News & Articles

Adistry: Stay Compliant In Cannabis Advertising

Posted by Meghan Grabow on Jan 26, 2017 10:40:00 AM

Adistry’s story started at the start of 2012, when Colorado began to make moves to legalize recreational marijuana.

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Topics: Company Info, Entrepreneurship

Stashlogix: Top 10 Tips for Retail success

Posted by Skip Stone on Jan 19, 2017 11:26:00 AM

StashLogix is a Canopy alumni company (Spring 2015) and manufacturer of premium cannabis storage bags, designed to keep your goodies away from kids, pets, or no-boundaries roommates. CEO Skip Stone has learned a few things along the way, and is sharing his knowledge of merchandising accessories at retail, both for retailers and brands.

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Topics: Company Info, Entrepreneurship

The Demo Day Vegas-to-SF Roadshow

Posted by Meghan Grabow on Nov 4, 2016 8:43:00 AM

From November 16th - December 1st, Canopy's cannabis entrepreneurs are on the road, showcasing their Next Big Idea products and services for the marijuana industry at Demo Days in Las Vegas and the Bay Area.

Nine weeks ago, we launched 9 new companies in our new Berkeley, CA, location. This class is one of the strongest to graduate from the accelerator, poised to change the cannabis industry in retail, community and networking platforms, cutting-edge accessories, commerce, data aggregation and more. Expanding Canopy's accelerator program into the California market from our Boulder, CO, basecamp was quite seamless, thanks in no small part to a supportive and well-developed local cannabis community ready to help these teams create connections that will help them evolve and grow their businesses. With less than two months to go in the program, and less than two weeks until the Berkeley cohort's public Demo Day debut, we're winding down our successful Bay Area cohort just as we see the industry taking off.

It's an incredibly significant time to launch a cannabis company. Not only is California's Adult Use Act expected to pass by a relatively strong margin, 8 other states will also vote on marijuana legalization measures. A recent New York Times piece suggests the passage of California's Prop 64 could "blow the doors open" for legalization in the United States, creating a domino effect and ultimately, the end of prohibition.  The cannabis industry - always dynamic, ever-evolving - is experiencing a particularly exciting time in history.

One week after Election Day, the Fall 2016 class of entrepreneurs will give their first stage pitches at the MJ Business Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, the industry's oldest and largest trade show and conference. Soon after, these founders will engage with cannabis investors and the public in a three-day run of pitch events in the San Francisco area. These days are long, physically and mentally draining, and incredibly exhilarating. Months of long office hours, pitch practice and pivots culminate as founders present their cannabis startups  - this time, in a newly expanded legal and regulatory landscape for the marijuana industry.

Demo Day has alway been celebratory - a look into the future of the fastest-growing industry in the nation, and the launch of cannabis entrepreneurs brave enough to take it on. This year it takes on new significance: a celebration of expanded freedom and incredible possibilities. We hope you'll be part of it!

Please join us at one of our Demo Day events in Las Vegas or the Bay Area.

The Canopy Accelerator, founded in Colorado in 2014, is a cannabis investment fund and the leading early stage business accelerator in the marijuana industry focused on tech and product innovations.  Canopy's 16-week bootcamp directs marijuana startup funding efforts, business development, team-building and more.  Canopy companies do not touch the plant, but instead focus on software, data, media, and hardware that serve the consumers and businesses in the legal cannabis industry.

Get a first look at the future of cannabis as Canopy's Berkeley cohort presents their innovative products and services for the nation's fastest-growing industry.

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Topics: Company Info, Entrepreneurship

5 Questions With: BluJays Brand

Posted by Meghan Grabow on Nov 1, 2016 11:54:00 AM
Team & Hometowns: Michael Rottman (DC) and Katie Hudgins (Baltimore, MD)
Company: BluJays Brand, a first-of-its-kind roll-your-own pack, giving anyone the ability to turn loose flower into perfeclty rolled cones every time.
 
How did you develop the concept for BluJays?
We'd been on a camping trip, and realized that out of a group of almost 15 people, nobody could roll a joint. Weeks later, Michael came to Katherine with a few ideas and from there we decided to start the BluJays Brand.
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Topics: Company Info, Entrepreneurship

5 Questions With: The Peak Beyond

Posted by Meghan Grabow on Oct 20, 2016 10:04:14 AM
Team: Jeff LaPenna (Norcross, GA), John Capogna (Little Neck, NY), Bill Stark (Cleveland, OH)
Company: The Peak Beyond, a developer of interactive smart tables for cannabis retail spaces. 
 
How did you develop the concept for The Peak Beyond?
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Topics: Company Info, Entrepreneurship

The Rise of Business Accelerators

Posted by Meghan Grabow on Oct 19, 2016 2:06:08 PM

The New York Times article, "Help For a Small Business Trying to Catch a Fire", about small businesses looking to expand and scale, highlights the role of business accelerators. As the number of accelerator programs have risen in the last several years, the article provides some interesting facts:

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Topics: Entrepreneurship