July 27, 2012 by Sarah Binder
Coralville With a $250,000 loan awarded from the Iowa Economic Development Authority last week, Coralville, Iowa-based Green Team Technologies is looking to expand the national footprint of its Fuse5 product. "We see explosive growth over the next 6 to 12 months," said John Bunting, COO of Green Team Technologies. Based on new … read more
June 27, 2012 by Sarah Binder
Ames After recieving $100,000 from the Iowa Economic Development Authority one week and closing a $17 million Series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz the next, California-based ag-tech startup Solum is planning to build a laboratory in Ames and staff it with local talent. Solum develops technologies for field sampling and analysis that aim to help farmers increase their yields. "We believe … read more
June 1, 2012 by Michael Stacy
Des Moines Silicon Prairie News: In the nine months since you started your gig with the IEDA, what are a couple of the most important things you've learned? | Brian Waller: 1. Know your role. When working for a state agency such as IEDA, I realize that sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow and sometimes we get out of the way, but we always advocate for our state’s business community, both big and small. 2. There are no “stop and dance” moments after victories in economic development. You simply move on to the next project and try to advance your state’s cause in a way that would benefit its citizens today and build a platform for the future. | SPN: What's your typical elevator pitch to IT companies for why they should set roots in or relocate to Iowa? | BW: The goal of the “elevator pitch” … read more
March 29, 2012 by Michael Stacy
Des Moines Some time has passed since we first reported on the inaugural i2iowa Investors and Innovators Forum, and in the interim lots of details have emerged about the April 12 event. i2iowa will feature a pair of keynote speakers familiar to readers of Silicon Prairie News. Christian Renaud, a principal at StartupCity Des Moines, will deliver the opening keynote, "Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Evolution." Scott Case, the CEO of … read more
March 28, 2012 by Adrienne Baughman
Ames Matthew Rizai, CEO and managing director of WebFilings, knows a thing or two about startups. In the 1990s, Rizai led Engineering Animation Inc. (EAI), which went public in 1996 and has since morphed into other entities. Today, his exacting focus is on scaling WebFilings, the company he built in 2008 with trusted key players from his EAI days. "Our management team is one of our competitive advantages … read more
March 10, 2012 by Brittany Mascio
Austin South By Southwest Interactive might be a little soggy, but our cereal's dry. Stop by Halycon (218 W. 4th St.) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday for your breakfast bowl at the Silicon Prairie Cereal Bar. With the help of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Silicon Prairie News will serve up the best of the breakfast world at Halcyon, a local coffee shop just few blocks from the convention center. Take this morning opportunity to network and recover from the party haze and panel craze. Look for noted … read more
March 7, 2012 by Geoff Wood
Des Moines This week Iowa Economic Development Authority's Brian Waller and our own Danny Schreiber joined us to talk about Capricorn Investment Group's $5 million investment into Omaha's Bloom.com as well as to preview the Silicon Prairie region's involvement in South by Southwest Interactive. Also, check out the video that Startup Weekend … read more
February 28, 2012 by Brittany Mascio
Austin If you're headed down to South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, make sure to bring an early morning appetite because Silicon Prairie News plans to serve a breakfast of champions. Join us for the first Silicon Prairie Cereal Bar at Halcyon from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. We're switching from liquor to leche for our party this year, and we're looking to provide attendees an opportunity to recoup from the conference craze, and scoop sugar-coated cereal goodness. From the frosted classics … read more
January 12, 2012 by Michael Stacy
Des Moines The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on Tuesday announced the inaugural i2iowa Investors and Innovators Forum scheduled for April 12. Held in conjunction with the TAI's annual Prometheus Awards and Pitch and Grow 7, the forum aims to match up entrepreneurs at various stages with investors and funding resources. “The i2iowa Investors and Innovators Forum will … read more
Through August 22, help us decide the winners of our inaugural Silicon Prairie Awards, which will recognize 12
companies and individuals. You can vote once per day per category.
Winners will be announced live on stage at
our August 30 event.