SoilSerdem, an Ames-based startup, won a $1 million National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Phase II award through BioConnect Iowa’s America’s Seed Fund Outreach Program. According to a news release, America’s Seed Fund (powered by NSF) awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and […]
Heartland Business Systems is hosting the 11th annual Secure Iowa conference on Oct. 3 at the Meadows Event Center in Altoona. HBS is hosting the event following its acquisition of Pratum in 2022. The sessions include a keynote speech by Samuel Visner, an adviser on U.S. national security on the evolution of cybersecurity, a panel of […]
Bunker Labs Des Moines, a nonprofit supporting veterans and military spouses starting their own businesses, is looking for a new volunteer entrepreneur ambassador. According to the Bunker Labs website, the Entrepreneur Ambassador program includes a 12-month training for individuals who are already established leaders in their community and well-positioned to build their local business ecosystem. Ambassadors […]
Colorbiotics, an Ames-based colorant manufacturer, reports it more than doubled its recycling year-over-year. In the first half of 2023, Colorbiotics recycled 1.8 million pounds of materials compared with less than 750,000 pounds the year before. According to a news release, plastics are the primary driver of the increase in recycling for Colorbiotics. High density polyethylene plastic […]
Entrepreneurs’ Organization Iowa (EO Iowa), the Iowa chapter of a global peer-to-peer network of over 18,000 business owners, is inviting business owners and entrepreneurs to its first “A Taste of EO Iowa” event for prospective EO members on Sept. 21. According to a news release, EO Iowa exists to support entrepreneurs to achieve their full […]
Denim Social, a software provider helping elevate how financial and insurance professionals connect and sell on social media, has been acquired by Capacity, a platform that automates customer support tasks. Based in St. Louis, Denim Social was formed in April 2020 with the merger of St. Louis startup Gremlin Social and Des Moines-based Denim. With Denim Social integrated […]
Iowa State University’s Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and the Start Something College of Agriculture and Life Sciences program will host the seventh annual ISU Innovation Prize. The Innovation Prize is a weekend-long competition for Iowa State students, faculty, staff as well as the local entrepreneurial community. Participants will work in small teams to develop innovative […]
The InnoVenture Iowa Fund has opened applications for the second annual InnoVenture Challenge, a $100,000 winner-takes-all pitch competition featuring three Iowa startup companies from the information technology, bioscience and advanced manufacturing industries. The three finalists who will present on stage in Des Moines in front of a panel of judges will be announced on Nov. […]
InnoVenture Iowa’s second-quarter update included the announcement of four new portfolio companies. The $30 million fund now has 12 portfolio companies. The four new companies are: The update also shared that applications for the second annual InnoVenture Challenge, a $100,000 pitch competition, will open Friday. Investment Director Kaylee Williams said in the update that InnoVenture Iowa will be […]
Four Iowa cities were ranked in Midwest Startups’ Startup City Rankings. In Central Iowa, Des Moines ranked No. 27, up one spot from last year, and Ames ranked No. 33, moving up two spots. On the eastern side of the state, Iowa City came in at No. 44, dropping four spots, although several area companies saw […]