Here we highlight selected innovation related articles from around the world on a daily basis. These articles related to innovation and funding for innovative companies, and best practices for innovation based economic development.
We all need a little motivation, some perspective and perhaps a little humility every now and then. That’s why we created the top 15 entrepreneur quotes of all time. Together, they serve as a reminder to never give up, push yourself (and your team) beyond exhaustion and to strive to follow in the ootsteps of the best. Because when your sources of inspiration are the business titans below, you won’t let yourself stop until you’re the best.
Image: http://blog.talkdesk.com
From Waterloo to Vancouver, Canadian tech hubs chalked up a number of significant venture rounds in 2013. In fact, the 10 largest venture capital financings in Canada last year took in over $500 million in aggregate funding. While Canadian venture investors participated in a number of the largest fundings, U.S.-based VC firms from Accel to Insight Venture Partners also poured sizable amounts into Canadian startups in 2013.
Image: http://www.cbinsights.com
2013 has been another banner year in seed financing for U.S. tech startups. In aggregate, 2013 saw $893 million invested across 843 seed VC deals. In fact, 2013 saw the highest amount of seed VC deals since 2009. Seed VC deal activity in 2013 jumped 11% from 2012 levels and a whopping 173% from 2010 as the number of active seed venture investors continued to stay strong. By way of definition, seed venture capital rounds included in this brief are early stage investments (typically less than $1.5 million) that specifically include the participation of a venture capital and/or corporate venture capital investor (angel rounds were excluded from this analysis).
Image: http://www.cbinsights.com
Increasing productivity is important because it can add dollars to your bottom line. Small business owners and the people who work in a small business often feel special pressure because there are so few hands to go around to do the work. Trying out new things isn’t high on the list. After all, it takes more time to find productivity tools and to experiment with new ways of doing things.
Image Courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We commoners generally have New Year's resolutions that range from "lose weight" to "be better with money." But when you're Google, Apple, Yahoo or another major tech company, resolutions are a little more complex.
In this comic, Nitrozac and Snaggy of The Joy of Tech offer some resolutions for tech bigwigs to aim for in 2014.
Image: http://mashable.com
The press got a sneak peek at what will be unwrapped in the coming week. We battled through the crowd to find the most interesting gadgets at the pre-show, and here’s what we’ve come up with.
Catterpillar Inc (CAT) isn’t exactly renowned for making phones, but the company just dropped something right out of 1990 — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The B100 is a feature phone that can be dropped from a height of 1.8 meters onto solid concrete, submerged in water for half an hour and can even withstand temperatures from -25 to 55 degrees celsius.
Image: http://gearburn.com
In terms of tech innovation, 2013 was a pretty strong year. Sony showed us what it had up its sleeves with its newest console, Apple teased us with biometric recognition built into the iPhone 5S and the age of cryptocurrencies finally made its way onto the mainstream with unrivaled coverage throughout the year. So here we are now, a few days into the brand new year that is 2014. What will this new year bring for us? Here are my five predictions:
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37657853@N07/4351196974
To many, BlackBerry is well and truly dead. While the company still exists in the same form it has in its heyday, it’s a mere shell of its former self. The media consensus is that the Canadian smartphone maker is on life support and with BlackBerry having gone up on the block for a hot minute, it appears as though its C-level is wistfully tugging on the cord.
Image: http://memeburn.com
As the Far East winds down the Chinese Year of the SNAKE (really? a snake?) and ramps up for the Jan. 31 onset of the more formidable-sounding Year of the HORSE, the time has arrived to declare 2014 the American Year of the TREP.
Yes, as in enTREPreneur; a suitable rival for our Asian competitor’s surging commercial battle HORSE
Image: http://insiderlouisville.com
I recently attended Le Web in Paris, where the theme of the conference was innovation in the next decade. It got me to thinking about where we go with publishing. Even on Google, you won’t be able to find an article on publishing trends from the 1440s, the decade after Johannes Gutenberg introduced movable type printing to Europe. But if you did, it would probably focus more on the gloomy outlook for the illuminated manuscript industry than on the then-unfolding print revolution, which launched cascading innovations that would change everything and usher in the Age of Enlightenment.
Image Courtesy of franky242 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Yesterday I wrote a post about “the politics of startups” in which I asserted that all companies have politics, which in its purest sense is just about understanding human psychology.
I think as a tech industry we have bred a culture that places more emphasis on product excellence than managing human behavior. Of course it makes no sense to have great people management and a crappy product. But I would posit that in order to sustainably build great products in an intensely competitive industry with skills shortages – people management is one of the most critical soft skills organizations need.
Image: http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com
Alabamians trying to start small businesses in a tough credit market may soon have a new method that will allow them to raise small amounts of capital from many Alabama investors.
Known as "crowd funding," the process has been used for years to generate money for political campaigns, artistic projects and charities. It will become a legal way to raise capital for small businesses in Alabama if the Legislature approves a bill in the next session, starting Jan. 14.
If you own a smartphone, tablet or even if you’re just glued to your laptop, you're aware of the tech revolution. But have you ever thought about how it could impact your career?
"So what?" you may ask. "I'm not a tech person."
That's where you're wrong, job seeker. Even non-tech people can successfully apply for tech jobs and quickly develop tech skills. Positions in the technology industry are booming in major metro areas around the country – San Francisco had a massive 51.8% increase in tech jobs between 2007 to 2012 alone. New York City, on the other hand, saw an 11% increase in that time, and the tech industry as a whole amounts to $30 billion in annual wages for the NYC economy.
Image: http://mashable.com
EVERY New Year when the government publishes its Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, it is followed by a familiar lament. We are losing the war against cancer.
Half a century ago, the story goes, a person was far more likely to die from heart disease. Now cancer is on the verge of overtaking it as the No. 1 cause of death.
Image: http://www.nytimes.com
“We aspire to be the largest small company in our space.” Enlarge This Image
Sonny Figueroa/The New York Times When Dominic Orr, the chief executive of Aruba Networks, said those words, he crystallized a goal I had heard many leaders express during the hundreds of interviews I’ve conducted for the Corner Office column: they want to foster a quick and nimble culture, with the enviable qualities of many start-ups, even as their companies grow.
Image: http://www.nytimes.com
What's the last New Year's resolution you actually kept?
If you're better than us and have cut down on your spending, effectively managed stress, or lost ten pounds and actually used that gym membership, than you need not read any further.
For the rest of us, we're going to try and make things a bit more manageable.
Image: http://www.fastcompany.com
A new report by UK think tank Overseas Development Institute says the number of people who are overweight or obese rose 23 percent from 1980-2008. But the overweight population in developing countries has surpassed developed countries.
About 1.46 billion people, or one-third of the world’s population, is obese or overweight. But 904 million who are overweight are in developing countries compared with 557 million in developed countries. Obesity is a worrying trend in healthcare as it increases the risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Image: http://medcitynews.com
If you’re a new entrepreneur, you probably want to keep as much money in your pocket as possible. Starting a business of your own can be a financial strain, and when you’re just getting started, it’s natural to have fears about money.
There are investments you need to make as a start-up – like design and marketing, for example – that seem like a non-negotiable no-brainer. But there are other, perhaps less obvious, investments that are important to the long-term success of your business. You need to invest in yourself. Your professional development. Your personal growth. This is key in the early stages of your budding business, when your growth and learning is paramount to the success of your start-up.
Image Courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
You’ve heard you are what you eat, well we believe that you are what you read. We receive hundreds of books to read to help out entrepreneurs and business owners but more than just offering a chance to hear about a book we believe we want you to walk away with some wisdom just like we did from reading these books.
Teach a CEO presents lessons from the Entrepreneur’s Bookshelf on how you can improve and grow your business venture. We have taken some nuggets from our library and provide them for entrepreneurs and business owners and to help your ventures.
As we start a new year, it is a good time to reflect on the progress that has been made and where our opportunities may lie. On behalf of TechConnect West Virginia and all our partners, I am pleased to report that during 2013 West Virginia continued to make good progress toward a broader, more robust innovation economy.
Even better, several important signs point to increased interest and opportunities that will drive innovation-based economic development.
