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Welcome to the sesquicentennial edition of The Pull (woot! I've been waiting several weeks to roll that word out).
This newsletter launched on July 23, 2013 and 150 weeks later its not only still alive but its flourishing. For those of you who didn't know me back in the summer of '13, I'd just left a startup, after four years, over disagreements amongst the founding team and I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do next. Since people knew me from being associated with startup news, I figured starting a newsletter that highlighted the top Iowa innovations stories each week was probably a solid use of time while I figured things out.
Over these past 150 weeks, I've done a lot of consulting/speaking/podcasting, worked with startup community builders all over the world through the Startup Genome project, helped Drake University start up the Lorentzen Hatchery, produced several events (and even shut down a few) and then ultimately launched Gravitate—the entrepreneurial center of gravity in downtown Des Moines—which is where I now spend most of my time.
Throughout all of those projects, I've continued to publish this newsletter each week and its been a lot of fun to see it evolve. That first edition had a different name, used a different software platform and was sent to a list of just one person (hey there Danny Schreiber). If you're curious, you can check it out here.
Today's edition is going out to more than 1,000 folks which means an increase of something like 99,900% which is pretty darn respectable.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed content (especially Megan Bannister!) and to you all for opening, reading and clicking each week. It's really great. Onward!
Geoff
PS.
This Friday is First Friday at Gravitate! Free/open coworking starts at 9 AM and we're excited to host Cody from Watershed Cold Brew for a nitro coffee tasting at 10 AM. As always, Happy Hour ends the day starting at 4:30 PM. See you there!
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Iowa State program aims to boost ag-tech startups
Des Moines Register (Matt Patane, May 31)
A group of investors has partnered with Iowa State University to help make the dream of an accelerator focused on innovative farming techniques a reality. So far three companies—Alden-based Summit Agricultural Group, Ames-based Ag Leader Technology, and Mason City-based Ag Ventures Alliance—have signed on to help support the project, though organizers say they hope to attract 10 total investors to the group. Even though the venture is connected to Iowa State, the Director of Iowa State's Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative Kevin Kimle says the accelerator is a private endeavor, owned by its investors.
The Ag Startup Engine will kick off its first program in June with one startup already participating, though the group hopes to attract five total companies for the six- to 12-month accelerator period. Participating startups can choose one of two funding amounts: $25,000 in exchange for a 5 percent equity stake, or $50,000 in exchange for a 10 percent stake.
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MERGE gets $1.5 million for prototyping studio
Corridor Business Journal (Chase Castle, May 31)
While the Iowa City coworking space and entrepreneurial tech center MERGE isn't slated to open until the fall, the group recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority that will help create "a biomedical and electronics prototyping hub, called protostudios," for students to use, according to the Corridor Business Journal. The funds will go toward outfitting the space with hardware for "3-D modeling, and for biomedical device and wearable technology development, among other applications."
“MERGE and protostudios will incentivize faculty, postdocs and graduate students to start more companies, create a pool of tech talent to meet the state’s IT workforce needs, promote STEM education, and bring together town and gown communities for economic development,” David Conrad, UI's assistant vice president for research and economic development, told the CBJ.
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App helps Iowa man get drunken driving conviction tossed
Associated Press (Ryan J. Foley, May 25)
A smartphone app developed in West Des Moines recently helped a Davenport man get his drunken driving conviction overturned. Developed by the law firm Rehkemper & Lindholm, the Oh Crap! App allows users to know their rights during traffic stops and other police encounters, record interactions with police, and contact a lawyer in their area. When he was pulled over and arrested at 1 a.m. on Oct. 4, 2014, Craig Hermann used the application's "contact a lawyer" function to reach one of the firm's on-call junior associates. According to its creators, this is the first known instance of the app helping a user avoid conviction.
Hat tip to Derian Baugh for the heads up on this story
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Minimum Viable Podcast—Episode 23
Geoff Wood & Matt Patane
Matt Patane, technology and innovation reporter for the Des Moines Register and Geoff Wood, community builder at Gravitate, sit down for an in-depth discussion of the companies, events and ideas making news in the Iowa innovation community.
Topics discussed on this episode: GoFundMe stats, Power Rankings, Men's Style Lab guideshop, Cognizant expansion and state funding awards and the Accelerate DSM event
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