Don’t Panic Labs (DPL) originally started as a product development arm of Nebraska Global, building tech products and companies for the venture capital fund. Over the years the software development and innovation consulting company expanded to work with other startups and existing companies in 20 states. On Friday Don’t Panic Labs hosted an open house…

In interviews with SPN, Nebraska university leaders, tech transfer offices and startup investors agreed that encouraging more new business creation in Nebraska is a means to spur economic development and fight against brain drain in the state. New companies mean new innovations, new ideas and new career paths to attract and retain talent. Appealing to…

Companies supported by the Business Innovation Act are currently generating more than $1 billion in economic impact each year in Nebraska. The program was started in 2012 as a vital source of funding for early-stage startups in the state. According to a recent analysis, “these businesses have added 2,386 new jobs in the state with…

If you’ve been around the Nebraska startup or tech community for a while, you’re probably familiar with Workshop CEO Rick Knudtson. An Omaha native, he’s been a champion of Midwest entrepreneurship since the early days of SPN — before any kind of ecosystem existed in Nebraska. In fact, startups are the only career path that…

Well that was embarrassing! The ICYMI links were broken in yesterday’s email. Let’s try again. A global manufacturing company headquartered in a town with around 700 people just invested $12 million into automating its facility that produces center pivot irrigation systems. The company is also investing in local infrastructure and skill building programs in hopes…

An Israeli MedTech startup is partnering with an Omaha-based in-home care franchise to help patients with chronic respiratory diseases manage their condition at home. RespirAI Medical and Right at Home received significant grant funds to continue development on an AI-powered wearable device for COPD patients. The startup’s technology stems from research that originated at the…

Two Omaha startups are joining forces to modernize digital evidence management for law enforcement and child advocacy centers. Digital evidence management startup Guardify, formerly known as VidaNyx, announced that it will acquire Engage Vision in order to integrate its video analytics technology into Guardify’s core platform. Engage Vision started in 2022 with a focus on…

Catalyst is now open in Omaha’s Edge District on the former site of Omaha Steel Works. The new 170,000-square-foot coworking and incubator space is designed to spark collaboration among startups, entrepreneurs, corporations, resource providers and academia.  With prime proximity to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Catalyst developers envision attracting organizations working in HealthTech and…

NMotion powered by gener8tor invested in six companies, including four from Nebraska, as part of its spring 2025 accelerator. The program kicked off last week by introducing the cohort, which includes companies from a range of industries and markets, to startups around Omaha and Lincoln. SPN was able to tag along as the group connected…