PlayMetrics Acquires Minneapolis Based SportsEngine PlayMetrics, the Raleigh-based youth sports operations platform, has acquired substantially all of the assets of SportsEngine from Versant Media Group Next In the North • Ecosystem
Claros Technologies Demonstrates 99.99% PFAS Destruction on Lake Elmo Groundwater A Minneapolis startup just demonstrated 99.99% PFAS destruction on groundwater from a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency remediation site in Lake Elmo. Next In the North • Ecosystem
NativeX: A Startup’s Lasting Economic Impact to a Region The NativeX story is a real-world example of rural tech momentum. It illustrates how a single company headquartered in the small town of Sartell, just outside of St. Cloud, helped develop a durable “operator base” across Greater Minnesota. Next In the North • Ecosystem
Minnesota’s Economic Engine (2026): The Headquarters Advantage and the Next-Wave Challenge This report is built around a simple idea: if we want to understand how Minnesota is performing, we need to measure it against relevant peers using consistent metrics. Next In the North • Ecosystem
Kaleidoscope Names Travis Smith CEO, Launches Scholarship Fund Minneapolis-based startup Kaleidoscope announced Jan. 15, 2026 the appointment of Travis Smith as chief executive officer alongside the launch of the Kaleidoscope Scholarship Fund, a newly formed 501(c)(3) public charity aimed at unlocking up to $1 billion in scholarship funding over time. Next In the North • Ecosystem
Digi International Acquires Particle for $50M to Expand IoT Subscription Revenue in Minneapolis Minneapolis-based Digi International announced Jan. 27 that it has acquired Particle, an edge-to-cloud IoT application infrastructure provider, in a $50 million all-cash transaction. Next In the North • Ecosystem
