Startups

  • Fat Brain Toys co-founder Mark Carson is probably Santa Claus

    Fat Brain Toys co-founder Mark Carson is probably Santa Claus

    Nothing brings out the kid in us all more than the holiday season. The lights, the presents, seeing family, all of it has a way of evoking some nostalgia in us. For Fat Brain Toys co-founder Mark Carson, it was his inner child and nostalgia that lead him to creating the Omaha based toy company. “I’m…

  • Bitcoin Mini helps keep Bitcoin decentralized

    Bitcoin Mini helps keep Bitcoin decentralized

    2016 is going to be a big year for Bitcoin, according to Ansel Linder, founder of BlockchainIO in Omaha. Even Forbes is fueling the Bitcoin fire with a recent article, “Should you invest in Bitcoin? 10 Arguments In Favor As Of December 2015.” “The smart money is going to get into Bitcoin first, and that includes business…

  • TaxiTapp brings transparency to the taxi industry

    TaxiTapp brings transparency to the taxi industry

    TaxiTapp allows users to book, track and pay for taxis—all from a smartphone. This Champaign, Illinois-based startup recently graduated from the Iowa Startup Accelerator and is geared up to launch in January. SPN caught up with CEO and co-founder David Lomiashvili over the phone. SPN: How did you guys get started? DL: At the end…

  • BuilderTREND’s founders look back on 10 years of insane growth

    BuilderTREND’s founders look back on 10 years of insane growth

    Founded in 2006, BuilderTREND has become one of Omaha’s premiere high-growth, bootstrapping SaaS companies. Today the BuilderTREND platform serves over 5,200 customers in over 40 countries around the world. 240,000 users, from homeowners to subcontractors, use BuilderTREND. In 2015 alone, $40 billion worth of residential construction projects flowed through their system. It’s clear when you sit down with…

  • Funeral Innovations brings digital marketing to death care

    Funeral Innovations brings digital marketing to death care

    Two young software engineers from IBM Greg Young and Zach Garbow, wanted to extend their talents beyond corporate America. They didn’t anticipate finding their way into America’s death care industry. An opportunity presented itself when a high school friend of Young’s returned home from mortuary college. “[My friend] came back and realized that [the business] ran…

  • Prairie Cloudware’s Daniel Carnes on the future of cybersecurity

    Prairie Cloudware’s Daniel Carnes on the future of cybersecurity

    Daniel Carnes is the CSO at Prairie Cloudware. He has over 25 years of experience in systems and security engineering, and has worked on notable projects such as DPG, Apple Pay and Google Wallet. He holds degrees from the University of Nebraska Omaha and Bellevue University. SPN caught up with Carnes at the Nebraska Security Summit last…

  • Pushup Social brings social power back to the brands

    Pushup Social brings social power back to the brands

    Pushup Social is at the forefront of a social media revolution—social communities that companies can actually own. “When we first started back in 2013, people were like,”Why wouldn’t I just use Facebook?” said Dan Lohman, co-founder CEO of Pushup Social. Now things are different. Brands on social media are increasingly feeling the squeeze from social networking platforms.…

  • Spletter lets you send a physical letter from your smartphone

    Spletter lets you send a physical letter from your smartphone

      Spletter, an Omaha-based startup, allows users to compose and send physical letters and photos using their smartphone. The app uses cloud and mobile technology to provide users with the ability to compose a letter, drag and drop high-resolution photos and select recipients, within minutes. A process that used to take hours is now cut down…

  • Staffjoy makes employees and managers happy with automated scheduling

    Staffjoy makes employees and managers happy with automated scheduling

    Two math geeks out of St. Louis bring a Midwest mindset to the Valley. Work scheduling is tricky. Throw in variables like shift preferences and business demands, and millions of results are possible, very few of which might be optimal, for employees, for the employer, and fewer still that are good for both. But for Philip…

  • LifeLoop helps assisted living patients communicate with their families [Video]

    LifeLoop helps assisted living patients communicate with their families [Video]

    LifeLoop creates connections for retirement community residents, which previously may have been difficult or impossible. Amy Johnson, the founder of LifeLoop, an Omaha based startup, began with a mission to help families communicate better with relatives in retirement communities. The idea took on a life of its own after seeing how much more they could help.…