It’s cold out, so here’s a piece to warm your brain up: the New York Times asked assistant editor of puzzles Sam Ezersky how the digital world changes his job building and sorting crossword puzzle submissions. In honor of my dad, whose simple joys in life include eagle watching and puzzle solving…
The Iowa AgriTech Accelerator received first place in the 2018 Entrepreneurial Awards, hosted by the Mid-America Economic Development Council. The accelerator, launched in 2016 by the Greater Des Moines Partnership and Cultivation Corridor, came in first for communities with a population over 50,000 and accepted the award during the Dec….
At-home DNA test kits have transformed lives – just ask Sigrid Johnson, a 63-year-old black woman who grappled with identity when a DNA ancestry kit delivered unexpected results. The New York Times piece wrangles with questions of family, statistical accuracy, consumer privacy and company transparency. Has any direct-to-consumer product challenged identities so…
Parasitic worms pose a major global health threat to humans and animals, but a major study that sequenced the genomes of scores of worms could lead to new and more efficient ways to treat illness, reports Iowa State University. ISU Professor of biomedical sciences Tim Day co-authored the study recently…
Smart Ag founder/CEO Colin Hurd joined this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs in manufacturing and industry across the U.S. and Canada. Hurd, who is 28, graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Agriculture and Business in 2013 and went on to develop AutoCart, an automated grain cart…
The Iowa Innovation Corp. has hired Jim Register as president and CEO to lead IICorp as the entity transitions into a new Iowa biosciences development center, reports the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Register will bring together partners from research institutions, global companies, entrepreneurs, investors and government to accelerate growth in the…
The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has committed $12 million to fund research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa College of Engineering, reports the Corridor Business Journal. The grant brings the Carver Charitable Trust’s total giving toward the UI department to $15 million; pending approval…
The Ag Startup Engine’s seven initial agricultural startup companies have collectively raised more than $10 million in follow-on investments, the organization announced today. The seven portfolio companies within ASE at Iowa State University Research Park have also created more than 40 jobs since the initiative’s launch. Established in late 2016,…
After two years of piloting in Iowa, FarmlandFinder will debut in 12 more Midwestern states this winter. “We’ve been starting to branch out and build relationships with those people, and showing them early access. We’ve got people that are testing that software right now,” Founder and CEO Steven Brockshus said….
Rantizo, Inc.: $500,000, completed in October. Based in Iowa City. Participating: Innova Memphis (Memphis, Tennessee).
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-Sarah Diehn, Business Record Editor