The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board recently approved awards to five Iowa startups from Iowa’s State Small Business and Credit Initiative Innovation Fund.
Awards approved by the IEDA board on Friday were:
Genvax Technologies, an animal vaccine company based in Ames, has developed proprietary next-generation RNA and nanoparticle vaccines. Its first product will be a vaccine for swine influenza, with technology that can be used to develop herd-specific vaccines. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Launch Fund loan for equipment, construction and other testing needs.
The Agenda. Period Inc. has created a comprehensive mobile application to better understand and navigate an individual’s menstrual cycle. The platform tracks cycles and symptoms and provides resources to support hormonal health and overall well-being. The Brighton-based company was awarded a $175,000 Demonstration Fund loan for product buildout and refinement, market planning and entry activities and key personnel.
Cedar Rapids-based Stratafolio Inc. is a cloud-based software-as-a-service product for companies that own and manage commercial real estate. The company was awarded a $100,000 Innovation Acceleration Launch Fund loan for market expansion and key personnel.
Hudu Inc., based in Urbandale, is a centralized online marketplace for odd job services. The platform combines a competitive bid approach with artificial intelligence to offer a solution to the question of, “Who do you know?” The company was awarded a $50,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for product refinement, market planning and analysis and key personnel.
West Des Moines-based Coviance Inc. developed lending automation technology software applications for community banks and credit unions, specifically in the home equity and mortgage lending space. The company was awarded a $1 million Innovation Acceleration Expansion Fund loan for IP development and evaluation and key personnel.
The SSBCI program’s Innovation Fund increases assistance available through Iowa’s innovation continuum to support entrepreneurs through concept, launch and expansion. Award recommendations for these funds are made by the SSBCI Review Committee to the IEDA director for approval.