State awards tech start-up grants

Five Iowa technology businesses, including three in the Corridor, have been awarded grants by the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board.

Cedar Rapids-based ProduceRun has developed a technology that allows farmers to upload their farm goods onto a website with photos and pricing, providing an easier way for consumers and workplaces to buy goods directly from small-scale farmers.

The company was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Iowa Proof of Commercial Relevance fund for farmer outreach, marketing and website maintenance and development.

Re-APP, which is doing business as Sift, was started in Cedar Rapids in January 2014 by Blake Rupe. The company creates mobile applications to promote sustainability.

After gaining preliminary interest from users as well as the recycling industry from the company's first app, Re-APP, Blake built a team and joined the Iowa Startup Accelerator.

In the fall of 2014, the team began building Re-APP's second product, Sift. It enables users to measure, catalog and track all sustainability actions, including recycling.

Re-APP received a $25,000 grant from the Proof of Commercial Relevance Fund to complete a corporate sustainability pilot program.

Higher Learning Technologies (HLT) was founded in Coralville in 2012 with a single software product for dental students studying for their licensure exams.

Today, HLT's products include mobile apps for test preparation and education. They are sold through the Apple and Google app stores for smartphones and tablets.

The IEDA board approved a $300,000 loan through the Iowa Innovation Acceleration Fund for hiring key personnel and market planning and entry activities.