As I was wrapping up 2023 and preparing for 2024 last week, I read through Diana Wright’s final Startup Iowa Hot List newsletter of the year. She included a story in her introduction reflecting on expanding entrepreneurial communities through one of her experiences participating in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program. Read more […]
The Global Insurance Accelerator has announced seven companies that will participate in the 2024 accelerator program beginning Jan. 10. The 100-day program will operate in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual portions, concluding with the companies’ presentations at the Global Insurance Symposium on April 17. The GIA has also hired Jenni Gruenisen as its […]
The Iowa Economic Development Authority awards funding to startups in the form of low-interest loans through its Innovation Continuum, which includes five funds that are designed to offer companies non-dilutive funding at every stage of business growth. The funds are: Proof of Commercial Relevance (POCR), Demonstration Fund and the Innovation Acceleration Fund, which offers Launch, Propel and […]
InnoVenture Iowa, the first public venture capital fund in Iowa, has added three new companies to its investment portfolio since the second quarter, it has announced. The fund began co-investing in early-stage, Iowa-based startups in bioscience, advanced manufacturing and information technology in 2023. A list of all of InnoVenture Iowa’s investments to date is available here. The […]
NewBoCo has announced that Jill Wilkins, who has been serving as the organization’s interim executive director since April, has now been named to the position on a permanent basis. Wilkins succeeds Aaron Horn, who stepped down in April to take a new position. Wilkins spent 10 years with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District and the Metro Economic Alliance, […]
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications now through Jan. 31 for the 2024 Athene Black and Brown Business Summit pitch competition. Applicants must be a for-profit business that is 51% minority owned and has been in business for at least two years. The selected businesses will be invited to participate in […]
innovationIOWA is sharing profiles of the current members of Maple Studios, a startup studio for early-stage industrial technology companies based on the campus of Ramco Innovations in West Des Moines. Bailey Steinfadt, founder and lead engineer of Stone Path Engineering, shares more about the company below. For recent coverage of Maple Studios, visit innovationia.com. Know a […]
The Greater Des Moines Partnership has announced the 10 graduates of the second cohort of the Scale DSM Minority Business Accelerator. The business owners completed a seven-month program centered around case-based peer learning, management skills and building networks to help them grow their businesses. The program uses curriculum from Boston-based nonprofit Interise and is sponsored […]
Nora Springs-based startup ReEnvision Ag was selected Wednesday evening by a panel of judges as the winner of the 2023 InnoVenture Challenge, a $100,000 pitch competition co-hosted by InnoVenture Iowa and BioConnect Iowa. ReEnvision Ag is creating a new category of planter for farmers called SeedSpike, which extends the planting window, reduces soil compaction and […]
Following its expansion from three to 14 Midwest cities in 2023, Des Moines-based technology company Hummingbirds announced Wednesday that it has raised $3.3 million in seed funding that it plans to use to expand its online platform to more than 30 U.S. cities in 2024. The Des Moines-based technology company connects businesses with hyperlocal content […]