InnoVenture Iowa announced Wednesday the three early-stage startup companies that will compete in the first InnoVenture Challenge pitch competition on Dec. 7 for a non-dilutive $100,000 cash prize. The finalists are Hawkeye Surgical Lighting, which has developed the world’s first voice- and motion-controlled surgical headlight that integrates with an iOS through Bluetooth; The Hummingbirds, a platform that enables businesses and organizations of all sizes to find and work with hyper-local content creators to drive revenue and recognition; and Clayton Farms, formerly Nebullam, which builds vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer indoor farms serving customers in Ames and Minneapolis. The InnoVenture Challenge will be held at the Temple Theater in Des Moines starting at 4:30 p.m. Prior to the pitch competition, Bunker Labs Des Moines, an organization that helps veterans and military spouses start and scale their own businesses, will present the Veterans in Residence showcase of three local businesses participating in its programming. Registration for the free event is available on the event page.
