A community built on the forefront of innovation. And we're always looking for new explorers.
In Colorado, there are no rules, no pedigrees, no barriers. One simple thought pervades Metro Denver: Let the best idea win. Change makers and boundary breakers gravitate here because they can make their mark relatively quickly -- surrounded by a community that celebrates taking things to the next level.
But don’t take our word for it – just examine Colorado's impressive record of competitiveness and entrepreneurial activity:
- Colorado ranked No. 1 for women entreprenuers (FitSmallBusiness, 2020)
- Denver is the No. 1 city with the lowest startup costs (Embroker, 2020)
- Colorado is the No. 1 state doing the most to promote innovation (CES, 2020)
- Colorado ranked No. 3 in best states for entrepeneurs and startups (The Motley Fool, 2020)
- Colorado is a top-5 state for innovation (WalletHub, 2019)
- Colorado ranked No. 8 for small business lending (Lendio, 2019)
Key initiatives driving the entrepreneurial economy in Metro Denver and Northern Colorado:
- The Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network (BEN) is an organization looking to advance Colorado startups. BEN’s mission is to provide Colorado’s most promising entrepreneurs and scale-up experts with the necessary recourses and networks to reach their full potential.
- Galvanize offers co-working spaces designed to give entrepreneurs and innovators a community where they can spark ideas and build companies, through the three pillars of capital, community, and curriculum.
- Innosphere Ventures is a high-tech incubator supporting entrepreneurs building high-growth companies in bioscience, energy, advanced materials, and software, among others. Companies in recent cohorts have raised $220 million and created over 1,400 new jobs.
- VF Corp, headquartered in Denver, recently launched a new incubator program designed to support budding entrepreneurs known as VF's Venture Foundry.
- INDUSTRY Denver is a unique space that holds cornerstone tenants, a multitude of mid-sized users, dozens of sole proprietors, and boutique firms that inspire and help each other.
- WeWork is a coworking space offering flexible month-to-month memberships. From furniture to conference room time, WeWork provides a collaborative environment to do business.
- TEDxMileHigh showcases innovative Coloradans, no matter the sector, who each give the ‘talk of their life’ around the power of ideas. This diverse group of thought leaders and innovators educate, inspire, and stimulate change with the ultimate goal being deep discussion and action.