Jeff Amerine: Startup Scene Grows from Bleak to Viable
Jeff Amerine, IA adviser and founder of Fayetteville's Startup Junkie Consulting, is the subject of this week's executive Q&A in Arkansas Business.
He believes the state now has a viable tech startup ecosystem.
Amerine founded Startup Junkie in 2008 and went full-time with it last year. The former director of Technology Ventures at the UA, where he still teaches entrepreneurship, Amerine is a serial entrepreneur and investor.
Through Startup Junkie, he hopes to continue helping grow the state's tech startup ecosystem, which has blossomed from a dirt patch to a promising garden since IA was launched in 2007. Startup Junkie recently announced a partnership with the Innovation Hub to expand startup services and resources in the region.
In this week's exec Q&A, Amerine shares with AB why he chose to become an entrepreneur, what the state's venture ecosystem was like in 2007 and its subsequent progress, his plans with Startup Junkie, and even which startup opportunity he passed on and still regrets....
Good stuff. A sample:
As an adviser to Innovate Arkansas, gauge the impact of the program on the state’s tech startup ecosystem since its launch in 2007. Did a tech startup ecosystem even exist then?
The situation in 2007 was pretty bleak. There was definitely not a discernible venture/startup ecosystem. Since the formation of Innovate Arkansas, over the past eight years there has been more than $250 million in public and private investment in tech-based startups — not bad for a program that cost the state less than $10 million in total over eight years. We now have a viable venture/startup scene with programs, places/spaces, events, networking, mentoring and early-stage capital in place.Startup Junkie’s partnership with the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub was recently announced. What do you hope and expect to accomplish through this?
Startup Junkie and, by extension, Innovate Arkansas have complementary strengths with the Arkansas Innovation Hub. Together, we can deliver the programs, places/spaces, events, networking and mentoring that will drive the startup and maker movement to the next level. Startup Junkie and Innovate Arkansas bring real depth and breadth to the partnership by leveraging years of venture knowledge, mentoring and acceleration experience. The Arkansas Innovation Hub is best in class in physical infrastructure and maker education. Together we have the complete package.
Again, good stuff. Full Q&A here.