As I was wrapping up 2023 and preparing for 2024 last week, I read through Diana Wright’s final Startup Iowa Hot List newsletter of the year. She included a story in her introduction reflecting on expanding entrepreneurial communities through one of her experiences participating in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program. Read more […]
innovationIOWA is sharing profiles of the current members of Maple Studios, a startup studio for early-stage industrial technology companies based on the campus of Ramco Innovations in West Des Moines. Laura Formanek is the creative director and owner of the Studio Process, a full-service video production company. She runs the business full time and currently works […]
The Iowa Economic Development Authority awards funding to startups in the form of low-interest loans through its Innovation Continuum, which includes five funds that are designed to offer companies non-dilutive funding at every stage of business growth. The funds are: Proof of Commercial Relevance (POCR), Demonstration Fund and the Innovation Acceleration Fund, which offers Launch, Propel and […]
Ramco will continue operating Maple Studios, director says Sheffield-based Sukup Manufacturing Co. announced Dec. 15 its acquisition of West Des Moines-based automation distributor Ramco Innovations. According to a news release, the acquisition will form a new entity known as Sukup Innovations, which will oversee Ramco Innovations and Sukup Innovations’ agtech offerings. “This collaboration represents a significant milestone […]
innovationIOWA is sharing profiles of the current members of Maple Studios, a startup studio for early-stage industrial technology companies based on the campus of Ramco Innovations in West Des Moines. Bailey Steinfadt, founder and lead engineer of Stone Path Engineering, shares more about the company below. For recent coverage of Maple Studios, visit innovationia.com. Know a […]
Following its expansion from three to 14 Midwest cities in 2023, Des Moines-based technology company Hummingbirds announced Wednesday that it has raised $3.3 million in seed funding that it plans to use to expand its online platform to more than 30 U.S. cities in 2024. The Des Moines-based technology company connects businesses with hyperlocal content […]
Nora Springs-based startup ReEnvision Ag was selected Wednesday evening by a panel of judges as the winner of the 2023 InnoVenture Challenge, a $100,000 pitch competition co-hosted by InnoVenture Iowa and BioConnect Iowa. ReEnvision Ag is creating a new category of planter for farmers called SeedSpike, which extends the planting window, reduces soil compaction and […]
Sam Altman will return to OpenAI as CEO, and a new board will be formed, the company said in a statement Tuesday after reaching an “agreement in principle” with Altman. The statement said OpenAI and Altman are “collaborating to figure out the details.” The new board will include Bret Taylor, the former co-CEO of Salesforce; Larry […]
A 54-hour Techstars Startup Weekend DSM event, the first to be held in Des Moines in seven years, is planned for Jan. 12-14 at Maple Studios, organizers have announced. The event is meant to bring together designers, developers, marketers and startup enthusiasts to share ideas, form teams and launch startups. Other startup weekends across Iowa have […]
“It’s been about a year since I’ve been capturing the Startup Iowa Hotlist showing those actively raising companies and just companies to watch, and that subscriber list has grown. Maybe 30% of the list is out-of-state subscribers. For instance, Idea Fund just came to Des Moines. It’s based in La Crosse, Wis., and they’re now actively […]