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 […]

Artificial intelligence is seen as a copilot and tool to help employees be more efficient, a panel of chief information officers said at the Technology Association of Iowa’s AI Public Policy Forum on Jan. 24. All three panelists — Kathy Kay of Principal Financial Group, Ryan Schaap of Wells Enterprise and Laura Smith of UnityPoint […]

The Department of Management Division of Information Technology, formerly the Office of the Chief Information Officer, is requesting public comment on the state of Iowa Digital Equity Plan. The plan details Iowa’s proposed implementation of digital equity funding made possible through the Digital Equity Act of 2021, which is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and […]

The Business Record recently hosted its 2024 Legislative Forecast event where business leaders discussed their group’s priorities for the 2024 session, which began Jan. 8. Mollie Ross, Technology Association of Iowa’s vice president of operations, was among the panelists. Here is some of what she shared about how TAI will navigate conversations around cybersecurity and […]

Empower Rural Iowa, an initiative under the Iowa Economic Development Authority created to advance growth and investment in rural Iowa, has adopted a new strategic focus centered on finding innovative ideas with potential to scale statewide. A new executive order signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in October updated Empower Rural Iowa’s mission to be a group that “functions […]

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 […]

The Technology Association of Iowa has announced its 2024 state and federal legislative priorities. Several of the industry association’s state-level priorities remained the same from 2023, including connectivity, cybersecurity, data privacy and business growth. Additions for 2024 are artificial intelligence and workforce. TAI’s 2024 federal policy agenda has the same three priorities as 2023: Develop, attract and […]

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury has created a new rule called the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, many companies will be required to report information to the U.S. government about who ultimately owns and controls them. Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act in […]