ICR IOWA — This week, the Iowa EdTech Accelerator welcomed its first cohort of educational technology companies.
The Accelerator, a collaborative project led by NewBoCo, is an intensive, highly-focused 14-week program aimed at early stage (pre- or early-revenue) companies that are located in Iowa.
The Accelerator program is one of the key pillars of the newly-formed Iowa EdTech Collaborative initiative. The first Accelerator program will take place on the ACT campus in Iowa City.
“The Iowa EdTech Accelerator really reinforces Iowa’s status as an edtech oasis and we’re honored to host the first accelerator cohort on the ACT campus and provide mentorship,” said Ada Woo, Sr. Director of Strategy Implementation and Operations, ACTNext.
Four companies were selected to participate in the first cohort:
● Apprenticeship America makes it easy for employers to create custom on-the-job training programs to fulfill their hiring needs.
● IEP Equity provides secure software and neutral mediation, bringing families together in creating an individualized education plan.
● TuitionFit brings transparency to the college search by showing the actual prices students pay at every college in America.
● The Agenda. Period helps women and girls understand and harness their unique cyclical patterns, and use that understanding to increase productivity and impact in their lives and businesses.
The Accelerator will be modeled after NewBoCo’s successful Iowa Startup Accelerator framework and will provide companies with benefits such as $25,000 in initial seed capital; coaching with experienced entrepreneurial leaders; education workshops around topics like funding, marketing, and more; access to an extensive mentor pool; software perks; and technical services.
“At NewBoCo, education has always played a key role in our mission,” said Eric Engelmann, Executive Director of NewBoCo. “By supporting the EdTech Accelerator in Iowa City, we’re getting to use what we’ve already learned about startup businesses in Iowa in a way that has clear benefits for the workforce of the future. We’re honored to be on board, and grateful to have so many partners who recognize the value of this accelerator every bit as much as we do.”
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Media Contact:
Eric Engelmann
319.382.5128
eric@newbo.co
Liz Hubing
319.936.6712
ehubing@icadgroup.com
About the Iowa EdTech Collaborative
The Iowa EdTech Collaborative is a network of internationally-known education companies, successful EdTech startups, educators, and economic development leaders who are working collectively to grow human-centered K-12 and lifelong learning in the State of Iowa.
About NewBoCo and Iowa Startup Accelerator
The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) is a 501(c)(3) organization located in the New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. NewBoCo’s programming supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and tech education to help Iowans become more resilient and thrive in a changing economy.
Iowa Startup Accelerator is an intensive program that matches tech-based startups with world-class mentors, Midwestern work ethic, seed funding, and product development expertise to accelerate their business to a successful exit. Iowa Startup Accelerator is powered by NewBoCo, and startups are funded by the ISA Ventures Fund.