Investor interest in the startup’s recent growth spurred its third funding round, says co-founder Charise Flynn Des Moines-based startup Hummingbirds announced Wednesday it has raised $5.4 million in new venture capital funding for a total of $10 million raised since its first fundraising round last year.  Hummingbirds’ platform aims to create authentic word-of-mouth marketing for […]

Linda Tong, founder of Linda Tong Planners, was a panelist at the Business Record’s recent Power Breakfast on thriving in a multigenerational workforce and shared her perspective as a member of Gen Z and an entrepreneur.  She was asked: A lot of members of Generation Z are opting to start their own businesses. As an […]

Plus, meet the fund’s first Iowa portfolio company Wisconsin-based venture capital firm Idea Fund of La Crosse recently made its first investment in an Iowa startup since announcing a new fund in May that would reach more Midwest states. The $31.5 million fund is targeting startups in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin that are pre-revenue or very early-stage […]

Gravitate Coworking is opening a second coworking space in Windsor Heights, the company announced last week. The new location, called Gravitate Windsor Heights, is located at 6611 University Ave., Suite 200. Gravitate Midtown, the current location in Windsor Heights located across the intersection of University Avenue and 66th Street, will continue operating with a new […]

5 startups receive more than $1.5 million in loans from SSBCI program 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 […]

ABI conference shares top cybersecurity needs on the horizon Before an organization can use technology as an asset to support innovation, it should have a foundation of cybersecurity protections and defenses in place to help prevent a breach of company data. This was one key of the message shared during the Iowa Association of Business and Industry’s […]

A few weeks ago, innovationIOWA shared that local investors Tej Dhawan and JD Geneser are launching a new statewide venture capital fund targeting early-stage startups.  Last summer, Plains Angels created the Plains Angels Investment Fund, which was designed so members of the angel investor could pool funds together to fund startups and diversify their investment portfolios by investing […]

The fund stems from recent efforts to clarify startup funding needs, says managing partner  Two local investors are launching a new statewide venture capital fund designed to bolster Iowa’s early-stage startup funding continuum. Managing Partner Tej Dhawan and General Partner JD Geneser told the Business Record they plan to raise $6 million from Iowa investors […]

The new entity will target research, workforce efforts in manufacturing and defense sectors Iowa State University, Western Illinois University and the University of Illinois System launched Friday the Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute, a partnership to drive innovation and economic development through new technologies and workforce education supporting the U.S. manufacturing and defense sectors. The new entity, […]