This is a continuing report from the weekly Innovation Breakfast.  Once again, conversations ended up touching on funding (among other things.)  One of the reasons we started the Funding Friday (#ff$) conversations on Twitter…

This morning’s conversation at Innovation Breakfast touched on information sources:  where do you get your information?  In today’s world, there is a wealth — an overwhelming wealth — of information.  There is so much information it is hard to know where to look first.

The question was asked, “Where do you find information on companies who have just gotten funding?”  (These are the companies who might be hiring.  Who are looking for services.  Who might be on the path to success.)  PE Hub was mentioned.  Someone else mentioned VentureFizz.  Also local news sources, Mass High Tech, Boston Business Journal and Scott Kirsner’s blog and Twitter-stream, report on some of the larger or noteworthy VC deals.

But it isn’t just VC money.  There are a lot of sources for funding dollars — when you don’t need millions of dollars you might be talking with angels, friends and family, or banks (loans.)  There are also state grants, federal grants — often very specific to an industry.  These fundings aren’t well publicized — often no one knows about it unless they are directly involved.

But knowledge of how others get funding is important in terms of lessons learned for those seeking funding.  Also, seeing another competing company getting funding may either discourage companies from getting into a space, or encourage them. (“They may have just gotten funded but we already have a product in the market!”)

Where do you find out who is on that critical path?