Ben Goeser

Ben Goeser
  • Newsletter, September 2 – Q2 Update

    Newsletter, September 2 – Q2 Update

    Hey, everyone. It’s Ben again.  Summer is a time of state fairs, fire pits and realizing you may have to budget for more Red Bulls on your seven-hour road trip to St. Louis. (Who knew seven hours could be that long?)  According to Invest Nebraska Investment Associate Ben Hohensee, summer is also a time when…

  • Q2 2026 Nebraska venture capital update: Agtech, medtech and robotics continue to raise funds

    Q2 2026 Nebraska venture capital update: Agtech, medtech and robotics continue to raise funds

    Silicon Prairie News reached out to nonprofit venture development organization Invest Nebraska to compile a list of venture capital investments in Nebraska startups April-June 2026. The list is based on information from Invest Nebraska investments and private capital market database PitchBook.

  • Small business vs. scalable company: Determining the best path forward

    Small business vs. scalable company: Determining the best path forward

    An entrepreneur’s business journey depends on the nature of their venture and their overall goals. Leadership behind the companies Cup of Coa and Humbl Roots and advisers out of The Combine and the Nebraska Business Development Center provided their insights on this planning process.

  • Mentors and new ventures: The continued legacies of Nebraska entrepreneurs following startup exits

    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.

  • Newsletter, August 19 – 2020s Startup Exits

    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…

  • NMotion Accelerator Fall 2026 cohort announced following pause in programming

    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.

  • Buildertrend furthers its AI ambitions with the acquisition of early-stage startup BizJet AI

    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.

  • Lincoln widens its gap from Omaha in the latest Best of the Midwest Startup Ecosystem Rankings

    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.

  • Nebraska Recurring Startup Events Guide – Updated for 2026

    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.

  • newsletter, July 29 – AI Workhorse

    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…