Well, Colorado, 2015 has been a great year. Built In Colorado was lucky enough to grow alongside Colorado's exploding tech scene, and this year we continued our exponential growth. We'd like to thank the entire Colorado tech community for your enthusiasm and hard work. We're looking forward to an even bigger, better and all around more awesome 2016.
Without further ado, here were the 10 most read stories on Built in Colorado from 2015:
10. 5 Northern Colorado tech companies you should know
When most people think of Colorado’s tech and startup scene they think of the area stretching from downtown Boulder to downtown Denver — and for the most part, they’re right. A recent analysis of major tech funding events found that the vast majority of venture capital flowed into just a few zip codes in those two cities. But, upon closer look, there’s some pretty interesting stuff happening that tends to get overlooked in Northern Colorado.
9. 12 Colorado venture capital firms every entrepreneur should know
Raising money for your Colorado-based startup does not necessarily mean a flight to San Francisco or New York. As it turns out, Colorado has quite a few venture capital firms operating outside your back door. The vast majority of those are located in the heart of Boulder or the greater Denver metropolitan area — but still way closer than Manhattan. Here are 12 venture capital firms with offices in Colorado that every entrepreneur should know.
8. 3 Colorado companies named best workplaces for millennials
Colorado is quickly becoming something of a mecca for millennials. Downtown Denver is already teeming with young professionals, and more are arriving every day. What brought them here? Some are likely attracted to the mountains and legal pot, but it turns out that millennial friendly workplaces are attracting them as well. A recent study named 3 Colorado-based companies among the top places in the U.S. for millennials to work.
7. Meet the tech companies behind Colorado's booming cannabis industry
Since the legalization of recreational sales of marijuana in 2014, Colorado’s cannabis industry has exploded. In its first year, in Colorado alone, the cannabis industry sold over 5 million marijuana-infused edibles and almost 150 thousand pounds of marijuana buds. In total, the industry took in over $700 million in 2014. To put that into perspective, the iPhone only took in $630 million in its first year.
Built in Colorado sat down with some of the tech startups that are building out a digital infrastructure for the cannabis industry. These startups are providing solutions to problems of a brand new, heavily regulated industry.
6. Downtown Denver's explosive growth expected to continue for next 5 years
For anybody who works at a startup in Denver, it’ll come as no surprise to hear that the entrepreneurial scene is growing rapidly. According to a study from the Downtown Denver Partnership, over 600 startups now call downtown Denver home. Those startups employ over 4,300 people, and account for about 8 percent of all of the businesses in Denver’s central business district.
5. How they got in: 4 Colorado hires discuss how they found their jobs
How do you get an 'in' at one of Colorado’s hottest tech companies? It's a common and interesting question that largely depends on the company. If there were a simple recipe to landing the job of your dreams, we'd share it with you. But, since there's not, we caught up with three of Colorado tech's most exciting companies, and asked their employees how they got their jobs.
4. Giving up the cushy corporate cube: Why we choose the startup life
We thought it would be worth taking a step back and seeing why we chose to work in a startup in the first place. In many regards, the startup life is more challenging and difficult than many other options — as anyone who has had a cushy corporate, government or nonprofit job will attest. So why do it?
We caught up with some people who were living the startup lifestyle and asked them what about it made them tick. Here's what they had to say.
3. 2015 Colorado tech job salary guide: How does your salary stack up?
Is it time to ask for a raise? This guide will show you how your salary stacks up to Colorado industry standards.
2. 8 Colorado accelerators and incubators to jumpstart your startup
No longer the purview of Silicon Valley, accelerators now pepper the Colorado landscape. But for anyone seriously considering one of these programs, conducting your own due diligence on how they can help your business beyond the prescribed timeframe should be a key consideration. While we can’t detail every awesome benefits of Colorado-based accelerators, here are some highlights.
There’s nothing more exciting for a tech startup — except perhaps an IPO — than a brand new, shiny office. Given the amount of time most of us spend in our offices, it only makes sense. Most tech startups start off in very, shall we say, humble spaces. A couple of years and a couple of sales later, and it’s time to trade in the dump for something with some serious pizzaz. We caught up with three tech companies that recently upgraded their offices in a big way. They were all nice enough to show us around and let us take some photos.
Have a tip for us or know of a company that deserves coverage? Email us via [email protected]
