America’s Cultivation Corridor is hosting a webinar from 2-3 p.m. today on renewable fuels innovations and Iowa’s role in developing the industry’s next generation of technologies and diverse feedstocks. Featured speakers include Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig; Paul Nees, global book lead, renewables and carbon, Chevron Supply & Trading;…
Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series of stories about rural innovation in Iowa. See the first story about food carts here. In a field of goldenrod and blue vervain are dozens of bison, clustered together, ears alert. One was wallowing, gently rolling around in the dirt, bouncing his…
The World Food Prize Foundation has announced the top three finalists for the inaugural Innovate for Impact Challenge: APOLO Biotech, Capsber Agriscience and Vet Konect. The finalists will be at the 2025 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue to pitch their Agritech venture in a “Shark Tank-style” presentation to a panel…
Hannah Inman, CEO of the Great Outdoors Foundation, has some advice for anyone who wants to work in fundraising. Spend time in sales. Prior to becoming CEO, she worked in pharmaceutical sales, among other experiences. “It taught me to not take rejection personally,” she said. “It also taught me that no doesn’t…
Meyocks, a West Des Moines-based branding and marketing agency, has launched a proprietary artificial intelligence technology that assists agricultural markers with testing and refining messaging by simulating farmer mindsets. Sam, short for Simulated Audience Mindset, is the name of the AI-powered tool. “Sam ‘speaks’ with the voice of targeted audience segments,”…
Wyffels Hybrids, an Ames-based seed company focused on corn, has announced a new collaboration with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on a four-part event series titled “Between the Rows – In Field Edition.” Hosted at Wyffels’ newly opened production facility in Ames, the event series aims to bring agricultural insights directly…
Growers Edge, a Johnston-based company providing financial products and data-driven tools for agricultural retailers, manufacturers and lenders, announced this week a first close of a new $25 million financing round. The round was co-led by S2G Investments, Cibus Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, with additional participation by Otter Creek, iSelect and…
Clayton Farms, an urban farming company, is partnering with Ames High School to bring urban farming curriculum and technology to the classroom. In a new course offered at Ames High School, students will learn about “sustainable food systems, supply chain, and everything that goes into urban farming,” said Clayton Mooney,…
The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online by June 9 for the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its 12th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and…
Ag-tech fund raising new $10 million fund to provide scaling capital Ag Startup Engine, a fund for ag-tech startups, made six investments in new companies in 2024, bringing the fund’s total portfolio companies to 40, according to its latest annual report. The report also shows Ag Startup Engine made three investments…
As part of a refresh of the Business Record’s Innovation Iowa brand, we have created a new landing page on the Business Record website to house all Innovation Iowa coverage and more stories from the Business Record covering innovation and technology.
Visit www.businessrecord.com/innovation-iowa to view all Innovation Iowa stories, including the 2026 Innovation Iowa Magazine, out now.
-Sarah Diehn, Business Record Editor