EntreFEST Day 2: How to pitch a startup from the edge of a rock wall

Steve Shriver, co-owner at SOKO Outfitters of Cedar Rapids (right), climbs during a startup pitch session with founders during the 2019 EntreFEST. Photo contributed/Andrew Ravera, NewBoCo One of the most original pitching opportunities open to participants at EntreFEST 2019 was born over pre-event beers.  Steve Shriver, co-owner at SOKO Outfitters…

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Troubled birth control telemedicine startup to launch service in Iowa

Nurx, a San Francisco-based telemedicine startup offering birth control online, plans to launch in Iowa — after a recent report alleging company practices have put patients at risk through the handling of medication ordered in the app. Nurx (pronounced nur-ex) sells prescription drugs online, including birth control, HIV PrEP, HPV…

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California-based HarvestPort expands to Iowa

San Francisco-based HarvestPort, an early-stage agtech company developing a marketplace platform for farmers and supplies, is opening new offices in Des Moines, the company announced. HarvestPort has also hired Tyler Horbach, founder of agtech startup the FarmElement, as Grower Solutions Manager. Horbach previously founded the FarmElement in Jefferson, Iowa in…

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Unskilled staffs threaten banks’ ability to adapt to digital transformation

Only 4% of bank business and IT executives believe that the impact of technology on the pace of banking change has stayed the same over the past three years, while 96% said it has either significantly accelerated or accelerated, according to a new report from Accenture. This technological disruption has a…

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CYstarters announce 2019 cohort, Community Kick-Off May 23

Fifteen student entrepreneurs are joining the 2019 CYstarters cohort, an 11-week intensive program managed by the Iowa State Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. Businesses in the cohort are: AI for Microscopy, Camp Aramoni, CattleTech, Chess Utopia, Comic Sandwiches, Courselink, Flourish, Iowa Virtual Reality Labs, Jensen Applied Sciences, One Hop Shop, Pink Panda,…

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FCC’s broadband growth estimates off by millions, commission chief Pai admits

Whoops. Federal Communications Commission chief Ajit Pai admitted that broadband growth numbers announced by the FCC in February were actually inflated by millions, reports Ars Technica. The errors were first published by advocacy group Free Press, which found a new ISP called BarrierFree falsely reported to the FCC that it went from…

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IDx CEO Abramoff receives 2019 Cultivation Corridor Iowa Biotech Leader award

Cultivation Corridor Executive Director Billi Hunt presented the 2019 Cultivation Corridor Iowa Biotech Leader Award to Dr. Michael Abramoff, founder and CEO of IDx Technologies. Abramoff accepted the award on Tuesday during a reception at Partnering for Growth Biotech Innovation Showcase and Forum, an annual conference by the Iowa Biotechnology…

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Iowa startup optimizing air flow at Empire State Building

Coralville-based Innovas Technologies will deploy its automatic tube cleaning technology at the Empire State Building in New York City, reports the Corridor Business Journal. Innovas’ Helios Tube Cleaning System is installed on water-cooled chillers and keeps the tubes clean without intervention. The technology translates to an average 10 percent energy…

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