Payment fintech Dwolla secured a $21 million venture round led by Foundry Group, Dwolla announced Wednesday. Additional investors include Park West Asset Management LLC, Union Square Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, Firebrand Ventures and Next Level Ventures. Traeger CEO Jeremy Andrus joined as an individual investor. Global digital payment transactions in 2020 were valued at $5.4 […]
Applications for the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Venture Competition are now open. The statewide competition will award $100,000 in cash prizes, including a first place award of $40,000. Iowa businesses that have been in operation for four years or less, or are not yet cash flow positive are eligible to apply. Participants will be judged on […]
Nationwide is expanding its venture capital investment fund to $350 million directed toward high-growth potential insurtech and fintech startups, the company announced last week. The funding will be directed into high-growth potential insurance and financial service startups that advance Nationwide’s strategy in digital infrastructure, home solutions, retirement products, small and medium-sized businesses, telematics and fleet […]
Des Moines-based BrokerTech Ventures and founding company Holmes Murphy closed a co-leading funding effort to raise $4 million in capital for Highwing, a Denver-based insurtech company focused on changing data processing and management for brokers and carriers. Commercial insurance is expected to reach $900 billion by 2021. Highwing intends to use the $4 million in […]
BrownWinick Law Firm, LWBJ and the Greater Des Moines Partnership are hosting a free virtual event called the Current State, featuring three panels of experienced investors and entrepreneurs to focus on navigating seed and venture capital during a pandemic. The event will be held Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. Panelists include Mike Colwell, Tej Dhawan, […]
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, […]
Des Moines-based venture capital firm Next Level Ventures announced Dave Tucker has joined as a senior adviser to the firm. Tucker served as the senior vice president of technology at Workiva and previously sat as board chair for the Technology Association of Iowa’s board of directors in 2017. Tucker intends to continue consulting for Workiva […]
Applications for the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Venture Competition are now being accepted as the organization prepares to award $100,000 in cash prizes during its 15th year, the organization announced Wednesday. The seed funding consists of a $50,000 contribution from John and Mary Pappajohn, and a $50,000 match from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Applications are […]
After securing $1.5 million in seed-round funding, a startup dedicated to employee retention is now seeking a few more employees to retain. WorkHound, the Des Moines-based startup that gives “undesked” employees a mobile platform to send anonymous feedback to management, seeks to grow from 12 full-time workers in Des Moines and Chattanooga, Tenn., to a […]
In his 50th year as a venture capitalist, Pappajohn is still ahead of the pack John Pappajohn has invested in innovation from the very beginning of his career as a venture capitalist, and he prides himself on keeping himself — and his investment network — on the leading edge of technology. Some of his earliest […]