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Nebraska insurtech startup Breeze raises $10 million in record-setting Series A round
Omaha-based insurtech company Breeze announced yesterday that it had raised the largest first round of institutional capital ever invested in a Nebraska software startup. The company’s $10 million Series A round will help advance its mission “to protect American families in their most financially vulnerable moments,” according to a press release issued yesterday. The financing […]
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Deep dive: startups, contracts, cyber insurance and more
This is a guest post from Irena Ducic of Embroker, a digital insurance company. As small businesses or startups grow, so do their needs for expanding their networks of business partners and collaborators. In order to stimulate and accelerate growth, business relationships are formed, partnerships are forged and third-parties are hired to help provide value […]
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Do remote workers benefit the economies where they live?
This is part two of our series on the opportunities remote work has brought to Midwest tech workers. Read part one here. Nebraska’s workforce has an approximately 50/50 split between occupations that can easily move remote or online, and more hands-on roles, says Josie Schafer, Ph.D., director of UNO’s Center for Public Affairs. The latter […]
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Looking back, looking forward: The tech startup community’s predictions for 2021
It’s been a wild year. A pandemic has squeezed the global economy while also spurring innovation and unique tech-based solutions. Silicon Prairie News reached out to entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and government officials across Nebraska to get their take on 2020 and see what trends they think we will see in 2021. Answers below are […]
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‘You don’t have to be an engineer to do this:’ Local founders say ‘no code’ apps are changing the game
Let’s say it’s 1985, long before “no code” is a thing. You’re lacing up your Keds to hit the cineplex and watch “The Breakfast Club” again when, suddenly, a person from the year 2020 steps through your Michael Jordan poster wearing, for some reason, a surgical mask. They look tired. After terrifying you with grim […]
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Impact of COVID-19: Be a Conscious, Local Consumer and Supporter
This is a guest post by Maria Brady. In light of recent cancellations, the Omaha economy faces a period of uncertainty. The economic downturn will impact businesses, workers, families and individuals in various ways—and to differing degrees. We must remember that little steps can go a long way. While we should limit non-essential social contact […]
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Hybrid85 passes profits onto farmers
At the very top of the Nebraska State Capitol building stands a 32-foot tall bronze statue of the Sower, a figure representing agriculture’s vital role in the development of modern civilization. Maybe it wasn’t the best fit for the state license plate, but the Sower is an undeniable symbol of Nebraska. According to the Nebraska […]
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Funding Roundup for the Week of November 18th & 25th
This week we are writing a funding roundup that really covers one and ½ weeks to cover Thanksgiving week plus the week previous. During this time period, Chicago received a disproportionate amount of the funding dollars in the region. However, Omaha and Oklahoma City both had companies close out fund raising campaigns. Also, the region […]
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An Interview with Seth Derner, Founder of Lincoln-Based (sort of) Vivayic
In a phone interview with Seth Derner, the founder of Vivayic, I discovered something that is truly out of the ordinary. It wasn’t the fact that Vivayic was ranked exactly number 5000 on the Inc. 5000 list for 2019. It wasn’t that a rancher’s kid from Wheeler County, Nebraska had started a customized skill assessment/training […]
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EntreFEST in Cedar Rapids this week, Venture School Launch Day tonight
Tominsky, David (@tominsky). “These are my people, my tribe. On an adventure together at #entrefest #EntreFEST2019.” 10:25 AM – May 16, 2019. Tweet Tominsky, David (@tominsky). “Love that @geoffwood does this crash course on the Iowa Startup Scene and excited to have it as one of the first sessions at #EntreFEST2019.” 9:09 AM – May […]