International Cannabis Business Conference Vancouver: Investing in Cannabis Startups
Ben Larson and Carter Laren from Gateway speak at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Vancouver, October 2016. internationalcbc.com Gateway is a full immersion business accelerator and seed investment program born out of Silicon Valley and located in the capital of cannabis advocacy and innovation. http://www.gtwy.co/ Visit us at Canlio.com
Business Insider: Marijuana startups could be decimated once legalization hits
Ben Larson left his job directing a startup accelerator in 2015 to launch Gateway, one of the first incubators for pot entrepreneurs. The program helps founders develop their business models, find mentors, and learn about raising capital. Since Gateway set up shop in Oakland, California, Larson has been flooded with “‘X’ of pot” pitches. But a catchy tagline isn’t enough. Let’s say you run a payment processor company for marijuana dispensaries. You nickname it the “Stripe of pot.” “You have got to be much, much more,” Larson says. “Because as soon as it becomes legal, after the stigma drops a little bit, what stops PayPal from coming in and kicking your arse?”
by Melia Robinson
Full Article: Business Insider
San Francisco Business Times: 23 budding Bay Area cannabis startups to watch
As marijuana continues to move into the mainstream, dozens of Bay Area startups are banking on big business opportunities in the cannabis industry.
"We are at this precipice: There is a lot of money — real capital — that wants to come into the space," said Ben Larson, who runs Gateway Incubator, a cannabis startup incubator in downtown Oakland.
by Krystal Peak
Full Article: San Francisco Business Times
