Iowa JPEC: The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) concluded its statewide spring Venture School program the week of Nov. 11 by awarding $11,300 in prize money during final pitches. Placing first at the centers were Musa’s Lemonade (Ahmed Musa) from Des Moines, Ampersand Legal PLLC (Mackensie Graham) from Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, […]
InnoVenture Iowa has announced the three finalists for the InnoVenture Challenge who will pitch at the live event on Dec. 5 in Des Moines. The finalists are Immuno Nano Med, founded by Balaji Narasimhan, Repaint Studios, founded by Billie Asmus, and NarrateAR, founded by Karri Haen Whitmer and Christopher Whitmer. Registration for the event is available online.
Corteva Inc. has announced a collaboration with oil and gas company bp on the companies’ intent to form a new joint venture to meet anticipated growth in demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). According to a news release, a SAF mandate begins in the European Union in 2025, requiring fuel at EU airports to contain […]
Roboflow, a computer vision startup founded in Des Moines, has raised $40 million in venture capital funding, the company announced Tuesday in a blog post. The Series B round was led by GV (formerly Google Ventures) along with existing investors Craft Ventures and Y Combinator. New investors for the startup in this round are Valor, Frontline, […]
Small business incubator receives CAT grant to renovate, expand The Iowa Economic Development Authority board approved Friday innovation funding for five Iowa startups and a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant, according to a news release. Ames-based robotics company Invasive Removal is developing tools to combat invasive species in forests and prairies. The company was […]
BrokerTech Ventures has announced a strategic partnership with Instech.IE, an Ireland-based insurance innovation organization. According to a news release, the collaboration will provide Irish insurtech companies aiming to enter the U.S. market with access to BTV’s network of industry experts in the U.S., and U.S.-based companies seeking European expansion will benefit from Instech.IE’s connections and expertise […]
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has opened registration for the fifth annual Athene Black and Brown Business Summit and announced Christine Hà as the keynote speaker. Christine Hà is a Vietnamese American chef, writer and TV host. Hà lost her vision due to an autoimmune condition called neuromyelitis optica. She competed and won […]
The Iowa Biotechnology Association has announced that the Ag Startup Engine will offer a $25,000 investment to one company that pitches during IowaBio’s 2025 Iowa Biotech Showcase and Conference (IBSC) Showcase Competition. A panel of judges will select a winner of the showcase to receive $10,000, and Ag Startup Engine will choose the recipient of […]
Over 120 participants from Iowa and neighboring states attended the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Iowa Angel Investor Summit at Landus’ downtown location on Tuesday. Now in its third year, the one-day summit was an opportunity for active and aspiring angel investors to come together to help accelerate entrepreneurship in Iowa. Tej Dhawan, managing director and […]
The Greater Des Moines Partnership will hold a one-day Raising Capital for Startups seminar on Dec. 3 in Des Moines. Among the topics covered will be the process of raising capital, the financial model and capitalization tables. “When it comes to securing funds, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution — it’s a process with multiple pathways,” Diana […]