MHTA — COCO is partnering with Matchstick Ventures, giving area startups opportunities to seek advice on the business ideas and learn more about startup financing.
The partnership calls for Matchstick Ventures to headquarter out of COCO’s downtown Minneapolis space and hold regular open office hours, where entrepreneurs can seek advice on their business ideas and growth plans. Matchstick Ventures will host and have a presence at COCO events, including workshops, lunch and learns and happy hours. Matchstick Ventures will also give local entrepreneurs exposure to prominent startup founders and investors who visit the Twin Cities.
COCO will also provide Matchstick Ventures with access to all of its current and future locations for working, meetings and events.
Matchstick Venture’s approach is to demystify the financing process for entrepreneurs and make the financing process more approachable.
“This partnership helps achieve a goal that we feel strongly about — breaking down the barrier between entrepreneurs and funding sources,” said Matchstick Ventures Managing Partner Ryan Broshar. “We want founders to know that we’re open for business. We’re curious about their businesses and really do want to write checks, he said.
Until now, COCO has not had an association with a venture capital firm. “This is an important step for us,” said COCO cofounder Don Ball. “While there are no guarantees that our members will get funding from Matchstick, it can only help a startup to have close-quarters exposure to investors and to learn about the fundamentals of startup financing,” he said.
COCO recently announced “Startup Suites,” a series of closed-door offices aimed at startups, which are due to open in the coming weeks and are nearly all spoken for. “Startup Suites, combined with our partnership with Matchstick Ventures, really helps shore up our offering for startups,” Ball said. “We realize that startups can always find cheap office space, but we want to keep finding ways to provide them with resources and access they can’t get elsewhere,” he said.
About Matchstick Ventures (website | Twitter)
Formerly known as Confluence Capital, Matchstick Ventures is a Minneapolis-based venture capital firm. The firm invests in early-stage, Web- and mobile-enabled tech companies. In Minnesota, the firm has invested in Apruve, Boom Boom Prints, Homespotter, Kidblog and Elevate Research, among others. Matchstick Ventures has also invested in startups in other cities outside Minnesota.
About COCO (website | Twitter)
COCO is a “dream accelerator” where startups and independents come to pursue their passions and build new ventures. At its four locations in Minnesota and North Dakota, COCO offers workspace memberships and hosts regular events centered on entrepreneurship and technology.