John Deere announced Monday new autonomous machines and technology at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The new lineup of machines aims to serve customers in agriculture, construction and commercial landscaping with a combination of advanced computer vision, AI, and cameras, according to a news release. John Deere’s new technology will be available on […]
IEDA approved more than $6.4 million in loans to startups in 2024 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 […]
The North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Pappajohn Center is now accepting applications for the spring 2025 cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School program. The eight-week program uses the National Science Foundation I-Corps curriculum and participants are assigned a local entrepreneur as their coach during the program. Participating teams will be eligible to […]
xBk Live, a Des Moines music venue, has announced the launch of a 12-month Creative Entrepreneurship Program to help local performing artists, musicians and songwriters start new businesses. The program will launch in February 2025 and host a monthly class on business topics. The program will also offer mentorship and networking opportunities tailored toward the creative industry. […]
Terraform Tillage and My Nurse Healthcare were named the winners of the REV pitch competition held by Advance Southwest Iowa and TS Bank in November. Ag-tech startup Terraform Tillage won $15,000 and My Nurse Healthcare received $4,000. Terraform Tillage has developed the SmartProbe System, a patented technology that supports soil compaction mapping. The technology allows ag producers to […]
More than 30 small-business owners from across the state recently graduated from the Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program, its 12th cohort in Iowa. The 12-week program provides small-business owners one-on-one support from a business adviser who helps them develop a customized plan for growth, a news release said. The new graduates are part of […]
The Greater Des Moines Partnership has announced the graduates of the third cohort of the Scale DSM Business Accelerator. Participants completed a seven-month program from Interise focused on helping them gain management skills and networks to increase revenue and create jobs. Graduates from the cohort are:
Iowa’s innovation ecosystem had another busy year that made for plenty of news to report and stories to tell across the state. Some highlights from the year include the announcement of a new $6 million early-stage VC fund, Iowa City-based Merge Coworking renovating and expanding services and the launch of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute. Also, we covered memories of […]
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the pitch competition at the 2025 Athene Black and Brown Business Summit now through Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. On April 16, seven top applicants and one randomly selected participant will pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges. All participants receive a monetary prize, […]
The Technology Association of Iowa is seeking speakers for its annual Iowa Technology Summit set for April 8, 2025. The five content tracks for the 2025 conference are cybersecurity, data, innovation, leadership and transformation. Speakers can submit ideas for long-form sessions like deep dives or workshops or short-form sessions, which could include mini keynotes, lightning […]