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Plains Angels invests more than $1M, continues expansion to eastern Iowa
Oftentimes, the challenge for new business growth in states like Iowa involves reaching a critical mass of support. For Iowa’s independent angel investor group Plains Angels, that means extending its reach to other parts of the state…
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After only 60 days, insurance accelerator plans begin to take shape
Lately startup accelerators—whether industry focused or not—have cropped up all over the Midwest. From Lincoln to Kansas City to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a bevy of accelerators across the region have begun to attract both local and out-of-town startups to their doors.
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Des Moines insurance companies create industry-focused accelerator
Three Des Moines-based insurance companies—Delta Dental, Principal Financial Group and American Equity Investment Life—have come together to create an insurance-focused accelerator in Iowa’s capital city. Mike Colwell of the Greater Des Moines Partnership is one of the accelerator’s organizers and says the goal is to raise $1.2 million each year for the program. According to…
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New investment fund, Nestmint, helps earliest stage Iowa startups
A new investment fund called Nestmint, announced today, will bridge the gap from idea to proof of concept for some of Iowa’s earliest stage startups. Tej Dhawan and Mike Colwell, on behalf of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, will officially announce the fund Wednesday during the Technology Association of Iowa’s i2iowa. “This is not a grant…
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Three investments by Iowa angel group total about $750,000
Plains Angels, a Des Moines-based consortium of angel investors established last June, has invested about $750,000 in three Iowa businesses, the group’s co-founder Mike Colwell told the Des Moines Register. Carroll-based Agren, a 17-year-old agriculture consulting company …
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Six keys to selling to businesses
(Guest post by Mike Colwell.) Selling to businesses (B2B) can be hard but I will argue it can be very rewarding. I gained my selling to business experiences in the 80s and early 90s with a company called Norand Data Systems out of Cedar Rapids Iowa. We were selling new technologies (mobile and wireless computing)…
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Plains Angels adds investor training program in Des Moines, videos online
The Plains Angels, a Des Moines-based consortium of angel investors that came together in June last year, announced today …
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Iowa angel group forms with focus on Midwest
The Business Innovation Zone announced Sunday the formation of the Plains Angels, an independent, nonprofit consortium of angel investors that plans to make investments in the areas of technology, agriculture and manufacturing. “We want to help (accredited) investors more efficiently access high-quality deal flow,” said Mike Colwell (far left), director of the Business Innovation Zone,…