The Greater Des Moines Partnership has opened applications for the 2026 Scale DSM Business Accelerator, a program designed to help small businesses strengthen operations, increase revenue and create jobs. Over the past four years, 56 small businesses have graduated from Scale DSM, gaining tools, management strategies and professional networks to…
A four-day event designed to spotlight and celebrate entrepreneurship in Iowa is coming to Des Moines Sept. 28 through Oct. 1. Iowa Startup Week is organized by a group of 25 to 30 local volunteers and has a leadership team of Kaylee Williams, Safiya Lee-Evans, Tej Dhawan and Diana Wright….
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted the University of Iowa Venture School Launch Day competition for its spring cohort on March 26. Seven teams pitched their ideas to a panel of judges after attending virtual classes on customer discovery and developing their business model alongside local entrepreneur coaches. Four…
Rise Energy has been selected for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative, securing $340,000 in non-dilutive funding to accelerate the commercialization of its autothermal pyrolysis technology developed at Iowa State University. Autothermal pyrolysis is a novel process that converts underutilized or waste materials into refiner-ready feedstocks,…
Entrepreneurs, students and innovators from across Eastern Iowa are invited to a Startup Sprint, a fast-paced entrepreneurial event hosted by NewBoCo on April 10-11 at Coe College’s Center for Health and Society in Cedar Rapids. Startup Sprint is a collaborative, hands-on experience where participants pitch ideas, form teams and spend…
Midwest venture studio Novy has announced the launch of its new startup Syncra, an AI-native scheduling platform designed specifically for independent emergency medicine groups. Syncra was introduced as Novy’s first portfolio company in August 2025. Since then, the company has established its brand informed by direct input from emergency medicine…
Ag Startup Engine, an early-stage venture firm focused on technologies across the agriculture and food value chain, has closed its third fund, a $7 million seed fund. The fund builds on Ag Startup Engine’s mission of bridging the gap between innovation and real-world agricultural adoption, the firm said in a…
The ISU Startup Factory has announced the members of it’s 19th cohort. The startup factory is an 18-week incubator for innovators residing in Iowa. The program focuses on helping founders build business acumen, improve communication skills, and leave with a commercialization plan in place. Teams include several ISU faculty and…
NewBoCo will lead the ecosystem building components for the Iowa Aviation Technology Center, a regional effort to strengthen Iowa’s economy by expanding aerospace and aviation workforce capacity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The nonprofit received philanthropic support from JPMorganChase for the initiative. NewBoCo’s goal is to help position Iowa as a global…
By Hailey Evans The Des Moines Home + Garden Show is coming to the Iowa Events Center Feb. 12-15. Visitors can tour pop-up gardens created by local landscapers, meet project experts, shop the annual plant sale, enjoy educational sessions and peruse the Made in Iowa Market for home goods and…