Corporate Innovation

  • Brian Ardinger Talks IO Summit, Nelnet, and Innovation

    Brian Ardinger Talks IO Summit, Nelnet, and Innovation

    Last week, SPN caught up with the Director of Innovation at Nelnet, Brian Ardinger.  Brian is also the founder of InsideOutside.io, makers of the IO Podcast and the IO Summit.  The Summit is coming to Lincoln on October 20 as part of the Startup Week festivities. The interview covered a number of topics and includes…

  • Mutual of Omaha focuses on scientific method through new Enterprise Business Platform Lab

    Mutual of Omaha focuses on scientific method through new Enterprise Business Platform Lab

    At a recent division meeting, Jerry Sayre, Chief Software Engineer at Mutual of Omaha, donned a white lab coat and took to the stage. But rather than talking about technology, he spoke about the importance of experimentation and the use of the scientific method. “We need to consider what is required for us to be…

  • Omaha-based Centese shakes up post-operative surgical drainage technology

    Omaha-based Centese shakes up post-operative surgical drainage technology

    The company’s product Thoraguard automates post-surgical chest tube management in order to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.

  • MatMaCorp brings genetic testing technology into veterinary clinics

    MatMaCorp brings genetic testing technology into veterinary clinics

    The company’s platform is designed to analyze the genetic information carried in nucleic acid molecules such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in animals or ribonucleic acid (RNA) in some pathogens.

  • Nobl continues to help hospitals and clinics improve the patient experience

    Nobl continues to help hospitals and clinics improve the patient experience

    Nobl has developed a platform that is changing how healthcare organizations provide care and receive feedback to improve patients’ experiences. This is done by using the application for rounding in different care environments and for a variety of purposes. The platform is designed to replace manually tracked processes done on paper; it is built to…

  • 7th NMotion Demo Day in the books, summer program application open

    7th NMotion Demo Day in the books, summer program application open

    Five Nebraska companies demoed their companies last week at the 7th NMotion Demo Day at the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. The event was an opportunity for early-stage companies to practice their pitches and garner more exposure during the public event. NMotion’s 42 portfolio companies have collectively raised $10.56 million in financing, generated 46 jobs,…

  • Lincoln-based Canary Sound Design innovates intelligent sound in the OR

    Lincoln-based Canary Sound Design innovates intelligent sound in the OR

    A small team of medical practitioners is bringing safety to sound in operating rooms. Canary Sound Design, a Lincoln-based company, is the creator of CanaryBox, a smart music solution for the OR that is designed to reduce or silence music at appropriate times based on certain signals from the patient.   Canary Sound Design Founder…

  • Omaha’s Watts co-working space focuses on community and powering innovation

    Omaha’s Watts co-working space focuses on community and powering innovation

    “We’re searching for the outliers––the people who think outside the box,” said Brandon Peterson, co-founder of co-working space Watts. Peterson and co-founder Dallas Polivka are both Lincoln natives, but they’ve invested themselves in their futures in growing Omaha’s community. Both entrepreneurs and founders, the pair launched Watts earlier in 2019 with a vision to create…

  • North Bend-based CropMetrics optimizes irrigation with sensors, science, and service

    North Bend-based CropMetrics optimizes irrigation with sensors, science, and service

    CropMetrics is giving growers greater insights in their irrigation practices with its precision irrigation management software platform and service offering. Unpredictability is an enduring facet of agriculture; from wind and rain to sun and soil, farmers must be masters at managing the countless variable conditions that affect their business. CropMetrics is innovating a technology solution…

  • Polco completes another round of funding

    Polco completes another round of funding

    Online civics engagement start-up Polco closed a $1.7M round of equity funding on April 19, 2019. Though based in Madison, Wisconsin, Polco, short for Policy Confluence, Inc. was launched through the Bryan, Texas-based Seed Sumo accelerator in 2015. The company provides a communication platform that encourages community leaders to engage with the residents they serve…