Boulder-based Techstars earlier this year launched its first program in Australia. To lead it, they chose former Longmont resident and entrepreneur Terry Gold.
Gold has a long history with the tech industry in Boulder County, including being a mentor for the original Boulder Techstars class. He also co-founded and ran the software firm Gold Systems for more than 20 years.
Most recently, he ran the Launch co-working space in the former Longmont Times-Call building at 350 Terry St.
The business closed in March of last year, and Gold set off for Adelaide, Australia, two months later to serve as entrepreneur-in-residence at the Centre for Business Growth at the University of South Australia..
We placed an early-morning call to Gold to learn more about what Techstars will be doing in the land down under.
How did you decide to move to Australia?
Another Boulderite is here, Jana Matthews. Brad Feld introduced me to Jana 20 years ago. She was in Boulder, helping companies grow. About four years ago, she asked me to come to Adelaide to be a mentor in an accelerator. I just fell in love with the city and the people.
A year ago, Jana asked me to be the growth entrepreneur in residence at the University of South Australia. My wife and I said, why not? Let’s move to Australia. There was no good reason not to do this.
And how did you get hooked up with Techstars?
Techstars was looking to bring the program to Australia, and Jana put the press on for Adelaide. They asked me to lead it and I said no — I was having a good time at the university.
They asked again and I turned it down. Then Brad and Jana got together and a conversation ensued where it was decided I should do this. This time, I said all right.
What’s Techstars Adelaide up to now?
Applications have opened. Companies are applying from Australia and around the world. We’ll take applications up to April 23, spend some weeks talking to people and interviewing.
We’ll start making our selections the week of May 22 and then startups show up here July 17.
The program supports startups advancing innovative applications in IoT, big data, sensors and robotics, with potential to develop and commercialize technologies connected to the defense and security sectors
What lessons from this area will you be imparting on Australian startups?
We talk about Boulder a lot here. Here’s this city of over 1 million people, but they all know Boulder. They know Brad Feld’s name and they look at Boulder almost with the same reverence of Silicon Valley.
When I tell them it’s only 100,000 people there, they can’t believe it. So I say, if we can do it with 100,000, imagine what you can do with a million.
From Longmont specifically, what I learned was here was this community 30 minutes away from Boulder, and they looked at Boulder like Adelaide looks at Sydney — like, gee, we’d like to be like them.
When I got to Longmont, I said, ‘Don’t be Boulder. Be Longmont.’ Be what you are and make it work, and it will be great. That’s the message from Longmont I’m bringing to Adelaide.
The message I’m sending back to Longmont is that they have no idea how great the internet is there. I miss it!
What do you miss most about Longmont, aside from the internet?
I miss the people. I was so welcomed in Longmont when I landed there. And I miss Mexican food, too.
Shay Castle: 303-473-1626, castles@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/shayshinecastle
