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Middle Bit: Nebullam to begin delivering in Cedar Rapids

November 12, 2021

Each Friday, Clay & Milk curates a rundown of startup, tech and innovation news from around the state in a post known as the “Middle Bit.”

Indoor farming startup Nebullam is bringing its services to Cedar Rapids, reports the Corridor Business Journal.

Nebullam was founded in 2017, with a focus on improving indoor farming technologies. Today, Nebullam owns and operates its flagship indoor farm and corporate headquarters within the Iowa State University Research Park.  The company offers fresh produce subscriptions with weekly and every-other-week delivery available to Central Iowa residents, year-round.  

The company recently announced plans to launch its second farm in Des Moines in Q1 of next year.

Biweekly Friday deliveries will occur for the pilot project in Cedar Rapids, and deliveries could potentially begin in Iowa City and Coralville within the next months, depending on demand.

TAI announces Iowa Technology Leadership Institute, Class of 2022 Members


The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) has announced the 2022 class members of its Iowa Technology Leadership Institute. Here are the 2022 Class Members:

  • Mandy Abbas, Manager – Analytics, UnityPoint Health
  • Steve Billingsley, Enterprise Architect, ITA Group, Inc.
  • Cathy Blood, Senior Integration Analyst/Applications Solution Tester, GCommerce, Inc.
  • Emily Burns, IT Manager, Ruan Transportation Management Systems
  • Lisa Butler, Information Security Officer, Mom’s Meals
  • Kevin Hersom, Director IT – Platforms, CUNA Mutual Group
  • Josh Holst, VP of Cloud Services, Involta, LLC
  • Ryan Huffman, Data Science Lead, Growers Edge Financial, Inc.
  • Mike Johnson, Director of IT, Don Hummer Trucking
  • Katie Jones, Integration Manager, EMC Insurance Companies
  • Amanda, Kasten, Director of Program Management, Kingland Systems
  • Shivani Kharbanda, Data Scientist, John Deere – Intelligent Solutions Group
  • Michael Lohrbach, Director Information Technology, Iowa State University
  • Stephen Morgan, Director of IT Architecture, Fareway Stores, Inc.
  • Andrew Mueller, HR Systems & Planning Manager, Pella Corporation
  • Casie Muller, Assistant Director – Engineering, Principal Financial Group
  • Beth Rissman, Technical Delivery Manager, Pearson
  • Scott Robinson, Director — Web Development, Merchants Bonding Company
  • Howard Samarin, IT Supervisor, United Equipment Accessories Inc.
  • Page Smith, Director of Digital Solutions, Kreg Tool Company
  • John Sonneville, Senior Solutions Architect, Data and Analytics, John Deere Financial
  • Theresa Swaim, Application Development Manager, FBL Financial Group, Inc.
  • Bryan Tonne, VP-IT Operations, VGM Group
  • Aaron Welch, IT Manager, Ramco Innovations
  • Ryan Wood, Director, IT Security & Systems Engineering, Kum & Go

2021 CBJ Cybersecurity Symposium set for Dec. 7 in Coralville

The 2021 CBJ Cybersecurity Symposium will address real-world data breaches at Iowa companies. A panel of local business leaders will share their experiences, lessons learned, and advice to avoid ending up in the same situation.

Following the panel discussion, industry experts will discuss the latest requirements for cybersecurity insurance, and ProCircular will lead attendees through a brief Incident Response Planning session to help prepare for game day.

Click here for tickets.

Middle Bit: Nebullam to begin delivering in Cedar Rapids | 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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