Startups

  • This AgTech startup invented a robot to eliminate one deadly hazard from farming

    This AgTech startup invented a robot to eliminate one deadly hazard from farming

    Grain Weevil was recently named the 2022 NBDC Innovation Business of the Year in recognition of their efforts to eliminate grain bin deaths through the invention of an autonomous robot. The Grain Weevil robot is currently undergoing trials in grain bins in four states as part of its safety certification.

  • RNAissance Ag names agri-tech leader Steve Meyer new CEO

    RNAissance Ag names agri-tech leader Steve Meyer new CEO

    TechAccel LLC, a Kansas City-based technology and venture development company investing in scientific breakthroughs for healthier agriculture, today announced that Steven Meyer has joined subsidiary RNAissance Ag LLC as chief executive officer.   Meyer most recently was chief operating officer at Lucy Scientific Discovery Inc., British  Columbia, a cGMP manufacturer of psychotropic compounds for therapeutic uses. Prior…

  • Homegrown medtech company Centese develops game-changing device for surgery patients

    Homegrown medtech company Centese develops game-changing device for surgery patients

    A new Omaha-based medtech company has developed a self-cleaning chest tube system that provides more precise measurements for monitoring patients recovering from surgery on their heart or lungs.  Startup Centese developed the device, called Thoraguard. Through a novel self-irrigating mechanism, Thoraguard eliminates one of the main hazards of analog chest tubes: the need for medical…

  • A look at Nebraska’s investment landscape

    A look at Nebraska’s investment landscape

    Talk to tech entrepreneurs in Nebraska, and they’re likely to laud the region’s innovative spirit. Next-level startups like Flywheel, Buildertrend, Lunavi, Hudl and more have grown an international presence and put the Cornhusker state on the map.  Even a cornerstone enterprise like Lincoln-based Nelnet has implemented its own innovation division. Conferences like the IO Summit,…

  • Leash Pet Transportation puts pets on the go

    Leash Pet Transportation puts pets on the go

    Omaha startup Leash Pet Transportation was founded on the idea that, much like people, pets have places to be.  Whether it’s a session with a groomer, a day at doggy day care, or a trip to the veterinarian or a boarding facility, pet ownership can mean more errands, making humans feel like bona fide pet…

  • Kansas City’s Swappa provides peer-to-peer marketplace for gently used tech

    Kansas City’s Swappa provides peer-to-peer marketplace for gently used tech

    For years, tech-savvy consumers have bemoaned the planned obsolescence that companies like Apple have encoded into their products like slow-motion time bombs.  If consumers have to pay so much for a device that they use everyday, the thinking goes, shouldn’t they be able to fix a cracked screen or replace a dead battery, for instance,…

  • 8 Qs for a Silicon Prairie Founder: Natalie Micale, Oh Hello

    8 Qs for a Silicon Prairie Founder: Natalie Micale, Oh Hello

    Houston native Natalie Micale, CEO and co-founder of Lincoln-based marketing agency Oh Hello, attended the same performing arts high school as Beyoncé. We’re not sure whether that had anything to do with her drive to be successful, or her desire to inspire women to take the plunge and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, but it probably…

  • 8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Nicka Johnson, Budget to Success

    8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Nicka Johnson, Budget to Success

    Nicka Johnson is an Omaha-based social entrepreneur working to instill financial literacy through her business, Budget to Success. In this role, the North Omaha native considers herself part financial advisor, part teacher, part therapist—the latter being crucial to helping people of all ages overcome their money triggers. Her tireless activism and experience as a Black…

  • Breeze just raised $10 million. Here’s what they have in store.

    Breeze just raised $10 million. Here’s what they have in store.

    This is a guest post from Colin Nabity, CEO of insurtech startup Breeze. The original can be found here. The TL;DR on our recent financing round. Last month, we announced our $10 million Series A led by Link Ventures with participation from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, M25, Fiat Ventures, and Invest Nebraska. You can read…

  • Aspiring entrepreneurs, take note: Lincoln’s JumpStart Challenge 2021 kicks off next week

    Aspiring entrepreneurs, take note: Lincoln’s JumpStart Challenge 2021 kicks off next week

    Starting next week, aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators are invited to participate in the 2021 JumpStart Challenge, an entrepreneurship competition sponsored by the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, the University of Nebraska Athletics Department and ALLO Communications, an internet service provider headquartered in Lincoln. Open to teams and solo entrepreneurs alike, the JumpStart Challenge connects corporations…