The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize.
A future, permanent home is still to be decided. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech.įor its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director.Īs 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. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. and DuPont Pioneer.Įach investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. “We want to see people improve their ability to communicate and think there’s a big wellness component in what we’re doing with Speeko.”Ī central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. “We think of communication as the next frontier in human productivity and corporate wellness,” Aguilar said.
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The app offers a free tier for users and a paid subscription tier that provides more advanced analytics. The launch of the Speeko app was announced at TechStars Demo Day on October 4. The built-in mentorship and networks through TechStars hav proven to be really helpful and resourceful for us.” “It just accelerated what we were able to do in a set period of time. “TechStars really helped us connect with a lot of founders and folks in the midwest startup ecosystem,” Aguilar said. Upon being accepted into the three-month program, the company was provided $120,000 in funding and direct access to a mentor network made up of Chicago tech investors, executives and entrepreneurs. Last year, Speeko was one of ten companies accepted into the Techstars Chicago Class of 2018. Winning the Business Model Competition advanced them to the 2018 International Business Model Competition, where they placed as semifinalists. In 2017, Speeko participated in the University of Iowa’s two main competitions-the Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition and Business Model Competition-and won both of them. The app then gives you coaching specifically tailored to how you can best improve your speaking skills. Speeko uses artificial intelligence and automated speech recognition to listen to how you speak, measuring a variety of metrics including words used, the pacing, all these different factors to see if you sound professional. “We want to bring this same breakthrough to a lot more people and we think technology is a way to do that.” “That journey of improving changed my life and is the spark behind starting Speeko,” Aguilar said.
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Aguilar worked with a public speaking coach, recorded himself and read about how to improve his speaking skill in books and online and was able to slowly get better and better. That moment served as a catalyst to improve his communication skills. “It’s something I’ve always struggled with, my anxiety and confidence with public speaking.” “I had a full-on anxiety attack in front of my entire class and it’s taken me a lot to come back from that,” Aguilar said.
Nico Aguilar still remembers his unsuccessful attempt to give a speech in his University of Iowa rhetoric class.
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