Wells Fargo incubator expands to sustainable agriculture technologies

First launched in 2014, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) is now partnering with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to promote sustainable agriculture technologies, Wells Fargo announced on Tuesday. The expansion will support technology developing and commercializing technology that reduce agriculture’s carbon, energy and water impact, said Mary Wenzel,…

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Knitting together disciplines (and pinning good knitting patterns)

NEW YORK TIMES: Iowan Ben Silbermann’s Pinterest may be a unicorn, but investors are frustrated over the platform’s cautious trajectory. The native Des Moines-ian is known for his low profile and “measures twice, cuts once” sensibilities, as the profile reports. Pinterest doesn’t intend to be an argument for the slow-growth mindset, but it…

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InsureTech Week presentations open to the public

Registration is open for the public interested in hearing from 16 insurance startups at this year’s InsureTech Week, hosted by the Global Insurance Accelerator. From 2:30-5:30 p.m., international insuretech startups will do a Q&A-style interview presentation with representatives from the GIA at the Science Center of Iowa; breaks are scheduled…

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GIA announces featured companies for 2018 InsureTech Week

The Global Insurance Accelerator released the names of 16 featured companies worldwide presenting at the 2018 InsureTech Week, scheduled for Oct. 22-26. Each company will present to the public on Wednesday, Oct. 24, and will be available to schedule 1:1 sessions with visitors throughout the week. This year’s international participants…

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Driverless tractor technology debuts at Farm Progress Show

A John Deere tractor fitted with Smart Ag’s AutoCart driverless technology trucks through a demonstration field during the 2018 Farm Progress Show. Photo by Kate Hayden Driverless cars may take over most of the national headlines these days, but an Iowa software company is betting that autonomous vehicles can make…

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Ramco Innovations launches Maple Ventures

Artist’s rendering of the Maple Ventures renovation design, expected to open on Oct. 1. Illustration provided by Ramco Innovations. At Ramco Innovations on Maple Street, the warehouse was not an immediate contender to house up-and-coming startups. In fact, renting space and offering administrative assistance from the 50-year-old Ramco business wasn’t even a…

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Iowa City’s MERGE named finalist for national Awards of Excellence

The MERGE Innovation Space in downtown Iowa City is a finalist for the national University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2018 Awards of Excellence, reports the Corridor Business Journal. The co-working space is one of four contenders in the Talent + Innovation category, and will be recognized along with the University…

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In West Des Moines, Igor explores the future smart building

At Igor in West Des Moines, creating smart buildings of the future started with controlling the light. Dwight Stewart, founder and CTO, built a fledgling relationship with Cisco Systems back in 2012 during the sale of an earlier platform Stewart and a fellow Iowa State University graduate had created. Cisco…

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