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🌞 Good morning. Welcome to the 211th edition of Maine Startups Insider. You are one of 2,014 subscribers receiving this email.

I also want to give a quick thanks to Maine Startups Insider’s newest Sustaining Member: David Adler, an IP lawyer in Chicago who has a 20-year connection to Maine and plans to move here once all his kids are out of college. If like David you appreciate what MSI is trying to do and have the financial wherewithal to support my efforts, please consider becoming a Sustaining Member.

/ News

Maine Angels raises $2.4M fund to invest in startups

The Maine Angels has raised $2.4 million from local angel investors to create a pooled investment fund to invest in early-stage, high-growth companies. In total, 46 individual angel investors (including 21 women, or 46%) and seven local banks invested in Dirigo Angel Fund I, which will seek to invest in 12 to 15 companies over the next couple years. Its target is that at least 50% of those companies are based in Maine and at least 25% are owned, founded, or led by women.

HighByte creates Board of Directors, names Betsy Peters as independent chair

HighByte, a Portland-based industrial software company, has formed a Board of Directors following the recent close of its $875,000 pre-seed funding round. Betsy Peters, a long-time entrepreneur and tech executive, will serve as Independent Board Chair, while Corson Ellis, a local entrepreneur and angel investor who participated in the company’s recent pre-seed round, will represent the investors.

/ Briefly Mentioned

🤖 CB Insights yesterday published this list of the most well-funded AI startups in each state. In Maine, it identified the top company as Reconnect, the Cumberland-based tech company that operates in the criminal justice industry and recently raised $3.7 million. I asked CEO Sam Hotchkiss how his company uses AI to improve outcomes in the criminal justice industry.

“At Reconnect, we’re using AI to better understand the behavioral patterns and language used in the criminal justice system, and how those patterns affect outcomes. Traditionally, the justice system has taken the approach of heavy handed monitoring with little attention paid to efficacy, and that approach is costing us over a trillion dollars every year. We believe that AI can lead us to better solutions for tax payers, law enforcement, and our fellow citizens who end up trapped within this system.”

🎤 Luke Thomas, founder of Friday, a Portland startup that helps distributed teams communicate and collaborate more effectively, was a guest on the RemoteHQ podcast.

💰 WEX Inc., a Portland-based financial technology company, recently announced a $400 million investment from an affiliate of private-equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC.

🏘 Startups, including two founded by current Colby students, are helping drive investments and interest in Waterville and the rest of central Maine, according to Mainebiz.

🧗🏻‍♀️ Entrepreneurs see opportunities in Maine’s $3 billion outdoor industry, via Mainebiz. (Disclosure: I work with Back40 via my consulting business, Brickyard Collective.)

/ Jobs

If you apply for a job you see here, let them know you saw the opportunity in Maine Startups Insider.

+ Neuright, a biotech startup in Orono that is developing a new medical device for the early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy, is hiring a part-time R&D staff member. This employee should be comfortable with administrative tasks, have a basic level of R&D knowledge, and will be required to assist with data presentations and reports in collaboration with the research team and company leadership. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, a current CV, and the name and contact information for three relevant references to neuright@gmail.com.

+ Running Tide Technologies, a technology startup in the aquaculture space, is hiring a full-stack software engineer. If interested, search out Phillip Connaughton, Running Tide’s head of software development, on LinkedIn.

+ HighByte, a Portland-based B2B software startup, is hiring a Senior Java Developer.

+ KinoTek, a Portland-based startup at the intersection of health and augmented reality, is looking for a software developer with experience with C++ unity integration. Those interested, email the company at contact@kinoteksoftware.com.

+ Farming robotics startup Farmhand Automation is hiring a mechanical engineer.

+ AskGMS, a Portland-based company that provides benchmarking and data analysis tools to the insurance industry, is hiring a Quality Engineer/Manager.

+ Amplify Additive, a 3D printing company in Scarborough that specializes in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of metal-printed orthopedic implants, is hiring a Quality Engineer/Manager.

+ VETRO Inc., a software company in Portland, is looking for a full-stack developer, inside sales rep, customer success rep, and a staff accountant.

+ MedRhythms, a Portland-based medical-device startup, is hiring a mobile/front-end developer.

+ Defendify, a cybersecurity startup in Portland, is hiring a full-stack developer.

+ Arkatechture, a Portland-based company that provides business intelligence and data analytics services, is hiring a senior software engineer, AWS cloud engineer, senior data scientist and financial analyst, among other positions.

+ Introspective Systems, in Portland, is looking for a lead software engineer and a software engineering intern.

+ Theory and Principle, a legal-tech product design and development startup in Portland, is hiring a front-end developer.

Seeking a full-stack engineer? A technical co-founder? A sales or biz dev superstar? Send me your job postings to make this a great resource!

/ Events

Python Hack Night
Tues., July 21, 7-10 p.m. — Online
Hack Portland hosts a hack night for all levels of ‘Pythonistas,’ from beginners to experts. This is a good chance to meet other people that use or develop Python in the area. More info.

Blitz Virtual Conference
Thurs., July 23, 12:45-5 p.m. — Online
The Blitz Virtual Conference is a special edition, no cost, half-day, online conference with the goal of helping businesses in Maine connect with and learn from each other so we can all work through the challenges being presented by the current global pandemic. More info.

Big Gig Pitch-off COVID-19 edition
Tues., July 28, 5:30-7 p.m. — Online
Big Gig, the Bangor area’s business-pitch competition, goes online with a virtual pitch-off. Three entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas for a chance to win $2,500 for first place, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third. Machias Savings Bank is providing the awards. More info.

Robot Hack Night
Tues., July 28, 7-10 p.m. — Online
Hack Portland hosts a virtual Robot Hack Night for folks interested in DIY robotics (e.g., LEGO Mindstorms, Arduino, nodebots, homemade exoskeletons, etc.). The group’s goal is to culminate the year with a local Hebocon – The Robot Contest for Dummies. More info.

MTI’s Virtual Office Hours
Wed., July 29, 8 a.m.-noon — Online
Wed., Aug. 5, 1-5 p.m. — Online
The USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program provides equity-free funding up to $700k for companies in certain sectors. SBIR solicitation is currently open and applications are due October 23. Meet with MTI to see if your company may be eligible to apply. More info.

Please send me your event or calendar item for possible inclusion.