Startup Fair highlights Iowa’s entrepreneurial ventures

How better to celebrate national Startup Day than to show off a state’s entrepreneurial efforts before an audience of the broader business and civic community? On Tuesday, StartupIowa hosted the inaugural Iowa Startup Fair, a science fair for grownups that drew more than 400 attendees across the state.

Designed to create valuable connections between the startup and business communities, the free event showed off the work of 100 startups. Entrepreneurs set up informational tables in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, and Pella. For a complete list of the exhibitors that participated, visit StartupIA.org.

“Startups in this state are really well-connected with each other and the same seems to be true within the broader business community,” said Christian Renaud, principal at StartupCity Des Moines, which hosted 30 exhibitors during the event. “The Startup Fair  was a first step in introducing these two communities to create partnerships that benefit both groups.”

Following the success of the inaugural Iowa Startup Fair, plans are in the works for another, possibly as soon as fall.