Our recent partnership with StartUp Weekend is underway, and as promised, we will be making our rounds across the country to help early stage software companies become sustainable businesses.

Here is where we’re headed the next few weeks:

Startup Weekend, Washington D.C- Aug. 13-15
StartUp Weekend, San Diego- Aug. 20-22

StartUp Weekend is a challenge for web developers, marketing experts, business managers and graphic designers to form teams and build companies in a 54-hour period. It’s a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to come together to network with experts and make their ideas a reality. Teams can develop a concept, a demo or launch their finished product.

I will be attending these events, serving as a business mentor and  judging teams. I will also be speaking about the challenge of fundraising for new companies.

SocialDevCamp, Chicago- Aug. 13-15

SocialDevCamp is a weekend conference focused on how to utilize the social web. Hundreds of developers and enthusiasts come for talks on social applications, platforms, mobile applications and new media from those such as Andrew Mason of Groupon and Chriss Messina of Google. Developers can also compete in the Hackathon to develop and launch a new social app.

SproutBox is a sponsor and Mike Trotzke will be there to answer questions about SproutBox, development and board games.

MidVenturesLAUNCH, Chicago- Sept. 27-28

LAUNCH brings together venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and social media reps from across the Midwest to introduce new ideas to an audience of professionals. Over 800 entrepreneurs, techies and capitalists will be at the event. Companies who are ready to launch are provided the space, the targeted audience and three minutes to showcase their products. Startups compete for a panel of experts to see if their product reigns supreme.

LAUNCH will be held at the UIC forum. will be there to answer questions about SproutBox and see what great ideas entrepreneurs are coming up with.

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We’re pleased to announce that SproutBox is joining Startup Weekend as a national sponsor. Startup Weekend is a set of two-day events for software developers and entrepreneurs in cities around the world, and SproutBox will be its first national venture capital sponsor.  This partnership will provide additional support to create successful, sustainable startups and to close a crucial gap in the funding ecosystem for early stage software companies.

Clint Nelson, Director of Startup Weekend said, “The major benefits are taking teams further and supporting more teams than we can do ourselves. It’s a meeting of the minds and a gathering of passionate people that are willing to work together. For us, SproutBox clearly wants to be part of that ecosystem and that’s awesome.”

We’re going to be speaking at many of the Startup Weekend events, and one Startup Weekend team per quarter will be guaranteed a spot to present for the SproutBox selection committee for consideration as a SproutBox portfolio company, or “sprout.”

Also, all Startup Weekend teams will receive a fully-featured, six month CheddarGetter recurring billing account free of charge.  Additionally, participants will receive six months of Squad Edit, the premier web-based, real-time, collaborative code editor to help them through their development processes.

We’re really excited about this partnership- it’s going to mean great things for the software community.

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