Iowa Department of Economic Development

  • Breaking down the Iowa angel tax credit

    During the 2011 legislative session, the Iowa General Assembly approved an annual $2 million allocation of state tax credits for investments in qualifying businesses, often referred to as angel tax credits. On March 15, 2012, the Iowa Department of Economic Development released the application form for the credits. However, for investments made in 2011, the…

  • Serving up SXSW: A photo recap of the Silicon Prairie Cereal Bar

    Amid the rain and eventual shine at South By Southwest last week in Austin, Texas, Silicon Prairie News hosted a different kind of open bar. We tried something new this year to extend the networking, take a breather from the conference craze and provide our party attendees a unique experience with an edible spoon. We…

  • T8 Webware receives incentives from state, plans for Des Moines expansion

    T8 Webware, a financial web strategy firm and creator of the Grip banking app, will receive $120,000 in incentives from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IDED), the state agency announced Friday. T8 will use the funds to expand into the Des Moines market, likely setting up shop along the growing “Silicon Sixth” district in the…

  • Demonstration Fund awards Torsion Mobile $50K for stealthy Mojaba

    Torsion Mobile today divulged new details on a project it has kept under wraps for months, most notably that the project will benefit from $50,000 in state funding. Torsion, a Des Moines-based mobile solutions provider co-founded by Christian Gurney and Richard Kirsner, received $50,000 from the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) …

  • BuyerCompass, Syncbak and Thinix awarded demonstration fund grants

    The Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) announced that latest companies to win awards from the Demonstration Fund this week. The Demonstration Fund, which is described on the IDED website as “designed to encourage product refinements …

  • Recap of Iowa Entrepreneurs Conference & Venture Forum

    Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and startup service providers from around the state gathered in Des Moines this week for the annual Iowa Entrepreneurs Conference and Venture Forum. In practice, two events, the Venture Forum and Entrepreneur’s Conference, were held on adjacent days in the same space. The Iowa Venture Forum kicked off with a welcome from…

  • Doug Lewis on Iowa’s entrepreneur resources & targeted industries

    Three years ago, the Iowa Legislature noted an opportunity for the state to move ahead in the advanced manufacturing, information technology and bioscience industries. To take advantage of that opportunity, they created the Innovation and Commercialization Division within the Department of Economic Development. Its mission is “to grow Iowa’s economy…

  • EntreFest! for small businesses comes to West Des Moines

    Later this month the third iteration of EntreFest! will be take place at the West Des Moines Marriott. I caught up with Amy Kuhlers, a Program Manager with MyEntre.Net an “entrepreneurship support system” out of the University of Northern Iowa’s Regional Business Center in Cedar Falls, who is coordinating the event. In the Q&A below,…