Author: Charles Stack

  YOU'RE INVITED! Techstars Cleveland Startup Community Assessment Please join us for this unique, one-time event and learn first-hand how Cleveland's Startup scene compares to other cities. DATE: Tuesday / March 13, 2018 TIME:  3:00 PM LOCATION: Cleveland City Club / 850 Euclid Avenue General attendance is FREE but your RSVP is required.   RSVP HERE   INITIATIVE BACKGROUND:   One hundred years ago, Cleveland was an entrepreneurial hot spot and an international leader in innovation, patents, startups and wealth creation. [pullquote]Between 1905 and 1925, in the span of a single generation, Cleveland became the nation’s 5th largest city.[/pullquote]Between 1905 and 1925,…

Cleveland is in the midst of a rust belt revolution. Transforming a manufacturing city to an innovative tech powerhouse is no easy task, but Cleveland, along with other former manufacturing hubs like Buffalo and Pittsburgh, is doing just that. Flashstarts aims to be on the cutting edge of that revitalization, and we know it's only possible with community support. Flashstarts invested in their first round of portfolio companies in 2013 and has spent the past several years carefully building our portfolio (see this year's companies), launching a top tier accelerator, and expanding our programs to become a more comprehensive startup…

  From Akron, OH to New York City and beyond, Drive My Way is making a name for themselves in the trucking industry. Their name spreads along the highways and byways that keep our nation running, carried by professionals in the trucking industry. What is Drive My Way? According to founder and CEO Beth Potratz, you can think of it like the “eHarmony for the trucking industry.” (more…)

The road to success is not always straight or simple as many of We Can Code IT’s students might tell you, but hard work really does pay off. Our first introduction to We Can Code IT was just over one year ago when they were accepted into the Flashstarts Accelerator class of 2015. We Can Code IT is a computer programming boot camp that specifically focuses on serving minority population groups because as CEO Mel McGee notes, “Diversity matters.” For every 1% increase in team diversity, there is a 6% increase in profits (wecancodeit.org/employers). (more…)

150+ EXCITED ACCREDITED INVESTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS 30 CUTTING EDGE LOCAL STARTUPS. 12 COMPELLING COMPANY PITCHES. 2 FEATURED SPEAKERS. 1 COLLABORATIVE COWORKING SPACE. That’s how we bring together the top ingenuity and resources in Cleveland to help launch the next generation of great companies. Tuesday evening Flashstarts hosted the Flashstarts Angel Soiree #4 at our StartMart home in downtown Cleveland in collaboration with the Ohio Venture Association and North Coast Angel Fund. Investors, community leaders, and startup entrepreneurs gathered to celebrate Cleveland’s economic acceleration and to find the next thought and venture leaders to continue this region’s growth. (more…)

With the 2016 Flashstarts Accelerator well underway, our focus for our Accelerator teams has become increasingly multi-faceted. Mentorship and guidance are key components to the success of our companies, but we also continue to seek investments from supporters eager to advocate for the importance of a robust startup community in Cleveland. If you're unsure about investing in startups, give yourself the next 5 minutes to learn why we invest in startups, and why startups are actually a great investment for your portfolio. (more…)

Innovation Fund America is a nonprofit that works to accelerate early stage technology startups through funding and education in Northeast Ohio. In late September, Innovation Fund America awarded pre-seed funding to 5 technology startups for between $25,000 and $50,000 to continue their growth by testing products, hiring employees, or improving their products. Markers, a 2016 Flashstarts Portfolio company founded by finance expert Reginald Cash, was a recipient of GLIDE Innovation funding ($50,000). Markers is an enterprise software application that allows publicly listed companies have more fluid conversations with their internal and external stakeholders. (more…)

Co-working may seem like just another phase that has taken off in the past decade, but there’s a reason so many people are excited about it. The number one reason people choose co-working spaces to traditional office spaces in the United States is for a work community according to a survey done by deskmag.com. Interaction with others comes in as a close second place. Click here to see the full survey results. If you haven’t been to our Flashstarts home, you may not have had the opportunity to see StartMart, one of Cleveland’s top co-working spaces. We have plenty of…