Around the INOV8 Horn: Hayseed Ventures, Real Agent Guard
Innovate Arkansas clients and those with IA ties have been on the move this week, literally and figuratively.
A look around the IA horn:
- John James, founder of IA client and now e-commerce giant Acumen Brands, started the early-seed stage fund Hayseed Ventures. Arkansas Business reports that Hayseed will take over space in the historic Old Post Office on the Fayetteville square left by Country Outfitter, one of Acumen's brands. Hayseed is one of a growing number of local funding options for Arkansas tech startups, and Country Outfitter is moving to new digs.
- Justyn Hornor, who took Politapoll through the fall 2014 ARK Challenge in Little Rock, pivoted to Real Agent Guard and isn't looking back. Politapoll, an IA client firm by virtue of its acceptance into the ARK, since merged with Little Rock's Civik, and Real Agent Guard on Friday announced a $250,000 round from Little Rock's XCelerate Capital. Hornor founded both Politapoll and Real Agent Guard with Tim Brasuell. Real Agent Guard, which has been in talks with IA about becoming a client firm, provides a mobile-enabled personal security system for real estate agents. More from AB here.
- A couple of University Arkansas business-plan teams that competed at the recent 2015 Donald W. Reynolds Governor's Cup have fared well at competitions in Louisville and Jamaica (that must've been a tough gig). Undergraduate team GSS (Grow.Supply.Sustain) took home first place and $5,000 at the Global Student Business Plan Competition in Montego Bay, Jamaica. GSS produces sustainable food. Graduate team BioBridge, which is creating an online marketplace to connect researchers to suppliers of human biospecimens, won third place and $3,000 at the Brown-Forman Cardinal Challenge at the University of Louisville. More from the UA here.
- UA researchers and IA client firm founders Ajay Malshe of NanoMech and Ralph Henry of
InterveXion Therapeutics were recognized recently by UA Technology Ventures at the third-annual Inventors Appreciation Banquet. They were recognized for patents received over the course of the past year. Keep up the good work, guys.