Blog
June 21, 2020

Pipeline Progress: From Medical Devices to Virtual Reality to AI in Omaha’s Innovation Ecosystem

The Economic Development Administration's Good Jobs Challenge marks another milestone in Omaha's evolving innovation pipeline programs. The proposed Omaha AI Pipeline (OAIP) represents the latest evolution in a sequence of successful initiatives that began with the...

Omaha Startup Weekend: How to Build a Business in 48 Hours

Open Range and Techstars Omaha brought Omaha Startup Weekend back to town June 5-7, for a hugely successful event at Catalyst Omaha. After 20+ individual one-minute micro-pitches on Friday night from founders from the Midwest, 60+ attendees voted on their seven...

Forged and Ready: Steel Works Wraps First Cohort

When the Steel Works Health Accelerator launched, it was "only an idea on paper." Tyler Scherr, UNeMed’s Licensing Specialist and Business Development Manager, has now seen the program through to its conclusion. On June 10, the Steel Works Health Accelerator closes...

Entrepreneurship Is a Team Sport: What the MTVA Teaches About Relationship-Building

Entrepreneurship is often portrayed as a solo journey: one founder, one big idea, one breakthrough moment.  But inside the Maverick Technology Venture Alliance (MTVA) at the University of Nebraska Omaha, students learn something different. Innovation happens through...

Welcome to Catalyst, UNeTech Institute!

OMAHA, Nebraska — UNeMed Corporation and the UNeTech Institute have announced plans to share office space, a development that reflects the natural evolution of a working relationship that has grown steadily over many years. The two organizations, both rooted in the...

Hidden Startup Gems in Nebraska: Finding Your First Customers (the Right Way)

When Chad launched his logistics tech idea in Omaha, he assumed finding customers would be the easy part.  He thought: “I have a working prototype. Just find users. That’s what comes next, right?”  He was wrong.  For months, Chad marketed online, tweeted about the...

What Is … Product-Market Fit?

When founders talk about product-market fit, they talk about building something people want. They talk about finding their audience, getting traction, proving demand. Product-market fit is the milestone that means you've made it. It means you've built a product people...

What Warren Buffett Gets Right About Entrepreneurship Relationships

Warren Buffett has spent decades explaining how to build wealth. But some of his most important lessons aren’t really about money at all. In fact, one of his most famous reflections about success has almost nothing to do with investing. Speaking to students at Georgia...

Startup Update: Doug Miller

Oh my gosh, welcome to Start-Up Update. My name is Joe Runge and boy do we have a stellar show for you tonight. My guest is Doug Miller, original CEO and now CPO of Impower Health. What does the P stand for? You're going to have to read on to find out.Doug Miller,...

HOT TAKE: HR Hiring Needs an Overhaul to Function for Startup Culture

We met for coffee at Catalyst, a space buzzing with energy from the dozens of tech startups and entrepreneurs working on the next big idea. Dillon de Rozairo sat across from me, animated, leaning in when he got excited. He’s young, sure, but he runs his own...
What is … biomechanics?

What is … biomechanics?

Not to boast, but younger me was onto something. Admittedly, I did not get all the details right but the headline is all that matters: biomechanics really was the next big thing.    Biomechanics is the study of how living things move. The world’s largest free-standing...

Microwash joins UNeTech Incubator

Microwash joins UNeTech Incubator

COVID-19 left so many scars---deaths in the global millions, a legacy of economic upheaval, long COVID, and a lingering sense of vulnerability. There is just no going back to the way things were. Worse still is a realization that the world likely never was as safe as...

Every good startup needs a heist team

Every good startup needs a heist team

I’m a huge fan of heist movies. I love watching the crew come together, the ridiculously overwrought plan, and then watching everyone improvise as it all goes wrong. What’s more rewarding than seeing a quirky group of specialists overcome a series of challenges to...

UNeTech Launches Website Redesign

UNeTech Launches Website Redesign

The UNeTech Institute is pleased to launch its new website, with the support of Wendy Biernbaum from the The Small e, student intern Blair Osika from Metropolitan Community College, and Jeffrey Sterup from UNMC IT Development & Software.The need for the relaunch...

Looking back: The history of the UNeTech logo

Looking back: The history of the UNeTech logo

Charlie Litton notices details. “I always thought it was remarkable, or interesting, that Lincoln has its own shade of red,” he said. “UNO has a different, slightly redder shade of red, and that UNMC has a slightly brighter shade of red too.” Despite their...

You May Also Enjoy…

What is …  a Startup Valuation?

What is … a Startup Valuation?

With all the talk we’ve had about IPOs, that inevitably leads to the question of how these companies can deem themselves valuable, particularly down to an exact numerical amount. That being said, it’s hard not to wonder how IPO valuations aren’t just a shot in the...

read more
Why You Should Care About IPOs

Why You Should Care About IPOs

Before, we talked about unicorn startups and how they’ve recently gained popularity. Although we can’t quite tell yet if unicorns will become commonplace, there has certainly been an uptick in their occurrence over the years which begs the question: will companies in...

read more
How Startups are Funded

How Startups are Funded

Have you ever wondered how the companies we all know came to be? They all had to start somewhere, most of the time with the help of external investors. If you’re anything like me, the concept of a company before reaching the stock market may perplex you. What...

read more