The Iowa Innovation Challenge awarded $81,000 to 65 businesses launched by University of Iowa faculty, staff, students and incubator startups during the inaugural elevator pitch competition, UI announced this week. The Iowa Innovation Challenge is a new partnership between the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC), the Office of the…
Iowa State University has applied to the U.S. Department of Energy to lead a new cybersecurity center in what could be an $86.7 million national effort with other unnamed universities and other partners. The Iowa Economic Development Authority approved a $1.2 million grant for the Cybersecurity Research Institute for Manufacturing…
Per Mar Security Services, parent company of Midwest Alarm Services, has acquired NECO Security based in Lincoln, Neb. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. NECO Security was founded by Don Nielsen in 1957, and specializes in residential and commercial burglar and fire alarm systems in the Lincoln area. “The…
Cedar Rapids’ New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, known as NewBoCo, last week unveiled several new initiatives including the expansion of its Iowa Startup Accelerator (ISA) program to Iowa City and a new $30 million venture fund to help propel those companies as they grow, reports the Corridor Business Journal. NewBoCo leaders…
by Laurie Bedord, Successful Farming Editor’s note: This article is reprinted with permission from the May 2019 edition of Successful Farming. Heavy rains, strong winds, hail and tornadoes have all left their mark on the Applegates’ corn and soybean fields in western Iowa. Since planting their first crop in 1976,…
Scratch Cupcakery in West Des Moines is one of 50 bakeries across the U.S. partnering with Facebook on May 10 to launch a new feature called Birthday Stories on the social media platform. From 9:30 a.m. until supplies last, visitors at the West Des Moines shop will receive a free cupcake…
Six Iowa elementary schools in high-poverty areas, among them Perry and Marshalltown, will each receive $50,000 grants through the Computer Science is Elementary initiative, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced. The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and the Iowa Department of Education are partnering with corporate partners that raised $350,000 in sponsorship funding…
The Global Insurance Accelerator is welcoming 10 new insurtech companies to Des Moines as part of the 2019 cohort, starting Jan. 15. This year’s GIA cohort is developing and delivering new products and business models for buying insurance, cyber risk protection, underwriting automation, advisor services, digital transformation, claims resolution, pension…
We asked our Trends for 2019 contributors to think about what trends may come up in the next ten years – from main street businesses to university research and everything in between. Take a peek at some of the responses below, and view the full cover story in the Business…
In the seventh year of the Business Record’s annual Leaders Survey, the Business Record asked local leaders whether they believe Central Iowa businesses had adequate access to venture capital. It’s a snapshot of our wider concerns – the survey, released in print and in daily e-newsletter snapshots, checks the pulse…