Tech incubator district announced for northern CO

from The Tribune (Greeley, CO) (10/26):

Regional technology incubator announced

Christopher Ortiz
October 26, 2007

"LOVELAND -- Calls for northern Colorado to think regionally might start getting answered after area leaders announced Thursday the creation of a regional technology business incubator.

Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative, a nonprofit organization, was created with the cities of Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins and with partnership with Colorado State University to accelerate the success of high-impact, innovative startup companies in northern Colorado. The new venture is an offspring of the Fort Collins Technology Incubator, which will now be a part of the RMI2, its given acronym.

The venture also will focus on promoting the development of an entrepreneurial culture and ecosystem in northern Colorado, and it will help pair startup companies with investors." ...

"The new formation is great news for startup companies in Greeley, said Kelly Peters, the city's economic development manager.

She said the city signed on right away when approached.

"We thought, "What would a regional effort look like?' " Peters said. "We were already incubating companies of our own."

But Peters admitted, "we are a few steps behind."

She said a few Greeley startup companies were looking to Fort Collins for help." ...

"Greeley has not made any financial contributions to RMI2 yet, Peters said.

The Fort Collins Technology Incubator will now be named the Fort Collins Innovation Center. Plans were announced to relocate the current facility, 200 W. Mountain Ave., to a large location in the next two years. Also, there are plans to open a Loveland Innovation Center in 2008. The centers will provide customized business incubation services such as advisory boards, consulting, professional services and resources." ...

"According to a study conducted by Development Research Partners in 2006, Larimer County has more than 400 companies, with more than 11,000 employees in the fields of computers and electronics, information technology, "agri-tech," biosciences and clean energy." ...

for the complete story:
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20071026/BUSINESS/11
0260173