Top 15 Maine startups stories of 2017, Certify's Bob Neveu receives industry recognition, MTI names new board members, and more...

Like Maine Startups Insider? Forward to your friends, who can subscribe here.

Happy Holidays, everyone. Thanks for making 2017 a great year for Maine Startups Insider. I'll be taking next week off, which means the newsletter will land in your inboxes again on Fri., Jan. 5. I'll be launching a few new initiatives in early 2018 and am excited to announce them.

However, while I won't be sending a regular newsletter next week, please look for an email from me that will include a link to a short questionnaire. I want to collect your thoughts on the trends you'll be keeping an eye on in 2018, and your picks for the Maine startups to watch in 2018. 

On to the news....

The end of the year is always a good time to pause and take a look back at the highlights of the past 12 months. From major company exits to in-depth interviews with local founders, here are the stories from 2017 that garnered the most attention from Maine Startups Insider readers. 
Read more at Maine Startups Insider >>

Please continue reading after a word from our presenting sponsor...

Maine Startups Insider is presented by Preti Flaherty.

Maine Technology Institute vetting 183 proposals seeking piece of $45M bond

The Maine Technology Institute said this week it received 183 proposals representing $381 million in requests from Maine companies seeking a piece of the $45 million the organization plans to dole out early next year. It plans to announce those projects that will move onto the next round in January.
Read more at Maine Startups Insider >>
 

Certify's Bob Nevue named in top 25 most influential players in the business travel industry

Business Travel News has named Bob Nevue, co-founder of Portland-based Certify, which earlier this year was acquired for $100 million, as one of the top 25 most influential players in the business travel industry. He joins an impressive list that includes Delta's CEO, Bitcoin's mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto, and Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick. Most made the list for positive reasons, though the news outlet also included U.S. President Donald Trump for the impact his travel bans have had on business travel. See the full list.
 

---

Roster Report

Maine Technology Institute names new board members

The Maine Technology Institute this week announced that it had added three new members to its board—Stacey Huth, Rick Ganong, and Meredith Mendelson. The trio brings experience in the fields of finance, biotechnology, and aquaculture to the board. Gov. Paul LePage appointed each to a three-year term.

Read more at Maine Startups Insider >>
 

A sponsor message from WeekCap, a tool to help you accomplish your career goals by adding a bit of structure and reflection to your week. Try it free.

Jobs

Seeking a full-stack engineer? A technical co-founder? A sales or biz dev superstar? Send me your job postings to make this a great resource!

+ Group MarketShare, a data and market research firm serving the insurance industry, is hiring a full-time senior developer to help Jason Cianchette relaunch the company's legacy platform with a modern solution.

+ Coastal Enterprises Inc. is hiring an IT applications administrator.

+ Tidestone Solutions, an ERP software developer in Portland, is hiring a software sales executive.

+ Likeable Local in Portland is hiring a React Engineer. 

+ NBT Solutions in Portland is hiring a geospatial developer and a senior developer (in Q1 2018) to support the company's VETRO FiberMap product expansion.

+ Pika Energy in Westbrook is hiring a director of electrical engineering, a R&D test engineer, and a senior software engineer.

+ Certify, the expense-management software company recently acquired for $100 million, is hiring an inside sales rep.

+ Vets First Choice in Portland is hiring a software developer, a digital/email marketing specialist, and a graphic designer.

+ Garmin, which acquired DeLorme a few years ago, is hiring for a number of tech positions in Yarmouth. Specifically, it's hiring an Android software engineer, a senior hardware engineer, a web developer, and a visual designer.

+ Launch Security, a cybersecutiy firm in Portland, is hiring a front-end web developer and a UX designer.

+ Guideline Technologies, a venture-backed fintech startup that is headquartered in California but has a dev office in Portland (where CTO Mike Nelson is based), is hiring a senior ruby engineer and a customer success associate. All these positions are full-time, available in the Portland office, and come with the potential for equity in the company, which raised a $7 million Series A last summer.

+ Big Room Studios, a software and web development firm in Portland, is hiring a project manager and an agile project management lead. 

+ Dream Local Digital in Rockland is hiring for a host of positions.
 

Calendar

Game Hack Night
Tues., Dec. 26, 7-10 p.m. — Big Rooms Studios, Thompsons Point
Hack Portland hosts Robot Hack Night, an event for anyone interested in DIY robotics, lego mindstorms, arduino, nodebots, homemade exoskeletons, etc. More details.

Please send me your event or calendar item for possible inclusion. 
|=0=|