Involta rebrands to ark data centers

Cedar Rapids-based Involta is now ark data centers, the company announced Wednesday. The rebrand of the national provider of data center, cloud and connectivity infrastructure and services is in response to the demand for edge data centers and cloud infrastructure brought on by the recent surge in artificial intelligence. According to…

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Global Insurance Symposium announces 2024 agenda

The agenda for the 2024 Global Insurance Symposium, scheduled for April 16-17, is now available. The content will cover the different aspects of risk facing insurers and innovators. Sessions will feature discussions of risks from AI, climate change, litigation and fraud, as well as panels of insurance commissioners and chief…

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Applications open for 2024 BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator

BrokerTech Ventures (BTV) has opened applications for the fifth cohort of its accelerator program. The deadline to apply is Dec. 18. According to a news release, the concept of the BTV Accelerator is to be an “innovation hub” and proof of concept environment for broker-centric products and technology solutions, ultimately bringing validated…

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BrokerTech Ventures shares results of report on accelerator alumni

BrokerTech Ventures (BTV) has shared the results of its latest report on the achievements of its accelerator startups. BTV has hosted four cohorts of the accelerator for broker-centric insurance technology companies, which included 48 participating startups. Highlights from the report include: “One of the reasons we signed on as BTV’s…

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5 questions with Kyle Wacker

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…

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Reflections on a decade of the Global Insurance Accelerator

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,…

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Colorbiotics reports doubled recycling at Ames facility in last year

Colorbiotics, an Ames-based colorant manufacturer, reports it more than doubled its recycling year-over-year. In the first half of 2023, Colorbiotics recycled 1.8 million pounds of materials compared with less than 750,000 pounds the year before. According to a news release, plastics are the primary driver of the increase in recycling for…

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Growers Edge: Building products to help retailers, manufacturers serve farmers better

By Michael Crumb Starting out as a crop insurance company in 2016, Growers Edge has evolved into a company that offers warrantied crop performance products and an agriculture input financing program. The goal, leaders of the Johnston-based company said, is to help retailers and input manufacturers, and the farmers they…

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