The Iowa Go-To-Market (G2M) program, a collaboration between the ISU Pappajohn Center, BioConnect Iowa, and VentureNet Iowa, has announced three startups that will participate in the G2M accelerator. The program aims to help Iowa startups accelerate their commercialization efforts and secure equity investment or generate initial revenue. The participating startups include Upvote, a platform providing […]
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 […]
New pitch competition to award funding to 3 agtech startups The World Food Prize Foundation, in collaboration with America’s Cultivation Corridor, is launching the Innovate for Impact Challenge, a pitch competition for early-stage agricultural technology startups. The foundation announced the initiative Wednesday during the 2024 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The challenge aims to support […]
The fund stems from recent efforts to clarify startup funding needs, says managing partner Two local investors are launching a new statewide venture capital fund designed to bolster Iowa’s early-stage startup funding continuum. Managing Partner Tej Dhawan and General Partner JD Geneser told the Business Record they plan to raise $6 million from Iowa investors […]
InnoVenture Iowa, Iowa’s first publicly backed venture capital fund, announced it has invested just over $6 million in 22 companies since launching in 2022. It has made six new investments since December 2023, bringing its total portfolio companies to 21. The new portfolio companies are: To read Investment Director Kaylee Williams’ summer update on InnoVenture’s recent Heartland […]
InnoVenture Iowa, Iowa’s first publicly backed venture capital fund, announced it has invested just over $6 million in 22 companies since launching in 2022. It has made six new investments since December 2023, bringing its total portfolio companies to 21. The new portfolio companies are: To read Investment Director Kaylee Williams’ summer update on InnoVenture’s recent Heartland […]
Fund will support software startups in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota The Idea Fund of La Crosse, a venture capital firm based in La Crosse, Wis., has raised $31.5 million for a second venture capital fund targeting pre- and early-stage revenue startups in the three-state region of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. According to Pitchbook, a resource for data, […]
Novy, which became Iowa’s first venture studio when it launched in Cedar Rapids in November, announced Tuesday that it is “open for business” with the hiring of two new team members and launch of a push for startup idea applications. Process Leader Sarah Wallace and Vice President of Marketing Jess Greiner have joined Novy’s three founding partners […]
Several events this spring will focus on helping startups learn what they need to raise capital for their business. The Greater Des Moines Partnership is holding the one-day Raising Capital for Startups event on April 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is designed to help startup founders learn about what options they have when looking […]
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 (POCR), Demonstration Fund and the Innovation Acceleration Fund, which offers Launch, Propel and […]