Applications are open to broker-focused startups for the Des Moines-based BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator’s 2021 program, the accelerator announced Oct. 29. The accelerator offers more than $500,000 in seed funding, up to $50,000 each to accepted startups. Submission deadlines for BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator is Nov. 30; selected startups will be notified in early February 2020. The […]

BrokerTech Ventures announced four new regional and national insurance firms as partners to support the broker-focused platform and accelerator program, and a new sponsored partnership with Leader’s Edge Magazine this week. The Cincinnati Insurance Cos., RT Specialty, Amerisure Mutual Insurance Co. and AmWINS Group Inc. will be featured during the InsureTech Connect, Agency Connect: Virtual […]

The broker-led investor and acceleration program BrokerTech Ventures named former interim director Susan Hatten as chief operating officer, the group announced this week. Hatten joins Executive Director John Jackovin as the accelerator’s inaugural cohort began the five-week program last week. BrokerTech Ventures also announced the addition of five new investor partners: Heffernan Insurance Brokers, the Horton Group, […]

MākuSafe, the West Des Moines-based wearable technology startup designing for industrial employee safety, will launch its wearable armband device and MākuSmart SaaS platform later this month, the company announced on Tuesday. The company will produce a limited number of hardware devices for 2020, of which approximately a third have been reserved by industrial users and workers’ […]

Two startup accelerators announced inaugural teams for their 2020 cohorts this week.  BrokerTech Ventures of Des Moines and Iowa EdTech Accelerator of Iowa City will both welcome startup founders on March 2 as founders begin the five-week program for BrokerTech and 14-week program for Iowa EdTech.  Twelve BrokerTech Ventures startups will operate in Gravitate Coworking […]

BrokerTech Ventures, a new broker-led insurance accelerator launched by Holmes Murphy in Des Moines, announced the hiring of John Jackovin as its new executive director this week. Jackovin most recently managed the Growth and Internal Services Product teams at fintech startup Dwolla in Des Moines. Jackovin previously led the Des Moines startup Bawte, which completed […]

Applications are open to broker-and-agent-centric, early-stage startups for the 2020 BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator cohort. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 29, and accepted startups will be notified in early February. The cohort will begin the five-week program in March. Each startup may receive up to $50,000 in seed funding, the accelerator said in a news […]

Kerty Levy (standing), newly named managing director of Techstars Iowa, at Tuesday’s launch announcement with Jainen Thayer, chief investment officer for Grinnell College, and Claudia Reuter, managing director of the Stanley + Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator. Photo provided Tuesday was a good day for Mike Colwell in Des Moines. It capped off quite the season […]