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Applications open for 2023 cohort of BrokerTech Ventures

November 2, 2022

BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), a Des Moines-based investor group and accelerator program focused on the insurance agent-broker industry, has opened the application window for its 2023 cohort.

The deadline for BTV Accelerator applications is December 15. The initial review will be in January, with the top 20 startups chosen to take part in the Selection Series in early March.

The Selection Series will be a virtual event where BTV partners can dig deeper into the products, companies, and teams. Following that, the cohort will begin the five-week accelerator program in April 2023. A total of $500,000 in seed funding is available for the selected startups, with each startup receiving up to $50,000.

“There isn’t anything that can accelerate a startup more than distribution, and that is exactly what the BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator does,” said John Jackovin, BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator Executive Director in a press release. “Our broker, carrier, and wholesaler partners are hungry for the latest technologies and products that will help them identify risks sooner, provide better service, and drive down costs. As a result, our startups achieve the acceleration they need to grow and thrive.”

Tags: BrokerTech Ventures

Applications open for 2023 cohort of BrokerTech Ventures | 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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