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This simple device from KinoSol could feed millions
Based in Ames, Iowa, the KinoSol team is prototyping a revolution in food production that could save tons of wasted food each year. The co-founders of KinoSol are wrapping up field tests on the latest prototype of their lightweight, solar-powered dehydrator designed to increase the shelf life of produce and reducing post-harvest losses worldwide. Powered by the…
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Upklose wants to bring transparency to the art market
Upklose combines all of the qualities of a real-life curator into a high-quality app. With Upklose, users can browse original artwork, contact featured artists and virtually place art on their walls to see how it will look before purchasing. “We wanted users to have a way to search criteria (price, medium, size, genre, etc.) and to be…
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Meta opens sales office in Austin
Iowa City based Meta has announced the opening of their new sales office in Austin, Texas. The office will be led by Meta’s CSO Chris Turnley, and they hope to hire a team of 10 by the end of the year. “The revenue we expect to generate from this new sales office will pave the way to…
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QA with Alicia Herald, 2014 Innovator of the Year
As this year’s Innovator of the Year competition approaches, we thought we would check in with last year’s winner of the Pipeline prize. Alicia Herald is founder and CEO of myEDmatch, a site that matches teachers and schools to increase retention. SPN caught up with Herald over the phone. SPN: Since you won IOTY last year, what’s happened…
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Crumb hopes to revolutionize the healthcare industry with its data-sharing platform
Crumb wants to solve a really tough problem: untangling the mess of patient data in order to save lives. “Hospital errors are the second leading cause of death in the U.S.” said Luis Lopez, Co-founder of Crumb, based out of The Exchange in Omaha. “It’s not because we have bad doctors or nurses. It’s because…
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E-commerce company Spreetail wants “to make a dent in the universe”
With $138 million in revenue last year and a new brand identity, Lincoln-based Spreetail is on a hiring spree. Established in 2006 as VM Innovations and officially announcing their name change in late 2015, the hugely successful online retailer Spreetail says the rebranding was about recruitment and awareness. “Archrival did all of our branding and…
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MindMixer co-founder launches Tiperosity in Omaha
Co-founder of Mysidewalk (formerly MindMixer) Nathan Preheim has launched a new tip-sharing web application called Tiperosity. The project is a return to an idea he started with before MindMixer called Daytipper. “I put the concept on hold to start MindMixer,” said Preheim. “Tiperosity is the initial concept, rejuvenated. As a company, we’re just getting started. We…
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Fat Brain Toys co-founder Mark Carson is probably Santa Claus
Nothing brings out the kid in us all more than the holiday season. The lights, the presents, seeing family, all of it has a way of evoking some nostalgia in us. For Fat Brain Toys co-founder Mark Carson, it was his inner child and nostalgia that lead him to creating the Omaha based toy company. “I’m…
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Bitcoin Mini helps keep Bitcoin decentralized
2016 is going to be a big year for Bitcoin, according to Ansel Linder, founder of BlockchainIO in Omaha. Even Forbes is fueling the Bitcoin fire with a recent article, “Should you invest in Bitcoin? 10 Arguments In Favor As Of December 2015.” “The smart money is going to get into Bitcoin first, and that includes business…
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TaxiTapp brings transparency to the taxi industry
TaxiTapp allows users to book, track and pay for taxis—all from a smartphone. This Champaign, Illinois-based startup recently graduated from the Iowa Startup Accelerator and is geared up to launch in January. SPN caught up with CEO and co-founder David Lomiashvili over the phone. SPN: How did you guys get started? DL: At the end…
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