How many of you have set a New Year’s Resolution and failed to keep it because you didn’t have enough help to get you over the hump, or maybe you didn’t keep it because there wasn’t anyone else pushing you or keeping you motivated? Maybe you didn’t keep it because when the task is out of sight, it’s out of mind. Well…lucky for all you coders and potential coders, Code Year is hoping to solve all of those problems for you this year–at least when it comes to learning to code.

Code Year, a project from Codecademy, promises to help the hundreds of thousands participants to learn enough code to build their own app or website by the end of 2012. Code Year bring lessons in the form of a game to participants each week through email. Participants started the year learning Javascript. The program awards badges to help keep the participants motivated.

So what connection does this have to SproutBox? Besides the fact that we think this is a totally awesome idea, we are going to host the first of many Code Year Meetups in Bloomington. Anyone who has signed up for Code Year (and yes, you can still sign up and start to learn how to code) will get together on February 7th, at 7pm at SproutBox and chat with other coders. We’ll have some developers here to help you solve that problem you just haven’t been able to figure out or give you insight and tips. We’ll give coders a chance to meet up with other coders and help each other out or show off what you’ve already learned. It’s always great to connect with someone trying to reach the same goal you are to help push you and keep you on the right track.

We are really excited to host this event. It allows our team to network and share the passion of development with participants and engage them in the Bloomington tech scene and even meet some of our Sprouts, like Squad. Code Year is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to learn how to code or even just to better your skills, so join us at the meetup and we’ll help you stick with your resolution!

Interested in joining Code Year? Make sure you sign up so you don’t get behind!

Make sure to RSVP and come join us!

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Last week, we announced that MyJibe was acquired by MoneyDesktop, provider of the fastest growing personal financial management platform for financial institutions. After less than 9 months on the market, MyJibe made waves in the industry. They caught the eye of MoneyDesktop CEO Ryan Caldwell, who quickly established a vision for accelerated growth.

“I was impressed with the potency of MyJibe’s team. They had accomplished, in software and business development, what most of our well-funded competitors were still working towards,” said Caldwell.

Based in Provo, UT, MoneyDesktop boasts a client base of over 200 banks and credit unions and unmatched partnerships with the country’s top online banking providers. The combination of MyJibe and MoneyDesktop will take PFM to the next level. MyJibe Founders Mike Langellier and Brandon Dewitt will join the MoneyDesktop team in leadership roles.

We’re thrilled by the success MyJibe has achieved is such a short time. We know that most of our investments won’t exit this quickly, but this acquisition is proof that great entrepreneurs can truly move markets when equipped with a great product. With only SproutBox’s investment and a whole lot of hustle (no angel round, no VC funding), Mike and Brandon multiplied their company’s value. I have no doubt that they will add fuel to the fire that MoneyDesktop has created. We’re excited to be part of it.

To read more about MyJibe’s deal check out the articles from Inside Indiana Business, Indiana Business Journal, or read the press release from MoneyDesktop.

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The end of the year is right around the corner. We hope you’ve been spending your time developing the next idea that we’ll invest in. If you haven’t, you still have time to submit an application for consideration. That being said, the deadline for this round of applications is December 18th at midnight.

We’ve worked on a lot of different projects over the years, recurring billing, proposals, Indian movies, and a better way to manage your finances, so the possibilities are endless.

Make sure to check out SproutBox’s website to see what characteristics we look for in an idea. And if you need some more help, Brad Wisler, wrote a post a while back describing who we like to invest in.

Don’t forget December 18th is the cutoff for this round. So get cracking on developing the best idea we’ve ever heard and apply!

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