West Des Moines-based PE firm marking third fund, 10 years in business Midwest Growth Partners, a private equity fund manager based in West Des Moines, is about six months into deploying its latest investment fund, which is the firm’s third fund since opening for business in 2013. At the close of fundraising for Fund 3, MGP announced that it exceeded […]
Plus, meet the startups pitching in Best of the Midwest showcase Supporting active and aspiring Iowa angel investors and continuing to build the state’s connections and presence with risk capital stakeholders across the Midwest is the goal behind the second annual Iowa Angel Investors Summit, a one-day event scheduled for Nov. 14 in Des Moines. The […]
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday in the U.S. government’s first move to regulate artificial intelligence. CNBC reports that the order issues specific directives to a range of federal agencies, establishes guidance for how federal agencies use AI and creates requirements for some companies that are developing AI tools. According to a fact sheet on the […]
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.Jeff Reed, founder and CEO of Momentum Studios, shares about the company’s journey below. Other members of the Momentum Studios team are Chief Operating Officer Laura Reed, Business […]
Ag Startup Engine, a fund for agtech startups, hosted its 2023 Unconference event in Des Moines touching on the themes of data, artificial intelligence and sustainable agriculture. Speakers from this year’s event shared their thoughts on agricultural innovation currently and in the future. Bill Northey, CEO of Agribusiness Association of Iowa and former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture“When […]
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. Brad Hoyt, founder of FullConfidence, shares about the company’s journey below. Read recent coverage of Maple Studios on innovationia.com. Know a startup from around the state with […]
Reflections on Secure Iowa Conference Last week, Heartland Business Systems (HBS) hosted the annual Secure Iowa Conference for Iowa’s information security professionals. Sessions included a conversation with Des Moines Public Schools Director of Technology Lisa Irey on the school district’s recent ransomware attack, a panel of local chief information security officers and a keynote from […]
In 2014, the Global Insurance Accelerator was a first for Iowa in many ways, including how it brought together seven local insurance companies to partner and invest in an accelerator dedicated to advancing innovative ideas for the insurance industry. Those founding investors were Principal Financial Group, Delta Dental of Iowa, FBL Financial Group, IMT Insurance, […]
Finding the resources to start a business is one of the first tasks new entrepreneurs will always need to navigate, and a new tool from the Greater Des Moines Partnership is aiming to provide an “easier on-ramp” to the existing pathways and resources. The Resource Compass is an online platform of entrepreneurial resources available from nonprofits or […]
Grace CEO Drew Allen shares plans for Quad Cities location A passion for entrepreneurship in Iowa shared by two industrial technology leaders — Drew Allen in Eastern Iowa and Hank Norem in Central Iowa — formed a bond that kindled the idea of a new Maple Studios location. The new branch of the startup studio, a […]