Our 10 Favorite Iowa Startup Stories of 2016

Our 10 Favorite Iowa Startup Stories of 2016

It is not just Silicon Valley that is on the cutting edge of technology. In fact so much innovation is going on in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, I am beginning to wonder if the next rust belt in the nation will be Silicon Valley. Here’s how SiliconPrairieNews.com sees Our 10 favorite Iowa startup stories of 2016.

Our 10 favorite Iowa startup stories of 2016

1. Why Dwolla made its transactions free (and what happened next) (Des Moines) – I don’t understand how Dwolla makes money. The company moved away from its traditional transaction fee model that has defined most of the payment processing sector. Now it is processing $2 billion in transactions over a year in a million accounts. The company has seen an average of 30% revenue growth month over month.  Dwolla enhances the ability for banks to transfer money without a delay. It has the potential to radically transform the way everyone does business from immediate payroll changes to instant bill pay.
2. Pear Deck expands from Iowa City into Kansas City (Iowa City) – Nationally recognized Pear Deck expanded its team earlier this year into the Kansas City area. The company now serves over 100,000 classrooms and over a million students worldwide.  Locally, that includes schools in Lee Summit, Missouri; Iowa City, Iowa; Council Bluffs, Iowa. There’s also a pilot program in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company has tripled its revenue over the last 12 months.

One-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally

1. This simple device from KinoSol could feed millions (Ames) – KinoSol’s dehydration apparatus is directed at boosting the self-sufficiency and mobility of rural families. It also helps small-scale subsistence farmers in developing countries. The company launched a successful Kickstarter this fall.

4. CareDrop connects family caregivers with the resources they need (Cedar Rapids) – The website and platform developed by com, are for caregivers. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia caregivers can create an account. They first answer a series of questions. Software will match them with resources, including local agencies, volunteer groups, government programs and support groups. Caregivers can invite friends, family, or other volunteers to the website. So when a need arises, they can easily send a message to the whole group instead of contacting each volunteer individually.

1. AgriSync seeks to end agricultural downtime (Dallas Center) – “AgriSync is one of Our 10 favorite Iowa startup stories of 2016. The company aims to do for farming what Zendesk, a customer service platform, did for the business world.” With AgriSync, farmers no longer have to wait for an expert to come out to their farm. That can save many hours of wasted time for farmers.
2. Upcraft Club wins $40,000 at national InnovateHER competition in DC (Des Moines) – Upcraft Club, founded by Elizabeth Caven, is an online marketplace for sewing patterns. That’s important for the indie clothing design community.

New ag tech accelerator in Des Moines plays to Iowa’s strengths

1. New ag tech accelerator in Des Moines plays to Iowa’s strengths (Des Moines) – “The accelerator’s goal is to serve as a center of gravity for startup activity and new investment in the ag tech sector.
2. FliteBrite brings big data to the craft beer industry (Des Moines) – Another of our 10 favorite startup stories for 2016 is Iowa startup Flite Brite. This fall Flite Brite unveiled their new smart beer flight paddle. The beer paddle is rolling out in exclusive Iowa brew pubs this year.  Instead of dedicating a tap line to a new beer based on gut feeling, bar owners can use the data from FliteBrite. The data determines what types of beer would be the best addition based on sales across the system. The data can make it easier to decide how to dedicate tap lines or cooler space. The beer paddles pull their information about beers from Untappd, and many bars already use the information. Many beer fans rate and share beers they’ve tried. FliteBrite’s use of Untapped helps ensure drinkers are getting accurate info about the beer they’re drinking.

1. DigiFarm puts the precision in precision agriculture (Monticello) – Most tractors, combines, sprayers and other big pieces of farming equipment come out of the factory with modems installed. DigiFarm uses that now-standard tool to improve fieldwork for farmers. As of August, precision ag startup DigiFarm is now live in 35 states. That includes three Canadian providences. The company was the first of its kind to come to market fully supporting Apple hardware.
2. Lienwaivers.io streamlines lien waivers for the construction industry (Sioux City) – Lien waivers create massive amounts of paperwork for construction companies. Lienwaivers.io solves that headache and generates and distributes lien waivers in bulk, then tracks them all with a simple dashboard.

Harmony Property Solutions, LLC  is proud of our 10 favorite Iowa startup stories of 2016 

We help homeowners out of distressed situations. While our goal as investors is to make a modest profit on any deal, we help homeowners out of most any situation, no matter what! Harmony Property Solutions doesn’t charge any fees, upfront costs, commissions, or anything else.  We give you the simple honest truth about your home and help you sell it fast to resolve any situation.

Harmony Property Solutions, LLC is part of thousands of investors nationwide, and we help tens of thousands of homeowners every year.  Ours is not the “traditional” route, but we help and we do it quickly!

Give us a call today at 319-343-6773  and let us know how we can help you!