Three Central Iowa startups achieved top five placements at the annual Surge Summit, the closing workshop for University of Iowa’s Venture School. Mo’ Goodness, a Des Moines-based specialty food line, received $3,000 and first place in the day’s final pitch competition, out of 12 teams statewide that completed the eight-week…
Cedar Rapids Gazette: A Coralville company that filed for bankruptcy protection amid a dispute with its lender has let go 40 employees. Zero Energy Systems laid off its entire production staff effective today. More layoffs are expected as the company winds down operations, the company announced on Monday. Zero Energy,…
As you drive along Iowa’s highways in farming communities, the corrugated-metal exteriors of grain bins gleam in the sun or stand as agricultural sentinels amid storms and the state’s weather fluctuations. Many bear the name “Sukup,” a three-generation Iowa company that has grown into an international leader in grain bins,…
For Robert Riley, innovation is looking at Iowa’s lush summertime landscape as a photosynthesis machine feeding the world. It’s about creating food additives from corn oils and other materials at his flagship company, Feed Energy, while working day and night to improve the environment that corn is grown in. Riley…
A new venture capital firm co-led by former CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt will seek to invest in health care technology and service companies that deliver innovative care to urban, low-income populations, Modern Healthcare reported. The VC firm, Town Hall Ventures, will focus on building companies that provide higher-quality and lower-cost care…
Tickets are still available for EntreFEST 2018, scheduled for May 17-18 in downtown Cedar Rapids. Presented by the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, EntreFEST organizers bill it as one of the largest celebrations of the Midwest’s entrepreneurial community; panels advertised by EntreFEST focus on female…
When I meet with founders and startup supporters across Des Moines, everyone has a similar vision for their company: scale, then scale and scale. On a popcorn-fueled blog-binge Friday night, my favorite non-tech blog A Beautiful Mess introduced me to the business concept of reverse scaling. Although I don’t subscribe…
Organizers at the Iowa Technology Summit are seeking pitches from potential speakers who can lead keynotes in cyber security, leadership, cloud technology, and technology innovation. Hosted by the Technology Association of Iowa, the Iowa Technology Summit is scheduled for Oct. 1 and 2 and convenes representatives from startup founders to…
Hy-Vee Inc. and its subsidiary Midwest Heritage now offers employee benefits to more than 58,000 eligible part-time employees, Hy-Vee announced in a statement this morning. Any part-time employee who is 19 or older is considered eligible for the program and can choose between 11 elective benefit options, including health, dental,…
Cedar Rapids-based Rockwell Collins demonstrated fail-safe data links to the U.S. government recently during two weeks of critical testing for the NASA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management Program, the Corridor Business Journal reported. During the test program, Rockwell Collins served as the UAS Service Supplier for the safe management of…