The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) today announced billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor Mark Cuban as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC 2025), which will be held in Indianapolis June 2-5, 2025. A graduate of Indiana University, Cuban has achieved significant success as an entrepreneur and investor. In addition to founding disruptive companies like Cost Plus Drugs, which is transforming the prescription drug market, Cuban has invested in hundreds of companies and has served as a lead investor featured on the Emmy-Award-winning show “Shark Tank” since 2011.
“Many of my business and entrepreneurship activities first took shape during my college days in Indiana,” said Cuban. “I look forward to returning to Indiana to share my story and engage with entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers from around the world.”
Hosted by GEN in a different rising entrepreneurial city each year, the GEC gathers thousands of delegates from 200 countries to share and strengthen innovative approaches to empowering entrepreneurs everywhere. Indianapolis will be the second U.S. location to host the annual convention since its inaugural event in 2009, underscoring the state’s focus on entrepreneurship.
“As an entrepreneur and business owner for 37 years, I understand the importance of supporting entrepreneurs in all stages as they drive our economy forward,” said Indiana Governor Mike Braun. “With an intentional approach to growth, long-term fiscal stability and lower costs, Indiana is one of the top-rated states to start a business. We are thrilled to host GEC 2025, welcoming thousands of guests from around the world to remove entrepreneurial barriers and build relationships.”
In addition to a compelling keynote from Mark Cuban and insightful talks from other global leaders, the GEC 2025 program includes informative summits, workshops and masterclasses, investor matchmaking, a government ministerial and networking events.
Over the course of four days, thought leaders will inspire and challenge new thinking, trends and opportunities. GEC 2025 is targeted toward company founders, investors, policymakers and entrepreneurial ecosystem builders, providing a specific track with curated content for each audience.
“The Global Entrepreneurship Congress unites bold changemakers committed to tackling the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Jonathan Ortmans, founder and president of GEN. “Visionary founders, forward-thinking policymakers, investors and support organizations from economies of all sizes will come together in the same room — turning ideas into action to fuel economic growth and drive meaningful change to expand human welfare.”
Indiana hosting GEC 2025 is another example of the state’s focus on cultivating a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem. Indiana was ranked as the No. 11 emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem in the U.S. per the latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report from Startup Genome and GEN. Last year, Forbes named Indiana the second-best state in America to start a business.
Sponsors for GEC 2025 include Indiana University, Eli Lilly & Company, University of Notre Dame and Google. A few sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, reach out here.
To learn more about the GEC 2025 event in Indiana, visit www.gec.co.
AgriNovus Indiana, a nonprofit coalition focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy, announced today changes to its executive committee and its board of directors.
The board unanimously approved the addition of Robert King, executive vice president, Crop Protection Business Unit at Corteva Agriscience, and David Pugh, chief financial officer of AgReliant Genetics, to the executive committee. The board also approved the addition of Dr. Brian Lutz, vice president of Agricultural Solutions at Corteva Agriscience, and Micah Beckwith, Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, as successions to replace outgoing directors.
“Indiana’s agbioscience economy continues to grow thanks to the direction and support of the AgriNovus board of directors,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The addition of these experts to our Board brings even more breadth of expertise to our team as we work to build the agbioscience economy of the future.”
Beckwith is Indiana’s lieutenant governor, overseeing the state’s Department of Agriculture and leading the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. He grew up working in the dairy industry and for more than fifteen years, he has served as a pastor. Beckwith holds a bachelor of science in Business and Economics from Huntington College.
King is executive vice president of the Crop Protection Business Unit at Corteva Agriscience, a role he assumed in 2022. Prior to Corteva, he served as senior vice president and chief integrated supply officer at Nouryon, a specialty chemicals company, where he spearheaded the global and cross-business integration of the company’s supply chain. King has also held leadership roles at PPG, Nutrien, Agrium and Celanese, leading teams in the United States, Canada, China and the United Kingdom. King holds a bachelor of science in Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University, a master’s of business administration from Texas Woman’s University and is also a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.
Lutz is vice president of Agricultural Solutions at Corteva Agriscience, overseeing the development of digital solutions that support the research and development pipeline. Previously, he was chief science officer of The Climate Corporation and held a leadership role on the Bayer Crop Science research and development team. Lutz was raised on a fourth-generation farm in Ohio and remains closely connected to his family’s farming operation. He earned his bachelor of science in Biology from the College of Wooster and his doctorate in Biogeochemistry from Duke University. Lutz also holds certificates from Northwestern University in executive education and business management.
Pugh serves as vice president of finance and chief financial officer of AgReliant Genetics, overseeing the financial direction of the company on key, long-range strategies. Previously, he was treasurer and vice president of finance strategy and risk management for Elanco Animal Health, where he established the treasury and risk management teams upon Elanco’s IPO and spin off from Eli Lilly. Prior to Elanco, Pugh spent 24 years with Eli Lilly & Company where he held several positions in finance and information technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Purdue University and a master of business administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
The AgriNovus Indiana board of directors is comprised of leaders from industry, academia and government. All members are listed online at www.AgriNovusIndiana.com/Board.
Research estimates the global animal health market to be roughly $8 billion, a number analyst firm Grand View Research expects to grow at a 10% compounded annual growth rate through 2030. Much of that growth will be driven by biotechnology. Dr. Todd Zion, CEO and founder of Akston Biosciences, joins this week to help understand what is happening in the biotech markets, specifically as it relates to companion animal innovation. We get into:
New integration automates FS invoice processing, eliminating manual data entry for farmers
Traction Ag Inc., a leading farm accounting and operations software solutions provider, today announced its new automated billing capabilities with FS. This strategic integration enables seamless synchronization of FS bills directly into Traction Ag’s cloud-based platform, significantly reducing manual data entry and keeping farm records up to date.
The integration addresses a critical pain point in farm management by eliminating manual data entry – a time-intensive process that has long challenged agricultural operations. Through this innovative solution, farmers can now automatically import, review and approve FS billing data within their accounting system, saving valuable time.
“This integration with Traction Ag marks a first for FS – the ability for farmers to easily access data directly in their accounting system wasn’t previously possible,” said Brad Drake, EVP & COO at GROWMARK. “By streamlining the billing process, we’re helping our farmers spend less time on paperwork and more time focused on what they do best – farming.”
Key benefits:
Direct import of bills into a true farm accounting system, not just an expense-tracking tool
Brian Stark, Co-founder of Traction Ag, emphasized the platform’s unique position in the market: “What sets Traction Ag apart is our commitment solely to farm accounting. When farmers process their FS bills through our platform, they’re not simply tracking costs – they’re generating actual accounting transactions. This distinction is crucial for operations that rely on precise financial data to drive informed marketing and planning decisions.”
“As a farmer, every hour saved on paperwork is time back in the field or with family,” said Kyle Vogt, Traction Ag customer. “With bills automatically flowing into Traction Ag, my accounting records stay accurate without the manual data entry – exactly the efficiency today’s farms need.”
Looking ahead, Traction Ag is expanding its partnership program to collaborate with other cooperatives and agribusinesses seeking to streamline their accounting workflows. With proven integration capabilities through platforms like Agvance, used in this FS integration, Traction Ag is well-positioned to scale efficiency-driving solutions to more farmers quickly.
The integration is now available to Traction Ag customers working with FS. For more information, visit Traction Ag at the Commodity Classic trade show at booth #611 or tractionag.com.
Pitchbook reports that of venture capital deals in 2024, roughly 30% of them were down rounds or flat, meaning their valuation of the companies either went backwards or were the same round to round. It’s a trend that will continue, so how can entrepreneurs break the cycle? Matt Tyner, managing partner of America’s most active venture capital firm – Elevate Ventures, joins today to make sense of what’s ahead and how innovators can succeed. He gets into:
Indiana tech innovators and talent development leaders hail from Bloomington, Carmel, Evansville, Gary, Indianapolis, Muncie, South Bend and West Lafayette
TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, today honored 20 Indiana tech sector innovators and tech talent development leaders at the 2025 Mira Awards gala, commonly known as “The Oscars of Indiana Tech.”
More than 1,500 members of the Indiana tech sector gathered at The Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel for the annual gala, now in its 26th year. The Mira Awards are designed to elevate the most innovative companies in Indiana’s tech ecosystem. Winners were selected by a rigorous judging process who reviewed 221 submissions.
“Indiana’s tech ecosystem is growing deeper and more innovative every year,” said TechPoint President and CEO Ting Gootee. “It’s always a difficult decision, choosing among the state’s wide array of promising leaders and innovators, and this year was no exception. It’s inspiriting to be in the room with this group.”
Mira award winners announced are below.
AgriNovus Indiana Agbioscience Innovation Award: ReproHealth Technologies (Indianapolis)
This new award recognizes outstanding startups and innovators within larger agbioscience corporations that are solving some of the world’s biggest challenges while also contributing to economic growth.
ReproHealth Technologies enables farmers to be more sustainable and efficient. Its founding team has more than 25 years of experience across human and veterinary reproductive medicine, embryology and biomedical engineering and has multiple innovations in reproductive care and technology. Founder and CEO Dr. Jim Donahue, who began his career as a human fertility doctor, used his unique perspective to provide an innovative solution to a gap in the agbioscience market that has brought new opportunities to the industry. Market response validates the opportunity and need for the company’s technology.
Exceptional Employer of the Year: SEP (Carmel)
Established in 1988, the 100 percent employee-owned SEP credits its success to a focus on the diversity, daily collaboration and talent of its teams, and company leaders’ commitment to evolve. The full-time, in-person workplace, routinely attracts and retains local talent with opportunity to work remotely for companies across the world and has a 95.6 employee retention rate. Team members are empowered to tell clients kind truths, even if it means sacrificing business. Twenty-five percent and 37.5 percent of SEP’s C-Suite and directors, respectively, is made up of women. The SEP Foundation has awarded five STEM scholarships within the community, opening doors to high school graduates from underrepresented groups across the state and works closely with organizations dedicated to developing Indiana tech talent from underserved groups.
Digital Transformation of the Year: NextGear Capital (Carmel)
NextGear Capital (NGC) is the largest independent inventory finance company in North America, providing flexible lines of credit for dealers to purchase inventory from more than 1,000 live and online auctions throughout the United States. The company’s 14,000+ active dealers conduct about 140,000 audits per year via third party staff of more than 350 auditors. This one size fits all approach has been a consistent pain point for dealers as collateral audits are time-consuming and often disrupt operations. Launched in 2024, NextGear’s “Digital Audit Transformation” eliminates the need for third party auditors with its suite of in-house solutions that enriches risk management and offers a best-in-class client experience. Additionally, an industry-first Dealer Self-Audit experience efficiently manages risk with minimal effort needed from clients and the internal team.
Talent Impact: STARTedUP Foundation (Indianapolis)
Since 2017, STARTedUP has worked with more than 10,000 students in 59 Indiana counties and has created the largest high school pitch competition in the country. It encourages creativity and critical thinking and provides students with hands-on experiences that build essential skills for the future workforce. In addition, the foundation has trained and supported more than 210 educators. Through partnerships and alliances with private sector companies, STARTedUP is working to expand STEM education in rural and underserved areas, ensuring students have access to quality resources and mentorship, bridging the gap between education and real-world applications. It has collected $15 million for scholarships from 12 university partners and trade schools. More than $650,000 has been awarded to high school students to further their entrepreneurial endeavors. Ninety percent of STARTedUP students choose to remain in Indiana after graduation.
Higher Education Innovation Award: MathTrack Institute (Indianapolis)
The only institution to develop an apprenticeship-based bachelor’s degree pathway in Mathematics, MathTrack Institute addresses a critical shortage of qualified mathematics teachers by reimagining how educators are trained, licensed, and professionally developed. MathTrack successfully lobbied state legislators to include teachers on the NEXTLevel Jobs list, enabling access to work-based learning funds through workforce boards. With partnerships and approvals in multiple states, and licensure reciprocity in 40+ states, MathTrack has developed a far-reaching network that allows it to support teacher licensure and development on a national scale, has advanced the teacher preparation field and fostered a new model of higher education responsive to workforce needs, teacher development, and student outcomes.
Community Impact Award: IronWorkz (Gary)
Founded in December 2022, by Faith N. Spencer, Alex Termini, and Emmani Ellis, IronWorkz was created to address long-term equity issues in the Gary area by providing a grassroots-focused, entrepreneurial hub for individuals to create and innovate. Through various programs and initiatives, IronWorkz connects residents with local organizations and resources that can help them develop their ideas and start their own businesses, which stimulates economic growth and promotes self-sufficiency and personal development. The name of the company is an homage to the city’s steel industry, which attracted families from southern states who were looking for opportunities to improve their lives.
Startup of the Year: rScan (South Bend)
rScan was established to address inefficiencies and sustainability challenges associated with product returns in the retail industry. The company’s platform empowers users to efficiently establish resale operations. Seamlessly integrating with major retail and e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, rScan’s technology optimizes inventory management, pricing and logistics. This automation simplifies the resale market, creating opportunities for economic growth while contributing to environmental sustainability. rScan, which expects to earn annual revenue of more than $2 million, plans to expand its headquarters in South Bend and create 152 new jobs over the next four years. By promoting the resale of returned products, rScan diverts substantial volumes from landfills, directly contributing to environmental conservation. Strategic partnerships with industry leaders have validated rScan’s technology and demonstrate its potential for scalability and market influence.
Rising Entrepreneur of the Year: Jorge Saenz (Indianapolis)
Jorge Saenz launched AeroCore Technologies from his garage, based on his vision for improving jet engine performance and to contribute to national security and environmental sustainability. Currently employing about 100 people, the Lebanon-based company is poised for significant growth and impact. Saenz invented nucleated foam technology, which has helped position AeroCore at the forefront of enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of jet engines for the U.S. military and commercial airlines. In addition to its work in the aerospace sector, AeroCore also provides innovative solutions to the oil and gas industry, specifically in refineries. Saenz, who graduated from West Lafayette High School and Purdue University, also works to develop tech talent and raise awareness of Indiana as an innovation hub.
Conexus Indiana Manufacturing Innovation Award: Arcamed (Indianapolis)
Arcamed (est. 2012) is a contract manufacturer of surgical case and tray systems, primarily serving orthopedic Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). In 2018, the company expanded its production capabilities to include precision machined instruments and orthopedic implants, providing surgeons and physicians with what they need to improve a patient’s quality of life. As part of their ongoing innovation strategy, the firm deployed five Universal Robots cobots with integrated machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, revolutionizing their computer numerical control (CNC) machine tending and press brake production operations. The cobot-based system was implemented by two of Arcamed’s young engineers and paired with custom-designed infeed, outfeed, and part picking processes. The new automation has enabled Arcamed’s production team to flexibly manufacture high-mix, low-volume products, and seamlessly handle parts of varying sizes from as small as a jewelry box to as large as a shoebox.
BioCrossroads Life Sciences Innovation Team Award: GeniPhys (Indianapolis)
This new award recognizes groundbreaking advancements in life sciences, honoring teams that drive innovation to benefit patients and elevate Indiana’s leadership in health and biotechnology.
GeniPhys stands out for its pioneering work in regenerative medicine, developing advanced extracellular matrix-based biomaterials that promote natural tissue repair and healing. The company’s innovative solutions address critical challenges in tissue engineering and wound care, offering transformative potential for patient outcomes. As the first-ever recipient of this award, GeniPhys exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and impact that this recognition celebrates. Its work highlights the immense value of Indiana-based life sciences teams in shaping the future of healthcare and advancing the state’s position as a global hub for innovation.
Resilience Award: Nida Ansari (Indianapolis)
Ansari was born in the Middle East and moved to the Washington D.C. area as a child seven months before the September 11 attacks. In the aftermath, her father faced discrimination at work, she was told not to speak up in school and a next-door neighbor’s home was raided for having affiliations with the local mosque. Despite Ansari’s academic proficiency, she found little guidance in her high school and was the only Pakistani for most of her time in college. Visa delays kept her in Pakistan for eight weeks during her freshman year, forcing her to withdraw from college for a semester but she graduated on time as a Chemistry major. She faced challenges with her Visa status but continued to successfully pursue advanced degrees. She became a US citizen after 19 years of struggle. After finding corporate success, she launched Karmic Partners to help early-stage entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She serves as an angel investor, is the Chief Innovation Officer at 16 Tech and has helped develop Indiana’s hardtech ecosystem. She works with multiple community groups and established the Networking with Purpose initiative, which has served nearly 80,000 meals to food insecure Hoosiers, Syrians, Turks, and Yemenis.
Emerging Tech Leader of the Year: Kevin Celisca of Integrate School (Bloomington)
A first-generation Haitian American, Celisca’s journey to democratize education required him to overcome adversity, personally and professionally. Zip Code discrimination motivated him to level the playing field for all students, regardless of their geographic circumstances. He co-founded Integrate School, a platform that saves teachers across the U.S. hours of administrative work, improves the quality of instruction and provides transparency to parents and administrators. Celisca’simpact goes beyond his product. He is a leader who cares deeply about his team, educators, and the students they serve. He has built a culture at Integrate School that values diversity, collaboration, and constant improvement. His ability to combine empathy with business acumen has enabled him to secure investments, drive growth and build a sustainable, socially impactful company.
Innovation Service Partner of the Year: Reveal Risk (Carmel)
The U.S. cybersecurity market is projected to grow to $166.73 billion by 2032, but only a small fraction of amount is directed toward helping businesses teach their workforces what they need to know and do to protect themselves, their families, and their companies from cyber threats. Reveal Risk, launched in 2018, reimagined what advising, transforming and powering a cybersecurity program should be and could become. The company’s Human Risk Management (HRM) / Cyber Workforce Awareness service, which essentially enables clients to stay a step ahead of cyber criminals, has attracted national attention for its potential to address this ever-growing challenge.
Tech Innovation of the Year: Anu (Evansville)
Working with Eko Solutions in 2024, Anu overcame key technical limitations in its indoor farming and controlled environment agriculture industries. Historically, indoor farming systems have struggled with low yield densities, power inefficiencies, and labor-intensive operations, making them less viable for high-demand, remote, or urban areas. Anu’s Rotary Aeroponics® system addresses these limitations by offering unprecedented power efficiency, scalability, and ease of use. The system significantly reduces energy consumption while increasing yield density and reducing labor needs through AI-driven automation. The collaboration allows for highly customizable, modular, climate-controlled farms that can be deployed in various verticals, including universities for research and experiential learning, hospitals for food-as-medicine programs, military bases for tactical self-sufficiency, and more. Anu uses AI-driven image data collection to optimize plant growth, reduce water and nutrient usage, to deliver tailored growth environments for each plant. This fusion of AI and agriculture ensures consistency, high quality, and scalability, allowing the technology to be applicable in food security initiatives, high-demand urban settings, and remote locations that face supply chain vulnerabilities.
Tech Company of the Year with fewer than 500 employees: Accutech Systems (Muncie)
Accutech started in 1987 as a provider of trust accounting software for community banks. The company has experienced explosive success in areas previously dominated by large fintech companies and now provides comprehensive software platforms to trust and wealth management institutions and to financial planners. The company also developed a trust platform named Cheetah, which revolutionized the trust industry. It was the first platform of its kind to be cloud native and browser-based, saving clients time and money and delivering enhanced security and has evolved into a comprehensive suite of wealth management solutions focused on efficiency and speed serving hundreds of banking and wealth management clients with hundreds-of-thousands of customers managing hundreds-of-billions of dollars. Unger has declined to relocate the company from Muncie. Accutech was named to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Inc. 5000s list of fastest growing privately owned companies.
Tech Company of the Year with more than 500 employees: Republic Airways (Indianapolis)
Republic Airways is most commonly known for its fleet of 200+ Embraer aircraft, which fly millions of passengers annually, but its innovative technology solutions set it apart from its peers. The company develops powerful, cross-functional teams that develop and integrate cutting-edge technology into every aspect of company operations. Recent examples of in-house developments include its cloud-native CrewPay system, which simplifies the daily complexities of crewmember pay and expands the reach of the company’s operational tech portfolio, as well as the multi-year YXBlue project that revolutionized the company’s entire suite of Flight, Maintenance (MX) Control, and Ops/Crew Management applications, the very heart of its operation. The Flight and aircraft MX control components were launched in 2024. The Ops/Crew module in on pace to be delivered in 2025. Republic’s investment in technology has led to measurable improvements in its operations, including a more precise flight planning capability. Through it, Republic has reduced the amount of fuel which needs to be loaded per flight, providing tangible results in alignment with its sustainability and community efforts. The company operated 235,000+ flights in 2024 with an on-time performance exceeding 85 percent.
Award-winning mobile platform launched by DIAL Ventures sees rapid growth and user adoption while helping farmers streamline equipment tracking and operational knowledge
Gripp, an award-winning mobile-first platform revolutionizing agricultural operations management, today announced it has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed round funding. The round was led by Ag Ventures Alliance, with participation from Two Ravens, Infinity Holding Ventures, C2 Ventures, Tundra Angels, Countryside Angels, DMM Holdings, and Glen Haven Farms, Inc.
Launched out of the DIAL Ventures studio at Purdue University, Gripp has demonstrated strong market validation with zero churn across more than 70 agricultural operations since launching in 2023. The platform enables farmers to digitize their operations through a simple QR-based mobile system that tracks operational activities and conversations, manages equipment and preserves critical operational knowledge.
“The agricultural industry has been asking for solutions that truly understand their day-to-day challenges like easily keeping tabs on equipment and maintenance needs,” said Tracey Wiedmeyer, Co-Founder and CEO of Gripp. “We are proud to be meeting farmers in the field and building exactly what they need – a simple, friction-free system that helps them get a grip on their operations without requiring expensive hardware or complex implementations. The overwhelming response from our early customers shows we are solving a real pain point for farmers – who continue to be overlooked by those outside the industry.”
The funding will accelerate Gripp’s market expansion through:
“We are looking for innovation that can increase farm profitability,” said Spencer Stensrude, CEO of AgVentures Alliance. “Gripp is solving a real problem for farmers. Gripp could be on every farm in America.”
Gripp was the third startup launched from the DIAL Ventures studio program, which focuses on solving problems in the agri-food industry through digital innovation.
“The agricultural sector’s digital transformation is essential for meeting future food production demands,” said Allan Gray, Executive Director of DIAL Ventures. “Gripp exemplifies our mission to bring practical innovation to the field that solves real problems. Their approach to preserving operational farm knowledge while simplifying day-to-day management addresses a critical need as the ag workforce evolves.”
The seed round funding comes on the heels of Gripp being named:
