innosphere Startup Job Board
(http://www.rmi2.org/page.asp?NavID=58)
• Launch Haus Startup Job distribution list-Send your CV to
Chris J Snook for distribution to dozens of local startups in
Fort Collins/Loveland/Longmont/Greeley
• Create a profile and complete the personality assessment on
BuiltinColorado.com and search Fort Collins/Loveland, CO

36. GET CONNECTED
Press/Newsletters/Social
• http://www.innovationews.com
• http://www.startupcolorado.com
• http://www.houseofgenius.org (coming to NoCo in 2014)
• http://www.xconomy.com (Colorado)
• http://www.facebook.com/launchhausfc
• http://www.twitter.com/launchhausfc
• http://www.coloradotechnology.org (CTA)
• http://www.builtincolorado.com

37. LEGAL/DEV WORK
• RMBA GROUP(In-House Counsel-As-A-Service)
• Softlayer Catalyst (Get up to $120,000 of Free Credit)
visit http//www.launchha.us/softlayer to apply
• Geekrowd.com (Full Stack Dev Consulting)

38. LIFESTYLE ACTIVITIES

39. FIND A SICK HOUSE
• Tim (The Kiwi Realtor) and Brian (Mr. 970)
• www.relotnoco.com for listings and info

40. “HOP”PENING PLACES
• Odells
• New Belgium
• Equinox
• Fort Collins Brewery
• Coopersmiths
• Black Bottle Brewery

41. STAY CAFFEINATED
• Starry Nights Café
• MUGS Coffee Lounge
• Everyday Joes
• Bean Cycle
• Cranknstein

42. TRAILS, PARKS, ETC.
• Fort Collins Trail Map
• Fort Collins Parks Map
• Estes Park
• Rocky Mountain National
Park
• Bike Fort Collins

43. “Now with a unified brand…In
the near future we envision a
statewide Colorado Startup
Week.”
Aaron Kennedy
CMO-State of Colorado

44. Within high-tech ICT sector
(Information and Communications
Technology), new firm births grew by
210% and Fort Collins was #2
Nationwide for High Tech Startup
Density in 2013! Source: Kauffman Foundation

45. THE FORT COLLINS NEWCOMER
INTEGRATION CHECKLIST
Study and Review This Guide and its Links
Email c@launchha.us for personal introductions
Attend a relevant Meetup or Open Event
Take a Tour of Innosphere, CSU Idea2Product
Lab, & Launch Haus (opening 2014)

46. Welcome to the Fort Collins Startup
Ecosystem! Please help us make this guide
more valuable in future versions by taking
our quick survey. Thanks in advance!
TAKE OUR 2 SECOND SURVEY NOW
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47. FREE ADMISSION
FORT COLLINS, CO | MENTOR SESSION 2014
REGISTER FOR A V.I.P. INVITE
www.launchha.us

48. CHRIS J. SNOOK &
BRIANNE SNOOK
@chrisjsnook
c@launchha.us
@launchhausfc
b@launchha.us

49. So you have a great innovation and you
want to visit Fort Collins and test drive
it for your business …
Launch Haus can help!

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