On April 14, at the Technology Association of Iowa’s 11th Annual LWBJ Prometheus awards, the Iowa City area was presented with the Technology Community of the Year Award, which recognizes a city or region that supports tech-based companies and uses information and communications technology to improve quality of life, education, and workforce.
Among the list of finalists were a number of University of Iowa startups and spinouts, including Higher Learning Technologies (in the Top Growth Company of the Year and Technology Company of the Year small/medium categories), MediRevv (in the Best User of Technology category), Voxello (in the Outstanding Startup Company of the Year category), Viewpoint Molecular Targeting (in the Life Sciences Company of the Year category), and others. View the full list of finalists and winners here.
The Iowa City Area, consisting of Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty, was chosen from eight communities as an “epicenter of growth and support for education in technology,” coming in ahead of both Cedar Rapids and Greater Des Moines.
Mark Nolte, President of the Iowa City Area Development Group, accepted the inaugural award in this category on behalf of the area. “We are honored to be a part of the true spirit of collaboration and willingness to act to make the area a place where young tech companies succeed faster because of our collective efforts,” he said.
The numbers show that the Iowa City Area is a leader in the state and even the country in terms of business and technology growth. Sixty-seven percent of companies in the Iowa City Area plan to expand in the next three years, compared to a 46 percent Iowa average. Eighty-eight percent of companies plan to add new products and services in the next two years, compared to only 71 percent nationally.
In the school systems, fiber is being coordinated with the school district to ensure that the K-12 system has proper internet access for all new and existing schools.
“The Iowa City Area has a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem to support startup activity, has a strong community of leaders, and prioritizes diversity and cooperation,” the Technology Association of Iowa said in a press release announcing the award winners.
The Prometheus Awards are presented each year by the Technology Association of Iowa and LWBJ to celebrate individual and company leaders in the innovation, development, commercialization and management of technology.
The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) is a member-based, nonprofit organization accelerating the success of Iowa’s technology industry. TAI creates and sustains a positive environment for technology-based economic growth and job creation through innovation, advocacy, and leadership. TAI members include organizations of every size, involved in every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Iowa.
LWBJ is one of the Midwest’s leading CPA, business advisory and M&A firms, delivering a broad range of tax, accounting, consulting and investment banking capabilities to serve businesses and individuals.