TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#1

Post by vaksel » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:13 AM UTC

TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston
techcrunch.com

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#2

Post by vaksel » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:17 AM UTC

I don't really believe that this is just a coincidence. If they were planning a second location they wouldn't have gone to Boston where there was YC. They would have tried to go some place w/o much competition, like New York.

And if they were indeed planning to take YC on, why Boston and not Silicon Valley?

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#3

Post by rms » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:23 AM UTC

Great. The more funding opportunities out there the better it is for all of us.

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#4

Post by unalone » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:31 AM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #2

I don't really believe that this is just a coincidence. If they were planning a second location they wouldn't have gone to Boston where there was YC. They would have tried to go some place w/o much competition, like New York. And if they were indeed planning to take YC on, why Boston and not Silicon Valley?

Because there's a gap in Boston that needs filling? A lot of start-ups want to go to Boston, or can't make it to California.

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#5

Post by vaksel » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:32 AM UTC

unalone wrote: post #4

vaksel wrote: post #2

I don't really believe that this is just a coincidence. If they were planning a second location they wouldn't have gone to Boston where there was YC. They would have tried to go some place w/o much competition, like New York. And if they were indeed planning to take YC on, why Boston and not Silicon Valley?

Because there's a gap in Boston that needs filling? A lot of start-ups want to go to Boston, or can't make it to California.

Yeah but according to them, they were planning to go to Boston when YC was already filling that gap.

So if you wanted to fill a gap, why not go somewhere that doesn't have an incubator program in the first place?

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#6

Post by andrewhyde » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:34 AM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #2

I don't really believe that this is just a coincidence. If they were planning a second location they wouldn't have gone to Boston where there was YC. They would have tried to go some place w/o much competition, like New York. And if they were indeed planning to take YC on, why Boston and not Silicon Valley?

Strong ties to Boston with the founders of TC. Brad Feld went to MIT and still has a strong and love for the area. David Cohen sold one of his startups there.

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#7

Post by unalone » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:37 AM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #5

unalone wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because there's a gap in Boston that needs filling? A lot of start-ups want to go to Boston, or can't make it to California.

Yeah but according to them, they were planning to go to Boston when YC was already filling that gap. So if you wanted to fill a gap, why not go somewhere that doesn't have an incubator program in the first place?

Because Boston's an incredibly dense city? I dunno, I'm just guessing.

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#8

Post by jfarmer » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:41 AM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #2

I don't really believe that this is just a coincidence. If they were planning a second location they wouldn't have gone to Boston where there was YC. They would have tried to go some place w/o much competition, like New York. And if they were indeed planning to take YC on, why Boston and not Silicon Valley?

Because YC is supply-constrained. If you believe there are more fundable opportunities than YC can handle then it makes perfect sense to "compete" in Boston.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were all just a story, though.

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#9

Post by mattmaroon » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 5:53 AM UTC

These people set a new record for me-too-ness every month.

Re: TechStars Fills Void Left By Y Combinator With New Incubator In Boston

#10

Post by pg » Tue, Feb 17, 2009, 6:02 AM UTC

We didn't leave a void when we left Boston, because we weren't filling one when we were there. No one seems to get this, but seed funding is not a regional business. Startups at that stage can move.

Most of the startups we funded in our Boston cycles didn't come from Boston, and practically all left Boston afterward. We could have been anywhere. Anywhere with decent coffee at least.

Honestly, they'd have done better to just fund 20 startups in Boulder rather than 10 in one place and 10 in another.