DSM Accelerators
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses allows small business owners to learn, grow and connect with business peers and mentors. Over 300 Iowa business owner alumni are in this network.
The Startup Collaborator was created by John Deere to enhance precision technology in its agriculture and construction equipment through collaboration with startups.
The Global Insurance Accelerator is a mentor-driven accelerator designed to foster innovation in the insurance industry.
BrokerTech Ventures is an innovation hub for startups backed by twelve super-regional, privately held brokerage firms.
The Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Scale DSM Business Accelerator helps businesses gain access to knowledge, management know-how and networks.
The Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program is a unique opportunity hosted by America's Cultivation Corridor for global scaleup companies preparing to enter the U.S. ag, food or bioscience market.
Master the startup process with the premier statewide Venture School, an innovative training program focused on real-world experimentation, customer discovery, and Lean LaunchPad methodologies.
Recent Expansion and Projects
Growth is happening across DSM’s 12-county region, as these highlights demonstrate:
OpenLoop
OpenLoop Health, a national leader in white-label telehealth support services, was founded in late 2019 in Iowa in order to expand access to quality care to patients everywhere and accelerate virtual care with certified clinicians and insurance partners in all 50 states. OpenLoop has grown from just five employees to more than 300 in 2024. They are headquartered in Downtown Des Moines in the OpenLoop Tower.
PowerPollen
PowerPollen has engineered the first on-demand pollen solution at commercial scale. Their technology enables pollen to be collected, preserved and then applied at the optimal time. Their patented pollination technology helps to mitigate the negative impacts of weather variability, while producing greater consistency in yield and purity. By solving a previously impossible but critical step in plant reproduction, PowerPollen’s preserved pollen enables additional innovation for corn seed producers. They aim to provide similar offerings for rice and wheat as well as solutions for individual farmers. To date, the company has raised over $40M in capital and partnered with Liechtenstein Group to expand their technology in the creation of PowerPollen Rice.
John Deere
The company's Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) creates software for precision agriculture and is the company’s premier IT development department. John Deere ISG recently invested $32.6 million in a new office building to house 700 employees in Urbandale.
Coviance
Coviance is a lending experience platform built specifically for home equity. Powered by their proprietary Collateral Decisioning Engine™, Coviance’s intelligent automation and communication workflows are based on application data, property data and loan purpose. Coviance has been recognized as one of the best B2B providers by Inc. and was awarded Inc’s PowerPartner in 2023, HousingWire Tech100 in 2024 and earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in the U.S. in 2022, 2023, and 2024.