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Homegrown medtech company Centese develops game-changing device for surgery patients
A new Omaha-based medtech company has developed a self-cleaning chest tube system that provides more precise measurements for monitoring patients recovering from surgery on their heart or lungs. Startup Centese developed the device, called Thoraguard. Through a novel self-irrigating mechanism, Thoraguard eliminates one of the main hazards of analog chest tubes: the need for medical…
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A look at Nebraska’s investment landscape
Talk to tech entrepreneurs in Nebraska, and they’re likely to laud the region’s innovative spirit. Next-level startups like Flywheel, Buildertrend, Lunavi, Hudl and more have grown an international presence and put the Cornhusker state on the map. Even a cornerstone enterprise like Lincoln-based Nelnet has implemented its own innovation division. Conferences like the IO Summit,…
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Leash Pet Transportation puts pets on the go
Omaha startup Leash Pet Transportation was founded on the idea that, much like people, pets have places to be. Whether it’s a session with a groomer, a day at doggy day care, or a trip to the veterinarian or a boarding facility, pet ownership can mean more errands, making humans feel like bona fide pet…
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8 Qs for a Silicon Prairie Founder: Lizz Whitacre of Pawlytics
Lizz Whitacre is co-founder of Pawlytics, a cloud-based operations software provider for animal shelters and rescues working to develop electronic health records for pets and build the world’s largest pet database. SPN recently spotlighted the company and its socially driven mission to use data to save as many animals as possible. It’s a mission that…
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HerHeadquarters adjusts to an unpredictable year by giving back—and growing
When SPN first spotlighted HerHeadquarters in February of 2020, few of us were aware how drastically the looming pandemic would change our lives. While HerHeadquarters has not been immune to the changes wrought by COVID-19, the past year nonetheless offers a tale of trial and triumph for the Omaha-based brand. The start of 2020 came…
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Prairie Roots run deep: new virtual conference grows connections in the entrepreneurial ecosystem
Last Friday marked the first-ever Prairie Roots Spring Show, a virtual event showcasing a variety of companies, creative projects and causes in that have survived—and in some cases, thrived—in the Midwest despite a tumultuous year. Created and curated by Scott Henderson, managing director of Lincoln-based NMotion Accelerator Studio for gener8tor, Prairie Roots gathered 100 business,…
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NMotion Lunch and Learns dish up tips for aspiring founders
Looking to learn about market competition and financial growth milestones? Lincoln-based NMotion Accelerator is holding a series of virtual informational sessions to help aspiring founders demystify the process of launching a start-up. The events, held weekly on Tuesdays, are free and open to the public. Much of the material covered is what NMotion’s leaders share and…
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UNeTech levels the playing field for high-risk, high-reward tech startups
The “valley of death” is a term used in the startup community to refer to the dreaded gap between the discovery of promising new technologies and the bringing to market of commercially viable new products based on those technologies. It is the badlands where risky and possibly disruptive tech goes to die. Put more formally,…
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HTI Labs fights human trafficking through research, technology, policy
An Omaha-based company using a data-driven approach to combat human trafficking recently raised funding to expand its crucially needed work to support law enforcement, victims and survivors of the practice. HTI Labs, a social enterprise corporation combating human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault through data-driven research and tech, has grown far larger than CEO…
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Corn pollinating drone technology earns Iowa City agtech firm $7.5 million investment
On its own, a corn plant will pollinate itself: the golden tassels topping the slender green shoots that comprise nearly one-third of U.S. cropland naturally release pollen that fertilizes the silky portion of the plant below. This natural process is critical to the country’s number-one feed crop, but experts say fertilization must be facilitated to…