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Middle Bit: Combining data science with March Madness

Data science
March 9, 2018

A former Simpson College math professor started a competition that challenges Iowa high school and college students to use data science to correctly pick the winner of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

What is ultimately designed to expose students to potential careers in data science, the Basketball Data Analytics Battle requires teams of students to produce an algorithm that will select ten teams in an attempt to pick a winner of the 2018 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament. The top ten teams the algorithm predicts will earn points based on how far each team advances in the tournament.

Rick Spellerberg, a former math professor at Simpson College math professor, is organizing the competition as the first project for his new nonprofit organization, The Iowa Center for Interdisciplinary Training.

“The big thing with data science, it’s a relatively new discipline and there’s a huge demand for these people,” Spellerberg says. “We have got to get kids interested in coding and that’s one thing for sure this competition can hopefully get students interested in.”

According to Spellerberg, 17 school districts and 360 students are committed to participating in the Basketball Data Analytics Battle.

Spellerberg said to follow up with the participants, he’s going to partner with Drake University to host a data analytics conference on campus in May.

What else is happening…

Colorado

Automox, a Boulder-based global provider of patch management and endpoint protection solutions, raised $2.0m in funding – FinSEMs

Redeam, a Boulder-based tech company that automates the way tours and attractions process tickets sold by third-party distributors raised $7.7 million in Series A funding – Phocus Wire

Kelly Klee, Inc., an Aspen-based digital insurance broker, raised $4.5m in Seed funding across two closings – FinSMEs

Illinois

Ascent Technologies, a Chicago-based regulatory technology company, closed a $6m Series A funding round – FinSMEs

Ocient, a Chicago-based builder of database and analytics software, secured about $10m in Series A funding – BuiltinChicago.com

Iowa

Brian Storey named VP of Business Development for Lenderclose – Lenderclose

Missouri

Bandura Systems, a St. Louis-based developer of a threat intelligence gateway closed a $3.5m seed funding round – St. Louis Business Journal

Lean Media closes $500K seed funding round – SPN

Nebraska

Future Builders Challenge helps Lincoln students identify their entrepreneurial talents – SPN

Wisconsin

Quest Products, a Pleasant Prairie-based provider of consumer packaged goods and e-commerce services, received a majority investment from Promus Equity Partners – FinSMEs

Middle Bit: Combining data science with March Madness | Clay & Milk
A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.
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