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‘A lighthouse in Nebraska’: How Lincoln-based Nelnet helped supercharge the local startup ecosystem
Nelnet is unique among the state’s corporate players in the way it supports early-stage startups. Since 2006, it has invested roughly $171 million into companies like Hudl and CompanyCam, boosting Nebraska’s innovation and helping the next generation of talent grow locally.
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An industry shift pushed universities to do more entrepreneurship. Tech transfer is learning to adapt
Companies want new technologies to be more developed and ready for market before they buy. As a result, tech transfer offices in Nebraska and across the Midwest have leaned into startups — changing the economics of how university innovation reaches the public.
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Behind the scenes, tech transfer orgs help Nebraska university innovation turn into startups
Nebraska’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is benefiting from startups that grow out of highly technical research at universities. Enabling that transition are tech transfer organizations that build relationships and infrastructure for complex work.
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Aging power supply, local barriers: All The Above Energy event digs into Nebraska’s energy crunch
Nebraska developers, utility staff, state policymakers and local government officials attended a Nebraska Chamber event in Norfolk to take stock of the state’s energy challenges. Meeting demand means navigating a tangle of regulatory hurdles and uncertainty around new power plant development.
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Veterans launch B2G Guild to connect defense and startup ecosystems in Nebraska
There has long been talk about how the startup world and tech talent coming from Offutt Air Force Base can work together, but both communities are still siloed. Veterans of the Air Force who are now founders started the B2G guild to meet on the last Tuesday of each month and make a shift.
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Nebraska Tech Collaborative releases new dashboard with state tech workforce data
The dashboard, created in partnership with workforce consulting firm Lightcast, builds on a previous version created together with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. NTC hopes the dashboard can be a resource for policymakers and educators to fill skills gaps in the state’s tech workforce.
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Five women honored with 2026 Nebraska Women in Tech awards
Awards ranging from Diversity Champion of the Year to Innovator of the Year were presented on March 6 at the Nebraska Women in Tech Summit.
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NASA funding supports innovation and research in Nebraska
The NASA Nebraska Space Grant and EPSCoR programs are designed to support STEM education in the state. Startups like Virtual Incision and research projects on subjects from anti-cancer proteins to recyclable antimicrobial material have visited space as a result.
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New UNMC Office of Industry Engagement makes first leadership hire
Agnes Lenagh hopes to leverage her experience working both at UNeMed, the tech transfer organization that serves UNMC, and Streck, the Nebraska-based medtech company, to build trust between researchers and industry partners.
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Other states have invested significant funds in local venture capital. What’s stopping Nebraska?
The Nebraska Investment Council, which oversees roughly $44 billion in state pension and other funds, invests $106 million in venture capital that often grows companies in California, Massachusetts and New York. Nebraska startup advocates see opportunity if some of that money were invested here — but the NIC resists.
Lev Gringauz
