What Went Down in June

It may be summer time, but things are not slowing down here at VCET! We had a busy month and want to give a lil’ window into life at a rad co-working-innovation-entrepreneur-loving hub.

 

So, drumroll please….roll the June highlights!

 

The Startup Collective is a thriving community of VT business owners

• Growing and growing. The Vermont Startup Collective reached over 1,000 members. We are so proud of this virtual community–the connections it fosters, the help it provides, and more! Join here for free!
• Milestones. Our President, Dave Bradbury, celebrated 15 years at VCET. We thank him not only for his hard work, but also for being a pro at unloading the dishwasher. We wouldn’t have VCET or clean dishes without you, Dave!

 

Episode 68 of “Start Here” featured VCET President, Dave Bradbury

• Listening and Learning. We dropped two fresh episodes of our “Start Here” podcast. One is with the ever-wise Dani Giandomenico, founder of IXIS, a digital marketing company. The second is with VCET prez, Dave Bradbury. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts! The podcast was named a stand-out by the Burlington Free Press, so we promise it is not just us who think it could be worth a listen.
• Robot Talk. We were lucky enough to visit Rigorous Technologies in Williston to witness the rad set-up they have. Their robots aim to automate non-creative tasks in order to keep small businesses competitive.
• Always Learning. We hosted a Lunch and Learn on R&D Tax Credit with Elisia Laramee, CPA with Gallagher Flynn & Co., so our members could get a better understanding of how they could be eligible for R&D tax credit. This tax credit can easily be overlooked or be too overwhelming to even begin to think about, so we love that our members left feeling more knowledgeable and confident about the process. Thank you Elisia!
• Gratitude. VCET would not be what it is today without the bonds we have formed with other organizations and institutions over the years. One of our strategic partners, Middlebury College has been a frequent visitor as their Vermont Innovation Summer students use the space to gather and reflect on their summer work experiences in Vermont.

 

Vernal Biosciences Inc., a portfolio company, announces $21 million raised

News, Baby!

• Big Launch. One of our portfolio companies, Faraday, launched Faraday predictions API, which allows for easy customer behavior predictions. Way to go!
• Raising and Scaling. A VCET portfolio company made headlines when it was revealed that they raised $21 million in funding. Vernal Biosciences, a biotech company focusing on producing mRNA, will now triple its staff. Mega proud.
• Medaled Up. Our friends at Lost Lantern Whiskey received some big kudos. Their Cedar Ridge Iowa Single Malt Finished in a Sherry Cask was awarded Best of Class-Finished Whiskey at the SF Worlds Spirits Competition. The selection process for Best of Class is pretty darn intense, so we couldn’t be happier for them.

 

YLAI fellows from the Americas visit VCET. 

Fun Peeps, New and Old

• Double the Trouble. We doubled our team for the summer! Three new associates are joining us from Middlebury College: Josh and Brendan are Venture Associates, and Naomi is here as a Marketing Associate. We’re loving the big fam.
• Bustling at 266 Main. We’re so lucky to have all types of thinkers in our space. Our office is buzzing with members of the Academic Research Commercialization (ARC) program at UVM. They work with professors to commercialize their research and are currently working on thin-film solar panels–keep an eye out for these hard-working entrepreneurs.
• Lucky us. We love having visitors–especially passionate entrepreneurs. We were lucky to have the fellows from the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, who are partnered with the Vermont Council on World Affairs, share their ventures and sit in to learn about VCET.
• OGs in the house. It’s been a blast having amazing teams in the office–ZestBloom, Geopipe, Gametheory, Pluck–they bring fun, unique energy. Even though it is summer, things do not slow down thatttt much. The coffee machines are in constant use, coconuts are being consumed, and scaling is always happening!

 

Well, that’s about all for now folks. Stay tuned for an even wilder update in July.