Start Garden is the Rick DeVos – powered venture capital fund in Grand Rapids. Instead of going the traditional investing route of picking a few business ideas and hoping that they are profitable, Start Garden is investing small amounts in a greater number of businesses, and offering guidance and further investments down the road.
Every week, Start Garden chooses two projects to fund at the starting level. The staff at Start Garden chooses one, and the other is chosen by popular vote – anyone who has a Facebook account can sign into their website and endorse ideas.
The first idea that you should endorse is U-Turn. It’s a storage device that was designed by a group of industrial design students from Kendall College of Art and Design at Startup Weekend in January. It won the top prize at Startup Weekend, and the designers are planning to produce more prototypes for testing and market research.
The next idea is from a jewelry professor at Kendall, Phil Renato. Volta is his 3D printed necklace idea, which looks a bit like a spine, in a good way. If funded, he plans to produce more iterations of his design and get feedback on his designs from users.
These projects both expire soon – right now, there are 14 hours left to endorse them. You don’t have to live in Grand Rapids or be a part of Start Garden to vote, anyone with a Facebook can get on and take part! Hurry up and support these projects!