Our cover story looks at Maine’s startup network and how it goes about getting financing.
Our
cover story looks at Maine’s startup network and how it goes about getting financing
Not surprisingly, as Deputy Editor Renee Cordes reports, the road is not always easy.
“Maine has great potential, but will take much more density of world-class talent and world-class R&D to become a mini-Silicon Valley,” one observer told Renee.
On the plus side, there are investors stepping into finance startups. Renee outlines three funding routes that are sometimes overlooked.
Looking at brick-and-mortar finance routes, Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber looks at
Maine banks that are retooling their network of branches and back-office space.
Kennebec Savings is combining new and traditional approaches. It’s building a five-story office building, while taking measures to preserve historic buildings in downtown Augusta.
Camden National Bank has sold commercial space that it no longer needs. “The good news is, we have plenty of real estate,” a bank official tells Laurie. “The question is, how do we put that to the highest and best use for our customers?”
Be sure to check out Renee Cordes’ latest installment of the
“Street Sense” column, where she visits Ogunquit merchants as they gear up for the tourism season.
This issue features two banking-related lists: a market share list and the largest Maine-based banks.