Correction: This story was updated at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10 to correct the number of venture capital funds that qualify for the Iowa Economic Development Authority Innovation Tax Credit. A new tax credit law that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed on June 6 creates a $110 million cap…
After a two-year hiatus, the Iowa Startup Accelerator will return this fall with a renewed focus on helping Iowa-based startups with their branding, marketing and sales strategies. Applications for the seven-week program — set to begin in September — are open now through Aug. 15. The Iowa Startup Accelerator is…
Roughly 350 people are expected to attend EntreFest, an annual innovation and entrepreneurship conference in Cedar Rapids in June, organizers said. Produced by NewBoCo, a Cedar Rapids nonprofit offering programming that supports entrepreneurship, innovation and tech education, EntreFest aims to bring people together and expose them to cutting-edge information, organizers said. The…
The Iowa Economic Development Authority board on May 15 approved assistance for four startups in Ankeny, Eldora, Indianola and Iowa City. Ankeny-based Koos Medical Innovations, LLC patented a disposable isolation gown that ensures a custom fit for every patient to reduce the risk of health care-associated infections. The design intends…
Upvote, an AI-native software company, has announced partnerships with Iowa’s House of Representatives and Governor’s office to use AI-powered tools to streamline the legislative process. Iowa House caucuses and the office of Gov. Kim Reynolds implemented Upvote’s Legible platform to develop, evaluate and publish legislation, starting with the 2025 legislative…
Iowa founders should ‘dream bigger’ Kaylee Williams, investment director at InnoVenture Iowa, Iowa’s first publicly backed venture capital fund, recently shared this advice for startup founders: “I would just say, dream bigger,” said Williams during a panel event at Maple Studios on April 2. “Seriously, my biggest critique of Iowa…
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…
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…
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 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…