Susan Ruhlin

The Central Maine Growth Council is looking to hire an a clean technology entrepreneur at Dirigo Labs, after receiving a one-year contract from the Governor's Energy Office valued at nearly $112,000.

From "Fitbit for cows" to food-delivery robots, here are 10 stories about innovation and technology published in 2023.

The funding award will enable Dirigo Labs to extend its startup program by an extra month and to tweak the business accelerator's offerings.

Dirigo Labs, housed at the Hathaway Creative Center in downtown Waterville, is tweaking its curriculum to emphasize revenue projections, capital strategy, customer acquisition and tactics to scale.

Since 2009, the Mainebiz Women to Watch program has honored nearly 75 leaders. This year, we honor the leaders of a Rockland theater, a Waterville startup, a Portland affordable housing organization, a biosciences trade group and a timber sports group. 

Whether participants are more experienced companies or newer ones, Dirigo Labs is providing a valuable service to Central Maine for businesses looking to accelerate, networking and contribute to the local economy, innovation and job creation.

Croft, which makes carbon-negative prefab buildings for residential and commercial use, plans to use its $25,000 prize money to launch an apprentice program.

This year's pitch-off, scheduled for May 4 at the Maine Film Center in downtown Waterville, features 11 startups in the program's second cohort.

Cohort members include Farm Drop, an online network of farmers markets, and the SledTRX interactive snowmobile app.

Jeremy Barron is a 2000 Colby College alumnus who also taught entrepreneurship at the Waterville school.