[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/1″][text_output]Media contact: Jessalyn Holdcraft, NewBoCo Director of Marketing
Email: jessalyn@newbo.co
Phone: 319.382.5128
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 19, 2017 – Iowa Startup Accelerator accepted three companies into the summer batch of its 2017 cohort: Agro Connected, Cargofy, and GOVRED Technologies.
Team: Agro Connected
Team members: Ryan Weekly, CEO; Kyle Rittmer, CFO; Brett Dugan, CTO; Jacy Rittmer, Head of Design
Home Location: Center Point, IA
Idea: Agro Connected is developing a network of low-cost, high-impact farm management tools to help small family farmers keep pace with technology in agriculture. From affordable remote sensing hardware to document management and data analysis software, Agro Connected plans to provide flexible solutions to seamlessly and easily integrate new technology with equipment the farmer already owns, with the vision of creating one connected farm.
Team: Cargofy
Team members: Stakh Vozniak, CEO; Alex Kovalchuk, CTO; Dimitrios Alexiou, CMO; Nataliia Vozniak, COO
Home Location: Kiev, Ukraine
Idea: AI-powered technology automating manual work in the trucking industry.
Team: GOVRED Technologies
Team members: Chase N. Dittmer, CEO; Thomas J. Dishaw, CTO
Home Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Idea: GOVRED Technology, Inc. works directly with the Army, Navy, and Airforce to design fully immersive, real world, virtual reality training simulations. With our technology soldiers get familiarized with dangerous combat equipment, expensive military vehicles, and complex training operations in a safe and controlled environment.
These three teams are well aligned with key Cedar Rapids industries and are excited to begin building their business here. Agro Connected, Cargofy, and GOVRED Technologies begin their journey with a full week of orientation workshops hosted at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. Most of this programming focuses on introducing teams to agile and strategic planning. NewBoCo and the Iowa Startup Accelerator are regional leaders in aggressively using agile to align organizational strategy with performance for new and existing companies and nonprofits.
“We’ve seen how powerful agile is for building scalable startups,” Accelerator Managing Director David Tominsky said. “Focusing heavily on agile during orientation week sets ISA teams up for great success as they go through our program and beyond.”
Many of these teams plan to leverage NewBoCo’s expanded resources for entrepreneurs, including the rapid prototyping and virtual reality labs. These labs, as well as expertise from NewBoCo Engineer-in-Residence Jesse Lane, help ISA teams iterate quickly as they grow their businesses.
“I’m very excited to have an incoming cohort where every team is incorporating cutting edge technologies,” Lane said. “I can’t wait to help each of them overcome their technical challenges.”
Agro Connected, Cargofy, and Govred Technologies make up the second round of investments for ISA’s 2017 cohort. ISA plans to invest in up to 10 companies in 2017 as part of its fourth cohort. Applications for the fall batch are currently open. In total, ISA has invested in 27 companies to date.
To apply to be a part of the ISA 2017 cohort, go to: https://newbo.co/iowa-startup-accelerator/apply/
About Iowa Startup Accelerator
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, a 501(c)(3) organization.
About NewBoCo
The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) is a nonprofit with the mission to accelerate world-changing ideas, from Iowa. The organization aims to create impactful startup businesses that grow here through its Iowa Startup Accelerator program and more; to foster world-class technical and creative talent via innovative educational programs for kids and adults; to assist thriving, innovative companies in developing new products and attracting the best talent through corporate innovation programs; and to make an outstanding social impact and make the world a better place. Since 2014, the program has grown dramatically, helping hundreds of startups get off the ground and grow and thousands of children learn to code.[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row]
