Some of the year’s top stories. Screenshots above and below from each story on Silicon Prairie News.

As managing editor, I’ve spent recent weeks sifting through our content to prepare for 2012, but in doing so I’ve also given thought to the question: what were the big stories of the Silicon Prairie in 2011?

My top ten list below attempts to answer that question. It wasn’t an easy list to finish – there were stories told and many untold that likely deserve to be below – but it’s ten stories from the year that I felt deserved recognition today, and I predict will be the ones people are still talking about at a Silicon Prairie tech event five years from now.

To select the ten, I asked three questions: was the story notable in the national tech press, was it immediately impactful to the Silicon Prairie region and will it be impactful to the region in the future?

Below are my top ten stories of the Silicon Prairie in 2011. I invite you – which includes my co-workers as they’ll likely disagree with some of my picks – to add your selections below. Also, if you have or know of notable stories that went untold, please contact me at editor@siliconprairienews.com.

10. Twitter purchases “tweet” trademark from Iowa startup

October – Des Moines: Twittad, an ad network founded by Des Moines entrepreneur James Eliason in 2008, lost maybe its most valuable asset this year as Twitter, the platform on which Twittad operated its ad-network, sued the startup to regain the trademark for “tweet.” Twittad has obtained the trademark in 2008 after applying to trademark the phrase “Let Your Ad Meet Tweets” went unopposed. In October, the two parties, according to a Twitter spokesperson, “arrived at a resolution” and the trademark was transferred to Twitter.

Headlines

• TechCrunch: “In Battle Over The ‘Tweet’ Trademark, Twitter Sues Twittad“
• Wall Street Journal blog: “Twitter Will Get “Tweet” Trademark, Settles Lawsuit“
• SPN: “Angry birds settle: Twitter, Iowa-based Twittad hash out ‘tweet’ deal“

9. Kansas City’s professional soccer team spins off tech company

September – Kansas City: “It’s commonplace to hear stories of startups born out of corporations,” Michael Stacy wrote. “But tech companies spun off from soccer clubs?” As is the case of Sporting Innovations, a startup spun out of Sporting Club, the company behind Kansas City’s professional soccer team, Sporting KC, with an aim to develop and deploy tech to support the sports and entertainment industry, including its patrons. Serving as chairman of Sporting Innovations’ advisory board is well-known Kansas City entrepreneur, Cliff Illig, who is the co-founder of Cerner Corporation and Sporting Club.

Headlines

• Sports Business Journal Daily: “Sporting KC owner will offer tech help to other teams, leagues“
• Sporting News: “Sporting K.C. creates high-tech spin-off company“
• SPN: “Sporting Kansas City launching sports entertainment company“

8. Tech startup incubator opens in downtown Des Moines

October – Des Moines: Following a funding pitch tour to local and state government entities, Christian Renaud and Tej Dhawan secured the investment needed to open Des Moines’ first tech incubator, StartupCity. Since taking up residence on the later-named “Silicon Sixth,” an avenue in downtown Des Moines with a concentration of startups, StartupCity has since admitted eight startups and began holding a regular events, including the kickoff party for StartupIowa.

Headlines

• Des Moines Register blog: “State gives $250,000 to Startup City incubator“
• SPN: “StartupCity Des Moines secures final funding, reveals location“
• Des Moines Register blog: “Startup City Des Moines ready to open doors officially“

7. Hudl acquires competitor

July – Lincoln, Neb.: Hudl, a Lincoln, Neb. startup that makes web-based video coaching and analysis tools, purchased its main competitor, Digital Sports Video of Reno, Nev., in a market it sees big opportunity: high school football. As a result, Hudl became the clear leader, working with more than a quarter of what Hudl CEO estimates to be 18,000 high school football teams nationwide – some of which are still stuck on VHS and DVD.

Headlines

• Hudl company blog: “Hudl Acquires DSV“
• SPN: “Hudl acquires main competitor DSV, doubling client base (Update)“
• Lincoln Journal Star: “Hudl buys competitor“

6. Hayneedle co-founders get back into startup game

January – Omaha: In 2002, Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch and Mark Hasebroock founded NetShops, now known as Hayneedle, one of the largest niche ecommerce retailers. They’re one of Nebraska’s early startup stories, and now they’re all back on the ground floor a startup. Nielsen and Mahloch, a brother-sister duo, launched Xuba in January and Hasebroock, who opened a venture capital firm in late 2010, made two investments in 2011. One of those investments, MindMixer of Omaha, has engaged Hasebroock weekly as he came on as the startup’s co-founder and chief of community commerce.

Headlines

• SPN: “Xuba Launch: Founder reveals their first site, Bloom Circle“
• Omaha World-Herald: “Online store Facebook = Xuba“
• SPN: “MindMixer raises $300k from Dundee Venture Capital“

5. Fishback quits Kauffman Foundation, launches Zaarly

March – Kansas City: What if you … attended a Startup Weekend event in celebration of a friend’s birthday, decided to pitch an idea at the last minute, worked with a team to build out a prototype, delivered the team’s final pitch in front of a judging panel which included celebrity Ashton Kutcher and, as a good story would go, win the competition … and it gets better … you close a $1 million investment round three weeks later. Would you quit your job?

That’s the abbreviated version of Bo Fishback‘s story, who this year went from working at what he called his “dream job,” president of Kauffman Foundation‘s Kauffman Labs in Kansas City, to co-founding Zaarly, one of the year’s most buzzed about startups and media darlings. With that kind of story, how could it stay out of the spotlight? Fishback and team, who are headquartered out of San Francisco and have offices in multiple locations, will likely stay in the spotlight, too. Zaarly closed a $14.1 million round in October and added former eBay executive Meg Whitman to their board.

Headlines

• SPN: “Zaarly closes $1 million seed round, Bo Fishback going full-time“
• CNET: “Zaarly: Not nearly as crazy as it appears“
• VentureBeat: “Meg Whitman joins Zaarly’s board, company gets $14M from Kleiner Perkins” 

4. Google acquires Zave Networks

August – Kansas City: Late afternoon on a fall Friday, a startup’s homepage was changed from graphics marketing its product to a short paragraph on a white background. “We are delighted to share that Zave Networks has been acquired by Google,” the paragraph began.

Founded in 2006 in Kansas City, Zave Networks was acquired by Google for an undisclosed amount in August. Commenting on the purchase, a Google spokesperson told SPN Zave had “developed an impressive platform to connect consumers with coupons, special offers and reward programs for their favorite businesses,” and that Google was looking forwarding to Zave joining its commerce team. Following the acquisition news, a Google spokesperson confirmed that at the present time, the Zave team would continue to work in Kansas City.

Headlines

• TechCrunch: “Google Acquires Digital Coupons/Incentives Platform Zave Networks To Bulk Up Commerce“
• SPN: “Google acquires Zave Networks, will join internet giant’s Commerce team“
• SPN: “Google: For now, Zave Networks team will continue to work in KC“

3. Nebraska Global comes onto the scene

January – Lincoln: Though its launched website in December 2010 provided a sneak peak at what Nebraska Global had in store, not many predicted 10 months later it would close its initial round – which was first previewed at $20 million in January – at an oversubscribed $37.3 million. With those funds and a leadership team that included the recruitment of the Tom Chapman, the former innovation and entrepreneurship director for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Nebraska Global is nearly at the half-way point of its goal to launch 10 companies in five years. The company also was out and about, making time for volunteer service and making the rounds at speaking events to educate the public on its mission, vision and, as delivered by managing principal Steve Kiene at TEDxLincoln, the characteristics of a software ecosystem.

Headlines

• SPN: “With $17.7M raise, Nebraska Global brings fund to $37.3M“
• The Next Web: “Nebraska Global: $37 million in venture cash finds its way to the middle of Nebraska“
• Lincoln Journal Star: “Nebraska Global closes investment fund, oversubscribed at $37 million“

2. Dwolla grows

December – Des Moines: In retrospect, it wasn’t quick, but Dwolla‘s rapid growth in 2011 did at one point hockey stick, and in December, it was capped off with a feature release that promised to make funds in the app “instantly” available. The release, Instant, a feature giving users immediate access to a line of credit up to $500, brought the Des Moines startup its best press day on the same day it celebrated its one-year anniversary of its national launch. In June, the startup also grabbed headlines when it hit the milestone of processing $1 million per day. In 2012, Dwolla doesn’t plan to leave the media spotlight anytime soon, as its CEO Ben Milne hinted on his personal blog it’s currently raising its Series B round, it just needs to, as Business Insider later put it, open its “700-name spreadsheet to manage all the investors who want to fund it.”

Headlines

• SPN: “Dwolla now processing $1M per day, Milne hints at what’s next (Video)“
• Business Insider: “This 28-Year-Old’s Startup Is Moving $350 Million And Wants To Completely Kill Credit Cards“
• SPN: “Dwolla unveils ‘Instant,’ immediate access up to $500 for flat monthly fee“

1. Google selects Kansas City for Google Fiber project

March – Kansas City: In March, a video announcement that included Google founder Sergey Brin and local leaders such as the mayor, helped Google announce its choice of Kansas City, Kan. as the city it would call its guinea pig in 2012 to test its Google Fiber project, a new service from that promises users a speed 100 times faster than current high-speed broadband. Then, in an announcement that felt like it was coming all along, Google announced that Kansas City, Mo. would be a part of the project, as well. The two were chosen from from more than 1,100 cities that applied for the network.

The story of good news continues: the mayors of the two cities joined up to pitch the Kansas City region, created a Bi-State Innovation Team, and a flock of organizations began their own efforts to prepare and brainstorm for what fiber could mean for the future of the city. Though no one really knows what’s to come – the Kansas Star pointed out it could be a failure for the internet giant – it’s been a major part of a renewed entrepreneurial energy in the metropolitan area.

Headlines

• Google company blog: “Ultra high-speed broadband is coming to Kansas City, Kansas“
• Ars Technica: “Google bestows 1Gbps fiber network on Kansas City, Kansas“
• SPN: “Google tabs Kansas City, Kan. for ultra high-speed network (Video)“

Also considered…

In no particular order:

• September – Omaha: Proxibid expansion and upgrades
• July – Marion, Iowa:  Syncbak raises funds to take product to market
• December – Kansas City: Front Flip’s rapid growth
• June – Lincoln: A university student’s app reaches milestone of facilitating 20 million “opt-outs”
• February – Omaha: MindMixer signs on batch of cities and expands to politicians

What’s your take? What story is missing from the list?

Please leave your selections in the comments below.

What’s your take? What’s the top story?