Agtech startup Rantizo raised $7.5 million in series A funding, led by Leaps by Bayer and investors Fall Line Capital, Innova Memphis, Lewis & Clark Ventures, KZValve and Sukup Manufacturing, the startup announced on Wednesday. Additional participants include ISA Ventures, AgVentures Alliance and other angel investors, bringing Rantizo’s total funding raised to date to nearly […]

The Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio) is accepting applications through Nov. 6 from startups interested in competing at the annual Iowa Biotech Showcase & Conference, formerly known as Partnering for Growth. The winner of the Biotech Showcase will receive $10,000 and a one-year membership to IowaBio. Eight companies in industries including food/agriculture, human and animal health, […]

Johnston-based Growers Edge Financial Inc. announced this week the close of a $40 million Series B round of financing for the development of financial technology products in the agricultural industry. Led by Seed 2 Growth Ventures, Cox Enterprises and Skyline Global Partners, the round will allow Growers Edge to help more growers “de-risk” agtech adoption, […]

Nebullam Inc., an indoor farming company located in the Iowa State University Research Park, launched a new farm food delivery service to connect Central Iowa residents with locally grown produce. Founded in 2017, Nebullam primarily served local grocers and restaurants through Central Iowa, but lost more than 70% of its customer base once COVID-19 prompted […]

Agtech startup Rantizo, primarily known as a drone spraying service for row crop farmers, is launching stadium and sports arena drone spraying services to help large-scale event vendors with sanitization efforts, the Iowa City company announced this week. Sports organizations or open areas needing to be sanitized will be charged an initial setup fee, as […]

The Ag Startup Engine has invested an initial $50,000 in Ames startup Haber Technologies Inc., which is commercializing a grain bin drying technology called DRI-Stack to reduce damage and spoilage once corn is harvested. The system will allow farmers to harvest earlier, reduce utility costs, increase safety and make drying a faster process, ASE said […]

Animal health care company Zoetis has acquired Ames-based Performance Livestock Analytics, a cloud platform designed to help beef producers track cattle data and analytics. “The team at Performance Livestock Analytics has successfully applied Silicon Valley technology learnings to the needs of livestock producers, and we are thrilled to have them join us at Zoetis to continue […]

Jim Towey, president of Onset, will join the board of directors of the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator, the organization announced this week. Towey most recently served as a mentor for the accelerator, helping past participants develop their business ideas and build their storytelling skills to gain support for innovations. Based in Cape Cod, Mass., Onset is […]

FarmlandFinder, an Ames startup supporting farmland sales for buyers and sellers, raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by Cultivian Sandbox, with participation from Iowa Farm Bureau’s Rural Vitality Fund and Next Level Ventures. FarmlandFinder will use the funding to expand staff, founder and CEO Steven Brockshus said in a statement.

Haber Technologies Inc. is launching a new grain drying and aeration system called the DRI-Stack, a new way to bin dry and aerate corn with high heat, during the 2019 Farm News Ag Show in Fort Dodge today. DRI-Stack’s announcement comes as Iowa farmers face a shortage of liquid propane necessary to dry crops harvested […]