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Mentors and new ventures: The continued legacies of Nebraska entrepreneurs following startup exits
Selling the company is often the end goal for startup founders. But their impacts in the ecosystems they call home carry on. Founders talked to SPN about their journey. Learn more about the developments and ongoing legacies of Quantified Ag, LifeLoop and LiveBy — local startups that were acquired in the early 2020s.
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Newsletter, August 19 – 2020s Startup Exits
Hello, everybody. It’s Ben again. I’ve covered my fair share of startup fundraising rounds over my time here at SPN, and it has always been interesting to me to see how ventures I’ve seen start at pitch competitions and accelerators begin to take on new verticals and hire their first full-time employees. The common answer…
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NMotion Accelerator Fall 2026 cohort announced following pause in programming
NMotion powered by gener8tor is a Nebraska-based accelerator that offers $100,000 investments and 12 weeks of mentoring to six startups per cohort in exchange for equity. After taking a pause this spring, the program has announced its latest group of startups primarily based in Nebraska, from medtech to city infrastructure planning solutions.
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Buildertrend furthers its AI ambitions with the acquisition of early-stage startup BizJet AI
Buildertrend is an Omaha-based company that offers software solutions to assist contractors, remodelers and builders with managing projects. The 20-year-old business recently announced the acquisition of BizJet AI, bringing its co-founders – who have extensive careers in software and artificial intelligence – into Buildertrend’s team.
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Lincoln widens its gap from Omaha in the latest Best of the Midwest Startup Ecosystem Rankings
Midwest Startups presented by M25 released its annual rankings of 64 cities across the region. This marks the 10th year of Midwest Startups calculating a list to help founders, venture capitalists and community leaders identify the strengths and weaknesses of startup hubs. Omaha ranked 16th, and Lincoln ranked 13th.
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Nebraska Recurring Startup Events Guide – Updated for 2026
The Nebraska startup ecosystem hosts a variety of events to bring entrepreneurs, experts, community members and resources together in one space. To stay up to date on current offerings, here is an updated list of free weekly and monthly gatherings open to the public that encourage collaboration and innovation around the state.
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newsletter, July 29 – AI Workhorse
Hello, everybody. It’s Ben again. My extended family is visiting Omaha, so I’ve been around relatives quite a bit these last few days. In that time, I’ve started picking up new phrases in their speech patterns, such as my dad saying, “According to AI…” or my aunt going, “Put it in ChatGPT.” What isn’t news…
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Five Things: AgTech Connect 2026
The annual conference is part of The Combine’s overall mission in growing the state’s agtech ecosystem — encouraging the rise of new research and startups to transform the ag industry. Topics covered include data ownership and usage, raising capital, understanding customers and emphasizing the importance of people in a business journey.
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newsletter, July 15 – Gather
Hey, all. It’s Ben. When I first started as an intern at SPN, my only exposure to equity and investments was through watching “Shark Tank,” and my limited computer knowledge made me fearful of ever showing my developer friends my laptop. An early memory of the Nebraska startup ecosystem, though, was discovering 1 Million Cups,…
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Investor to founder: Nebraska Angels executive director looks to use AI to improve private investing
Josh Bartels has recently announced the launch of his tech startup, Gather. Working for Nebraska Angels, a Lincoln-based network of angel investors in the state, he decided to develop a software solution to make compiling data from portfolio investments easier to manage. Gather has already garnered the interest of startup ecosystem stakeholders.
Ben Goeser
