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A list of the 2018 Prometheus Award Winners

Prometheus Awards

April 12, 2018

Here are the winners from the 2018 Prometheus Awards, hosted by the Technology Association of Iowa.

The winners were announced Thursday night during the 2018 Prometheus Annual Awards Dinner.

The 2018 Prometheus Award Winners are:

Outstanding Startup of the Year – Performance Livestock Analytics
Mobile App of the Year – Jackpot Party Casino Slots by Phantom EFX
Manufacturing Technology Company of the Year – Sukup Manufacturing
Life Science & BioTech Company of the Year – Renewable Energy Group
AgTech Company of the Year – PowerPollen
Software Company of the Year – GlobalVetLINK
IT Service Provider of the Year – Circle Computer Resources
Best User of Technology – Des Moines Metropolitan Planning Organization
LWBJ Impact Award – Next Level Ventures
CEO of the Year – Aaron Schurman, Phantom EFX
CIO/CTO/CISO of the Year – Laura Smith, UnityPoint Health
Technology Community of the Year (Small/Medium) – Spencer
Technology Community of the Year (Large) – Cedar Rapids
Technology Company of the Year (Small/Medium) – Higher Learning Technologies
The Workiva Large Technology Company of the Year – Aureon

Brian Waller, President of the Technology Association of Iowa, said the Prometheus Awards further solidify Iowa’s reputation as a technology state.

“The Prometheus Awards is the most prestigious recognition for Iowa’s technology industry and brings together leaders from the tech community to celebrate the year’s most momentous innovations,” Waller said in a press release. “The 2018 award winners epitomize the great talent, companies and communities in Iowa and further solidify Iowa’s reputation as a technology state,”

A list of the 2018 Prometheus Award Winners | 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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