The Social Media Club of Des Moines has announced award winners in 20 categories from the virtual 2020 Hashie Awards, including the new Best Local Response Campaign to highlight successful campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic. All entry fees for this category, equaling $460, were donated to the Food Bank of Iowa, providing 1,840 meals. The […]

Johnston city leaders approved plans by telecommunication company MetroNet to begin construction on a network for high-speed fiber optic internet, TV and phone service through the city, Johnston announced this week. MetroNet, based in Indiana, provides fiber-optic connections to homes and businesses with speeds ranging from 100 megabits to 1 gigabit per second. Construction will […]

Registration is open now for the 2020 InsurTech Week, hosted virtually this year by the Global Insurance Accelerator on Oct. 12-16. Founders from 28 previous GIA cohort companies and 20 selected growth-stage companies will be highlighted during the week through the Hopin virtual event app, which will host live presentations, breakout room demos, virtual booths […]

A program to help small businesses keep their utilities on is being expanded to help more businesses avoid having their gas or electric service disconnected. The Iowa Economic Development Authority announced Friday that eligibility requirements for the Iowa Small Business Utility Disruption Prevention Program has been expanded to include utility assistance for eligible small businesses […]

ProCircular was named the Corridor’s Fastest Growing Company of 2020 by the Corridor Business Journal, ProCircular announced this week. The Coralville-based cybersecurity firm opened a second office in downtown Des Moines this year serving national customers. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, ProCircular began offering free vulnerability checks to critical infrastructure around the Midwest, […]

Roboflow staff on the startup’s house porch. From left, back row: machine learning engineer Jacob Solawetz and co-founder/CTO Brad Dwyer. Middle: software development intern Jim Su, co-founder/CEO Joseph Nelson and sales development representative Amelia Tuel. Front: chief barketing officer Kelo and UX designer Amanda Morrow.  Photo provided  On Aug. 25, Joseph Nelson had one minute […]

A screenshot shows the food recovery platform’s Daily Route Planner, which food insecurity nonprofits will use to manage drivers and routes of food pickup and deliveries. This platform is in development, and the final portal design is subject to change. Screenshots provided by Polk County IT Department Can food insecurity be addressed through a software […]

Nicole Gunderson, managing director of the Des Moines-based Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA), has been named to the Board of Advisors for governance, risk and compliance firm ViClarity, part of PolicyWorks LLC. ViClarity was acquired by PolicyWorks in 2020 and has office locations in Des Moines, Boston and Ireland. Prior to joining the GIA in 2019, […]

Des Moines-based  “smart buildings” startup Igor won the IoT World COVID-19 Innovation Award for Igor’s Nexos Intelligent Disinfection system, the company announced on Monday. The award recognizes companies that demonstrate innovation to adapt to COVID-19. Nexos Intelligent Disinfection leverages UV-C disinfecting lighting with smart building controls to disinfect spaces safely, Igor reports. The solution kit […]

The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has confirmed it was a customer of a financial services contractor targeted in a massive international ransomware attack earlier this year, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. The council is one of three confirmed Iowa customers of Blackbaud, a cloud-based provider of fundraising and finance services for education and nonprofit entities; […]