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Gravitate Coworking on the move, continues to shape Des Moines
Geoff Wood has been a long-time champion of the Iowa entrepreneurial ecosystem. Wood started Welch Avenue, LLC back in 2013 with a vision of helping the Iowa entrepreneurial ecosystem grow and flourish. His company had a humble beginning with a newsletter that focused on entrepreneurship and innovation in Greater Iowa. Wood built on the growth…
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Applications Open for Iowa AgriTech Accelerator’s 2019 Cohort
Following a successful 2018 program, the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator recently announced that applications for its third cohort are now open. The 2019 program is scheduled to begin May 28 and conclude on August 29. Agtech startups worldwide are encouraged to apply, and up to five will be chosen for this year’s cohort. Similar to years…
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Oil and Gas data company Oseberg lands $3 million deal
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Oseberg, leading innovator in the oil and gas industry has raised $3 million in Series B financing from undisclosed investors. Oseberg is a developer of a SaaS-based data analytics tool. Oseberg helps oil producers and drillers with activity tracking and visualization to give its customers an edge in the industry.…
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Proxibid kicks off 2019 with acquisition of Wavebid
Silicon Prairie News has covered Proxibid growth and success quite often over the years, so it is never a surprise to us when we hear great news about this company – and we’re happy to share it. Proxibid is again hitting the headlines with new year’s news of its acquisition of Wavebid, developer of the…
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SonarMD lands $10 million series A deal
ELGIN, IL – SonarMD raised $10 million in Series A venture financing on December 17, 2018 from BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners and Arboretum Ventures. The company will use the funds to help accelerate growth and expansion of its team and offerings into other specialty areas beyond inflammatory bowel disease in GI practices. SonarMD is a…
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Dedicated to Innovating: Mutual of Omaha’s Innovation Day Provides Time to Explore Ideas
How do you encourage the IT staff of a 109-year-old insurance company to have the innovative mindset of a startup? Give them a little time and space and get out of the way! Twice annually, Mutual of Omaha’s entire Information Services operation (approximately 1,000 associates) gathers for Innovation Day – a day devoted to exploring,…
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FactoryFix raises $1.5 million
FactoryFix, headquartered in Madison, WI has raised $1.5 million through convertible debt and a series of seed rounds. The December 1, 2018 deal was led by Capital Midwest Fund with other undisclosed investors participating. FactoryFix plans to use the funds to expand its team. The company, founded in 2015, provides a data-driven platform designed to…
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8Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Beth Trejo
Beth Trejo , founder and CEO of Chatterkick, took a risk when she started her social media marketing agency in 2012. Beth’s decision proved to be a great bet for the Silicon Prairie entrepreneurial ecosystem at large, and for women in tech specifically. Trejo grew her company with a predominantly female staff, and she has…
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Summersalt closes $6.1 million deal and continues to scale
“Relatable, wearable, and sexy on our own terms.” When St. Louis-based startup founders Lori Coulter and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin met over lunch in June 2016, they did not immediately envision or even discuss the possibility of starting a company together. Nonetheless, the co-founders launched their eco-friendly designer swimwear brand Summersalt on May 23, 2017, and…
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Trala raises $1.29 million in seed funding
Chicago based Trala, founded in 2016, raised $1.26 million in seed funding from Origin Ventures, Techstars, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, Luis Von Ahn (CEO at language-learning app Duolingo), Bob Meese (VP of Business at Duolingo) and Severin Hacker (CTO at Duolingo), on December 12. The company offers a music education application designed to teach users…