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 […]
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 […]
The Iowa Biotechnology Association has opened applications for the 2024 Iowa Biotech Showcase pitch competition, which awards one biotech startup with $10,000 and a one-year membership to IowaBio. The 2024 showcase will focus on embracing the diversity of biotech industries in the state. The pitch competition will be held during the annual Iowa Biotech Showcase and Conference […]
Iowa State University held a grand opening on Sept. 8 for the Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex, located on 10 acres of university farmland. The grain storage and feed milling complex can produce up to 30,000 tonnes of feed and store more than 200,000 bushels of grain, according to a news release. The […]
Hank Harris, co-founder of Genvax Technologies, and professor emeritus at Iowa State University, is the 2023 recipient of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s (BIO) George Washington Carver Award for Leadership in Agriculture and Environmental Biotechnology. The George Washington Carver Award recognizes individuals who have advanced biotech innovation to make supply chains greener and have worked successfully […]
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Sept. 14 the formation of the Livestock Protection Innovation Grant Program. The program will provide grant funding to assist Iowa-based companies in the development of safe and effective vaccines that may help protect Iowa livestock from foreign animal diseases. Though the threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza remains […]
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 […]
IBI Scientific, a Dubuque-based manufacturer and international provider of life science research equipment and reagents, has launched its new specialty and custom blending department, allowing it to offer private-labeled, custom-blended chemicals. IBI expanded its Dubuque facility to include a state-of-the-art pure water system, sterile suite, anti-room and quality control lab. IBI Scientific now can special […]
Seven companies from Israel are participating in a new cohort of Cultivo Virtual Academy hosted by America’s Cultivation Corridor, which launched on July 6. The program provides participants with mentorship, interaction with Iowa’s agricultural leaders, and an online curriculum focused on U.S. market entry, regulatory and financing systems, and customer perspectives. The sessions will be […]
The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab was recently awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to help refine the use of high-volume testing methods. The project was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to prepare for future disease outbreaks. Researchers will […]