Puddle Hops

Apparel brand uses llama fur KANSAS CITY, MO–Did you know that alpaca fur is hypoallergenic? Well, you do now. KC siblings Glynis, Giancarlo, and Stephen Castaneda started saving the fiber…

Surgical robot performs first surgery on ISS LINCOLN, NE—A tiny robot known as spaceMIRS, developed by engineers at The University of Nebraska, has completed its first surgery demo in zero gravity.…

Tech tool helps install underground power lines CLEVELAND, OH–According to the Department of Energy, The U.S.’s electric distribution system has more than 5.5 million miles of power lines and more…

Nonprofits on the rise and so is the tech used to operate them COLUMBUS, OH—You know that the number of nonprofits in the U.S. is on the rise in the…

Firm to develop COVID vaccine for animals MILWAUKEE, WI—Biotech firm PlantPharm BioMed has been awarded more than $900,000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service…

A plant-based egg substitute MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Puris, a pea-protein manufacturer, has debuted AcreMade, a plant-based egg substitute that comes in powder form and can be scrambled, cooked, or baked. The product, which is safe…

Startup uses AI to help students with dyslexia PITTSBURGH, PA—A new platform is tailored to address challenges people with dyslexia face. Luca.ai, launched by Scott Sosso a decade after his son…

Startup provides STEM kits to underserved communities DETROIT, MI—Across America, only 7% of STEM college degrees go to black students. Two native Detroiters, Alecia Gabriel, PhD and Deirdre Roberson, think…

A more affordable robotic hand PITTSBURGH, PA—Even though the progress made in medical robotic hardware has been remarkable, one problem remains: the cost of such tech can be out of…

Big industries look to startups for innovation KANSAS CITY, MO—Good news for startups! At an Iron Prairie Ventures panel conversation last month in Kansas City, industrial tech leaders talked about…

Cashierless retail in convenience stores RALEIGH, NC—AI is having a big moment in retail. North Carolina companies Vontier and Gilbarco Veeder-Root partnered to develop a cashierless retail concept called Nomad…

Blood test detects Parkinson’s disease early DURHAM, NC—Researchers at Duke University has developed a blood test that detects Parkinson’s disease, a major advancement for the disease, which afflicts 10 million…

Curing disease with sound wave energy ANN ARBOR, MI—A University of Michigan startup is commercializing medical technology that offers an incisionless and non-toxic way to destroy disease tissue via sound wave…

Grasp Robotics part of Robotic Factory PITTSBURGH, PA—Revanth Damerla is a student at the University of Michigan who wants to duplicate all the functions of the human hand into a…

Kansas City’s Archer Technologies acquired for over $1 billion OVERLAND PARK, KS—Archer Technologies, a provider of governance, risk, and compliance software, has been acquired by a private equity firm in…

New MRI machine reduces patient time spend up to 75% EAST LANSING, MI–As a diagnostic tool, MRIs can be a trying experience. Getting an MRI is intimidating, especially if you…

Getting there faster LOUIS, MO—While we’re still holding out forteleportation, this might just be the next best thing for now. The Boeing Company has won a $2.6 million contract to…

Astrobotic goes to the moon PITTSBURGH, PA—Aerospace startup Astrobotic Technology Inc., launched out of Carnegie Mellon, has been developing space robotics technology for lunar and planetary missions since 2007. Now it…

Nurse practitioner invents device to help children receive anesthesia without anxiety CINCINNATI, OH–Each year, millions of kids across the country undergo medical procedures requiring anesthesia. A nurse practitioner at Cincinnati…