Upwards of 250 people were on hand for an event marking the growth of Start It Up Delaware, and the launch of a Delaware edition of a regional web-based technology news service Technical.ly Delaware.
Technical.ly operates technology news sites for Philadelphia, Baltimore, Brooklyn and now the First State.
Start It Up Delaware was launched early last year to offer a nurturing environment for young technology businesses. It has received support from the state of of Delaware, the University of Delaware and the private sector.
On hand was Gov. Jack Markell who also participated in the formal launch of Start It Up Delaware nearly a year and half ago.
Markell said he was pleased to “not know a lot of people” in attendance. That show of support was evidence of a growing technology community in the state, rather than the same people holding meetings, the governor said.
A long way to go
Markell said Delaware has made strides in building a start-up community, but still has a long way to go. He challenged those in attendance to work to build a strong start-up community.
Start it Up is based in a building in the LOMA (lower Market Street ) area in downtown Wilmington. The building is the home of a number of start-ups that use the co-working facilities in the building. The event was also an open house for the remodeled space in the building at 605 N. Market.
Co-working at the building can involve working at the building a few days a month, or having a permanent office.
About the Nurtuator
Jon Brilliant, a founder and board member of Start It Up Delaware announced to the overflow crowd the formation of a “Nurtuator” in conjunction with Christiana Care.
The Nurtuator will look for for solutions to health issues with an eye toward forming companies that can meet those needs. The process will involve individuals working with Christiana Care.to identify those opportunities.
It is hoped the heath care nurtuator can lead to similar efforts in financial services and other key sectors, Brilliant said.
Brilliant described the Nururator is a cross between a business incubator for early stage start-ups and a business accelerator that provides a more structured environment.
Chris Wink, founder of Techncal.ly, said the site will help build the technology community in the state through its coverage of the key sector of the economy. Technical.ly also holds events in the areas where it operates.
