More Than 130 events — And Counting…
Innovation Nights started in 2009, has gone from strength to strength, with more than 130 events, with sponsors gaining invaluable exposure and access to the innovation business community, and exhibitors securing over $4 billion in funding.
NOW INNOVATION NIGHTS ARE BEING HOSTED BY UPSTART MAINE!
Innovation Nights is so much more than an event. It’s a promotion and celebration of the startups and their new products. We bring together a community that includes investors, sponsors, venues (in real life or virtual), business leaders, innovators, supporters and social media champions. The weekly newsletter is sent out every Monday to more than 17,000 subscribers. It focuses on new products, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and promotes startup community events.
At each event, ten to fifteen companies showcase a new product, and the innovation community turns out to blog, tweet, post pictures and video, add product mentions to Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, and otherwise spread the word. There are also connections made with prospective investors, customers, employees and service providers.
Since 2009, Innovation Nights has:
- Launched more than 1500 products
- Connected dozens of job seekers and hiring managers
- Profiled dozens of local experts
Pre-COVID, Innovation Nights were hosted and sponsored by various companies and venues who brought us into their space to further the cause of local innovation. The events showcased local startups and their innovative new products. We also had experts on hand who were available to the attendees and startups and other founders to provide expertise and knowledge in their sectors. Today, our events are virtual but we try to ensure they contain the same level of startup and new product promotion, networking and community-building.
Innovation Nights was originally designed to be a “stone soup” event enabled by Greater Boston’s innovation community. Remember the folk story of Stone Soup? Hungry travelers arrive at a poor village, where everyone claims to have nothing to share. So the travelers create a fire, hang a pot of water over it and place a stone inside, telling one and all that they are creating “stone soup,” which will taste better with a little flavoring — a carrot, a potato, even a little piece of meat. Soon everyone in the village has contributed “just a little something” and everyone enjoys a wonderful feast.
From these humble beginnings of borrowed tables and shared resources, Innovation Nights has evolved into New England’s premier innovation showcase. The innovation ecosystem is now an influential community of business professionals and influencers. Sponsors include:
- Maine Community Foundation
- Maine Technology Institute
- Machias Savings Bank
- Bangor Savings Bank
- Rudman Winchell Counselors at Law
- LG&H Accounting
- City of Brewer
- Briggs Solutions for Business
- BNI Maine
Want to get involved? Submit a product, sign up to be a sponsor, or learn more about attending an event.