Page 123 - Innovation Delaware 2018

SOFTWARE/DIGITAL ENTERPRISE
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2016 OPENBRACKET ATTENDEES, INCLUDING GRAND-PRIZE WINNERS
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SB: We did a lot of work with economic development in the regions where we were located, and we realized regional economic development across the country was based around the supply of small businesses. It’s important to be able to centralize the resources for those areas.
Q: So, how does Helium IQ fit into that idea?
SB: What Helium IQ does is help fill the need to organize events, job opportunities, special projects and other firms that support small businesses scattered around a region, so that entrepreneurs have resources.
Q: Whoaresomeofyourpartnersinthisendeavor?
SB: The number one priority on the Delaware Growth Agenda is to create an entire ecosystem. A lot of people have come together around that, including Jeff Fetterman of First State
Development. We are also working with First State Innovation and M&T Bank, which is a premium sponsor. Organizations have come together to help fund us through equity and sponsorship.
Q: How will you monetize this?
SB: We never charge entrepreneurs. We want to provide services for companies that are listed as resources. It’s free for everybody for the first six months, but as we validate and change different features, we want to know, for X dollars a month, what are the services you need?
Q:Wheredoyougofromhere?
SB: We do have relationships with other regions. We are starting a pilot in April in another area, and we have other pilots that we will build out. ID
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