A great question. There does seem to be an imbalance between start-up activity / community / success and the local funding opportunities. And indeed it’s a bummer!

It seems not only that there’s not enough VC in Boulder, but that the number of VC’s are on the decline (Sequel, etc.).

I don’t know about those older firms as much, but newer firms–particularly the new breed of seed capital firms like FRC, Andreessen, etc.–typically start as mega-successful entrepreneurs, who then become angels, and then become institutional VC. For Boulder to get there, we probably need some mega-successful exits.

Other option would be for some of those new seed funds to put a partner in Boulder. There’s a lot of market opportunity here and that’d be a great move to exploit it.

At the very least, as someone who is fundraising, I can say that having your start-up in Boulder is not a liability for VC’s and is even an asset. Though you have to spend a lot of time in SF & NY fundraising, the VCs are not put off at all by the fact that you’re not in their town. Rather, they recognize that Boulder is a thriving hub and it’s seen as a plus.

Thx again for the meet-up! :-)

On the flipside, it’s nice to finally see some real competition to the iPhone.

I will be going back to Verizon as soon as possible. Verizon’s 4G that is coming out soon will probably be the nail in the coffin. People on a tight budget will go with with t-mobile and anyone who wants a phone that is both cool and functional will go to Verizon.

It’s as if by virtue of selling the iPhone, they’ve all become little versions of Steve Jobs – but without the skills or charisma or success.