Local tech startup Upsie moved into its new St. Paul space in style last week with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, a fireside chat with Mayor Melvin Carter and a pitch event for minority entrepreneurs.
Organized in partnership with Techquity, five diverse founders were given the opportunity to pitch in front of venture capitalists from True Ventures, The Syndicate Fund, Matchstick Ventures and Pipeline Angels.
"The pitches went phenomenal and all founders walked away with great feedback on how to continue to grow their companies," Upsie CEO Clarence Bethea said in a statement. "VCs were all impressed by the level of talent that they got to hear from."
After the official ribbon-cutting, Upsie hosted a fireside chat with Mayor Melvin Carter and Puneet Agarwal of True Ventures. The two discussed venture capital activity and St. Paul, touching on the city's history as a hub for innovation.
Upsie's new headquarters are located in Osborn370, an increasingly popular hub for startups in recent years. Located in the former Ecolab tower in the heart of St. Paul, Osborn370 is home to two major accelerators, Lunar Startups and Techstars Farm to Fork. More than a dozen early-stage tech companies also call Osbron370 home.
Upsie currently has 12 employees and hopes to double that number by the end of 2020.
Founded in 2014, Upsie offers an app that allows consumers to compare, buy and track extended-service warranty plans. The startup was among the 10 companies that participated in the Target+Techstars Retail Accelerator in 2017.
Last year, the company closed on a $5 million round of funding in a round led by San Francisco-based True Ventures.
"We're proud to be a part of Upsie's journey and look forward to the chance to partner with other talented founders like Clarence who want to build great companies either in or far from traditional technology hubs," True Ventures said in a statement.
Local investors Matchstick Ventures and The Syndicate Fund also participated. Upsie has raised around $8.2 million to date, according to Crunchbase.
