CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Technology funds in Ohio will make hundreds of millions of dollars available to blockchain startups, JumpStart CEO Ray Leach announced Sunday.JumpStart, along with six other funds from across Ohio, plan to invest $100 million in early-stage startups that focus on using blockchain technology for business or government, like using the online ledger system to store government documents. FlashStarts, a local venture fund and business accelerator, also announced a $6 million pre-seed fund for blockchain startups.Though nothing official has been announced, Leach also said additional investment teams plan to make $200 million over the next three years available for blockchain companies that take advantage of Ohio’s “Opportunity Zones.” The zones provide tax incentives for investors advocates hope could spur economic development in poor neighborhoods.The announcement was part of the official opening events for the Blockland Solutions conference. The … [Read more...] about JumpStart, FlashStarts announce millions of dollars in funding for blockchain startups
Funding online business startup
Online businesses turn to old-school offline marketing
News of Amazon.com’s plans to publish a holiday toy catalog came as no surprise to entrepreneur Michael McCarthy. When Amazon’s toy catalog popped up in a conversation recently, he smiled, reached into a bag and produced an Amazon Restaurants direct-mail pitch sent to a friend in Minneapolis. He was confident that just seeing “Amazon” in the return address of a direct-mail piece would seem like news. He was right. As it turns out, though, maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising that the world’s leading e-commerce company plans to distribute paper catalogs and is going after new customers with direct mail. What e-commerce companies are demonstrating is that the marketing tactics of e-commerce need not be electronic. They just need to be effective. “Amazon gets it, that these offline channels work,” said McCarthy, CEO of Minneapolis-based marketing technology firm Inkit. “A lot of these big companies still are trying to go … [Read more...] about Online businesses turn to old-school offline marketing
Amazon to buy Somerville online pharmacy startup PillPack
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Andy Rosen Globe Staff June 28, 2018 Amazon announced Thursday that it has agreed to buy the Somerville online pharmacy startup PillPack, a move that expands the tech giant’s reach in the Boston tech sphere and the promising world of home delivery for prescriptions. PillPack, which delivers medications in pre-sorted dose packages and employs more than 700, also has offices in Manchester, N.H. The company had previously been rumored to have been in talks with Walmart. “PillPack is meaningfully improving its customers’ lives, and we want to help them continue making it easy for people to save time, simplify their lives, and feel healthier,” Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Consumer Business, said in a statement. “We’re excited to see what we can do together on behalf of customers over time.” Advertisement Terms of the … [Read more...] about Amazon to buy Somerville online pharmacy startup PillPack
University of Montana students pitch unique business ideas for cash prizes
From a one-stop-shop website for outdoor adventure seekers to a payroll solution for businesses with union employees to a gaming store, dozens of University of Montana students spent all day Friday pitching their best business ideas. Eleven different teams competed in the 29th annual John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge hosted by the UM School of Business Administration and the Blackstone Launchpad at UM. Judges listened to both 60-second elevator pitches and more in-depth explanations during the day, and members of the public got to vote on their favorites. “The goal of the competition really is to help students sort of explore entrepreneurship, and to do that by trying to be entrepreneurs,” said Paul Gladen of Blackstone Launchpad. “This is a tremendous opportunity to focus their entrepreneurial abilities to be ready to compete. The thing we hear most from students is the learning they get out of interaction with the judges, the feedback, the questions … [Read more...] about University of Montana students pitch unique business ideas for cash prizes
How to Qualify for a Business Startup Loan
New businesses may find it difficult to qualify for traditional bank loans. But don't lose hope. You still have plenty of options. Jared Hecht Published 6:00 am, Sunday, April 1, 2018 Photo: Webphotographeer | Getty Images Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 Photo: Webphotographeer | Getty Images How to Qualify for a Business Startup Loan 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Look at the top funding sources for startups launched in the United States. Some of the most common ways to get capital include personal savings, friends and family, venture capital and angel investors, according to data from Fundable, a crowdfunding platform. While these are tried-and-true options to grow your young business, not every entrepreneur can go one of those routes. That means they must access funding through more traditional means. … [Read more...] about How to Qualify for a Business Startup Loan