Celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary signs partnership with the Grand Forks HIVE

Grand Forks Herald
·2 min read

Jan. 25—GRAND FORKS — O'Leary Ventures has signed a partnership for naming rights of the main floor conference room at the HIVE.

O'Leary Ventures was founded by Kevin O'Leary, the celebrity investor and host of "Shark Tank," to support start-ups and early-stage businesses.

O'Leary Ventures has partnered with the state to invest $45 million into companies starting up through the Wonder Fund-North Dakota program.

"Wonder Fund-North Dakota's investment here is about seizing an unprecedented opportunity in Grand Forks," Kevin O'Leary said. "This isn't just another tech hub. This is the future."

The program's largest investment in the state is Thread, a leader in asset maintenance for energy and utilities, which is a longtime tenant at the HIVE.

"O'Leary Ventures' interest in companies like ours validates the work that we have been doing," Thread CEO and co-founder Josh Riedy said. "I look forward to this partnership for years to come."

HIVE Managing Director Johnny Ryan said the partnership will help enhance Grand Forks' presence in the unmanned aircraft system industry.

"Not only do we have Wonder Fund-North Dakota's investment into one of our tenants, we also have the Wonder Fund-North Dakota's management firm, O'Leary Ventures, investing in this facility," Ryan said. "Having someone like O'Leary taking the time to see the work we are doing at the HIVE and in Grand Forks only enhances our footprint on the UAS industry."

O'Leary, chairman of the O'Leary Ventures, was invited by Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski to visit and drop the puck at the UND hockey game on Friday night, Jan. 26. During his visit, O'Leary will visit the Grand Sky development, the HIVE, and

UND, where he will have a fireside chat with UND President Andrew Armacost

.

"I am excited to host Kevin O'Leary and his team here in Grand Forks. They will get to see the very best of our community and tour our growing UAS and tech sector," Bochenski said. "Their partnership with The HIVE further grows our national profile as a great place to do business."