Calbucci

On the TechFlash podcast last week, Seattle 2.0 founder Marcelo Calbucci hinted about a new gig that was in the works. We prodded him for details, but the former Microsoft manager, Sampa founder and self-described Seattle startup evangelist didn't want to disclose what he was doing at the time. But now we know. So, what's Calbucci up to?

He's joined a new Redmond firm called Conceivian, a "startup lab" which he says is designed to bring "innovations to life" at a rapid pace. Those innovations may come from a startup or withdrawn from a larger tech company. Formed nine months ago, Conceivian says that its goal is to launch 100 "game-changing" innovations in the next 10 years.

"On the Startup side of business, Conceivian will incubate startups, but we’ll go beyond the standard incubator and effectively grow and operate the businesses we create," Calbucci writes in a blog post. "These businesses might be wholly owned by Conceivian, when they grow out of our ideas with our resources, or they might be partially owned businesses where we still have a stake, but an external investor or entrepreneur is our partner in crime."

He adds that Conceivian will not operate as a consulting shop where they tell entrepreneurs what to do.

"We are builders and we’ll not only create a plan, but execute it as well," he said.

Conceivian is led by Saqib Rasool, a software developer who spent eight years at Microsoft before founding the Internet startups Metafos and InCampus. Other executives include former Microsoftie Kunal Mahajan, former Amazon.com and Sony Electronics developer Steve Sloan and former Eli Lilly employee ChongLi Gao.

Conceivian lists four portfolio companies -- Comient, InCampus, Jobfully and Snackdish -- and four untitled startups that it is incubating. The firm also has already established a cash flow positive business providing prototyping services to companies like Microsoft.

As it has gotten cheaper to build Web-based software companies, a number of new firms have emerged with new funding and incubation models to support startups. Programs such as TechStars, Founder's Co-op and Founder's Institute are attempting to make it easier for entrepreneurs to get ideas off the ground, while Y Combinator has emerged as a new force in the startup game in Silicon Valley.

However, unlike some of those models, Calbucci said that idea is not to bankroll startups and then "kick them out" after three months.

"Many serial entrepreneurs and angel investors have great ideas, have some financial resources available, but don’t have the time or team to bring it life," writes Calbucci. "This is where we can work together and go from an idea on napkin to a full product and manage the entire lifecycle of the business."