Des Moines Dwolla today put an end to the speculation about its secret star investor. The Des Moines-based online cash transfer startup confirmed that Ashton Kutcher did, in fact, contribute to the $5 million Series B round it announced in February. And as that news rippled out across the internet, Kutcher and Dwolla CEO Ben Milne explained why the relationship between investor and company transcends the very tidal wave of publicity it was already … read more

Des Moines When reports of Ashton Kutcher's involvement in Dwolla's $5 million Series B round surfaced in late February and set the rumor mill in motion, the team behind Dwolla, an online cash transfer startup, remained mum on the subject. But today, Dwolla and Kutcher are going public with their relationship. Kutcher, an Iowa native, Hollywood star and frequent … read more

Des Moines Citing unnamed sources, Business Insider today reported that Iowa native and Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher participated in Dwolla's $5 million Series B round that the startup announced earlier this month. "Sources tell us Ashton Kutcher, an Iowa native, is the mystery investor," Insider's Alyson Shontell, who also covered Dwolla's Series B, wrote. When reached by phone this evening, Dwolla's director of communications, Jordan … read more

Kansas City Remember that startup we first wrote about less than two weeks ago? The one that launched at Startup Weekend Los Angeles on February 20 with a pitch by Kansas Citian Bo Fishback? The one that had celebrities Demi Moore and LeVar Burton tweeting about it the night it launched? Yeah, that one: Zaarly. Earlier today, TechCrunch broke the story that Zaarly had raised a $1 million seed round from a slate of notable investors: Ashton Kutcher, Naval… read more