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MINNEAPOLIS

With a rich history of innovators, going back to companies like 3M, Control Data, and Medtronic, the Mini Apple benefits from excellent public education, a strong work ethic, and six months of the year where working is a better alternative than freezing to death. It’s also known as the land of blond hair, blue eyes, and blue ears, no coincidence, given its immigrant linkage to Scandanavia and its sister city, Stockholm. It’s also the medical innovation mecca of the world with the Mayo Clinic, Univeristy of Minnesota, Medical Alley and thousands of startups. With nineteen Fortune 500 companies, one Mall of America (the size of seventy-eight football fields), and sixty-nine blocks of Skyway connected over the city, the so-called Twin Cities always have something new to offer.

VENTURE ACTIVITY Q4’15 - Q3’16

VC FUNDING: 427.7M

DEALS: 66

EXITS: 51

5 YEAR YoY FUNDING GROWTH: 23.3%

5 YEAR YoY DEAL GROWTH: 15.6%

Source: CB Insights

 

MINNEAPOLIS AT A GLANCE

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Power Breakfast

Edina Grill

Good Day Café

Original Pancake House

Coffee Shops to Start Up In

Dunn Bros.

Spyhouse Coffee

Best Bar

Freehouse

Lord Fletchers

The Suburban

Local Beer

Summit

Surly Brewing Co.

“Must Be At” Local Events

Basilica Block Party

Guthrie Theater

Minnesota State Fair

Winter Carnival

In the Know

While Bob Dylan, a Minnesota native, may have won a Nobel Prize in Literature, Prince is the king of the Minneapolis music.

THE TOP

ANGELS

David Frauenshuh

David Russick

Dick Perkins

Henry Cousineau

Jeff O’Dell

Vance Opperman

VCs

Arthur Ventures

Matchstick Ventures

Omphalos Venture Partners

Rally Ventures

Split Rock Partners

StarTec Investments

ACCELERATORS

gener8tor

GoKart Labs

Treehouse Health

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EVENTS

Beta.mn

Entrepreneur Kickoff

Medical Alley Association

Minnebar

MN Cup

MobCon

Q4’15 - Q3’16 TOP FUNDING ROUNDS

Ceridian—$150M

CVRx—$93M

Code42—$85M

Bright Health—$80M

Siteimprove—$55M

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