The first ever combined Ten Hour Challenge and JumpStart Challenge brought together 58 participants in Lincoln to create and pitch solutions to real-world problems across agriculture, municipalities and business.

The Don’t Panic Labs-hosted event on Sept. 27, was a precursor event for Silicon Prairie Startup Week. The event featured two solution prompts as part of industry challenges. One, from the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA), looked to “rethink how producers discover, evaluate, and adopt new tools — especially in ways that are mobile-friendly, bandwidth-conscious, and grounded in real service needs,” the briefing packet said.

The other, from consulting firm Olsson, sought “bold ideas that help make AI approachable, implementable, safe, secure and valuable for cities across the state and beyond.”

A wild card category allowed participants to pitch their own ideas, ranging from solutions to screwworm infestations among cattle to helping domestic violence survivors find assistance. Participants can decide to compete for a share of the $6,000 JumpStart prize pool during Silicon Prairie Startup Week.

The three winners:

1st place — Rock On! in the wild card category

Team lead Eric Reichwaldt focused on musicians. The team pitched a platform that would help bands coordinate practice, manage their performances, build set lists and warn members if they weren’t ready to play well.

2nd place — SportUp in the wild card category

Neal Agarwal’s team was trying to solve usage problems in gyms, using camera data to see how often people actually use an expensive piece of equipment. With more data, gym owners could choose equipment that is more likely to be used.

3rd place — FarmKore in the INEDA JumpStart category

Eric Yim, a 2023 competition winner, led a team to pitch a 24/7 digital expo for agriculture manufacturers and salespeople. The online platform would let farmers check out new equipment and learn about advancements.

Even if you did not attend the event last Saturday, you can still register to compete for recognition and cash prizes in the JumpStart Challenge by Sunday, Oct. 6. Participants will pitch their solutions for final judging in Lincoln during Silicon Prairie Startup Week on Monday, Oct. 7.

Lev Gringauz is a Report for America corps member who writes about corporate innovation and workforce development for Silicon Prairie News.