seattle

What’s New So Far In 2011

It’s been quite a while since my last blog post; in fact, this is my first post of 2011, and it is already April! As many of you knew, my last blog post was about our new company, Highlighter. This past five months have been a wild ride of startup madness! Obviously, a lot has happened since my last update, including:

  • We successfully completed the TechStars seed incubator program with Highlighter
  • Matt, Josh and I moved to Belltown in February to be closer to booming tech scene that is Seattle
  • We raised $300,000 as part of our seed round for Highlighter (more on that here)

All of this would not have been possible without TechStars, a program that provides funding and mentorship for startups. Though we had nearly four years of previous business experience and a handful of connections from Unique Blog Designs, it was through our work with TechStars that allowed us to build enough momentum to raise the seed round required to get this new (and much more exciting!) business off the ground.

That said, a lot of hard work, dedication and persistence were also required. Even though the Seattle TechStars program started out with ten (10) companies, only eight (8) of those companies are still in operation – proving that even with great mentorship, hard work, and guidance, there are many difficulties that need to be overcome when starting a new business in the technology space.

Finally, I would like to give a shoutout to the Seattle TechStars companies still in operation, including:

  • Deal Co-Op, the best white label software for group buying
  • GoMiles, the best way to manage your frequent flyer miles
  • ThinkFuse, a startup that is simplifying weekly status reports
  • Kinizi, an apartment deal finder
  • Giant ThinkWell, a social gaming company focusing on celebrities
  • RewardsForce, a startup disrupting the customer loyalty arena
  • The Shared Web, a site that allows you to discover the best content based on your friends and interests
  • And of course, us – Highlighter

Even though I haven’t had too much time for blogging over the past few months, it is something I definitely want to get back into as it is a good way to keep track of all of the changes and happenings. I’ve found myself reading over old posts just to see what I was up to a few years ago…If anything, a blog is simply a great personal journal for keeping track of one’s life!

  • http://twitter.com/adnanebrahim @adnanebrahim

    Congratulations guys! It's great to hear from you – well done with getting through TechStars!

    So are you still continuing with UBD? Or is Highlighter the main focus at the moment?

    - Adnan

    • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

      Hey Adnan, thanks for the comment! We are still taking on 1-2 clients per month for UBD, but Highlighter is definitely our main focus. How have things been with you, bud? We should catch up soon!

      • http://twitter.com/adnanebrahim @adnanebrahim

        Things are going great thanks, will hopefully be graduating from Uni this summer, then I'm planning to work full-time on Car Throttle which I'm really excited about!

        For sure, would love to hear about your TechStars experience!

  • http://twitter.com/travisketchum @travisketchum

    Congrats Nate. I know you guys have been working hard. That coupled with your move and recent loss, keeping your business moving forward is never easy.

    • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

      Thanks, Travis! You are right – keeping the business moving forward can be difficult at times, but it is always most worth it to keep persisting even in the most difficult times! There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/michael.komarnitsky Michael Komarnitsky

    Hey Nate- GoMiles.com is still going, long and strong!

    • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

      Hey Michael, my bad – glad to hear you guys are still going strong! :D Just updated the post!

  • http://www.phonesnoop.org Lauren

    Hey Nate,

    Impressive projects you've got there (I envy you). I've been working on other side projects as well, but it seems that I can't find the time to focus on each, given that my time is more consumed by my passion job (SEO). I wonder how you can manage working on a lot of things at the same time, perhaps that's a brilliant idea for your next post, since it would be pertaining to your own experience :)

  • http://advancedcomputertips.com computer guy

    Congratulations guys! Good to hear from you and definitely about your http://highlighter.com/.

    • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

      Thanks, computer guy! ;)

  • http://josieofficedesign.com Josie

    Congrats! Glad you've decided to get back into your blog. I'm looking forward to reading more about how things progress with Highlighter and any of your other business ventures. Keep us posted, Nathaniel.

    • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

      Thanks, Josie! Blogging is and can be a very rewarding activity, not just monetarily, but also as a platform to share ideas, thoughts and opinions! And, of course, it is always interesting to hear feedback from a wide variety of different types of people. The business ventures should definitely stay interesting, so I will keep you updated. ;-)

  • http://www.creditsolveuk.com/vanquiscreditcard.htm Trevor Munday

    A tech start up in Seatlle – sounds like just the sort of creative environment that you need to really make an impact. Hope all goes well.

    • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

      Thanks, Trevor! Seattle is definitely an incredibly place to for a startup; I would say it is second only to Silicon Valley!

  • http://profiles.google.com/webessay2 web essay

    After reading your post i have a better understanding of what New So Far In 2011 really is.Your post have the information that is helpfull and very informative. I would like you to keep up the good work.You know how to make your post understandable for most of the people.

    Buy essay

    Thumbs up and Thanks.

  • http://twitter.com/BusinessPartnrs Business Partners

    Thanks for letting us know what you are up to Nate. Will be looking forward to getting some additional highlights of your activities at Highlighter.