The 2013 winners of the eighth annual John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition were announced Thursday at a luncheon at Drake University in Des Moines. Silicon Prairie startups TelePharm and Higher Learning Technologies were among the four companies that earned honorable mention in the competition, each receiving $1,000 for their hard work.
The competition is hosted through a partnership among Drake University, Iowa State University, North Iowa Area Community College, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa. Each of the five schools has a John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, focused on fostering business and entrepreneurship at the university level and beyond.
In order to be eligible for the competition, companies must be less than four years old and reside in the state of Iowa. A complete list of this year’s winners include:
- Grand Prize ($25,000): r-pipe Inc., Ames
- Second Prize ($15,000): Memcine Pharmaceuticals, Iowa City
- Third Prize ($10,000): ScoutPro, Ames
- Honorable mention ($1,000): TelePharm (Iowa City), Higher Learning Technologies (Coralville), HMR Supplies (Forest City) and Osteoceramics (Ames)
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad spoke at the event, noting that he believes Iowa’s young entrepreneurs to be one of the most exciting aspects of the state’s business development.
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A ninth annual John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition will be held in 2014—possibly with a more narrow timeframe, organizers said.
