Indianapolis coding school Kenzie Academy to close
Kenzie Academy, launched in 2017, stopped enrolling new students on Tuesday and has eliminated the jobs of more than 100 employees.
Susan Orr
Articles
Indianapolis food-tech firm True Essence lands $27.6M growth investment
True Essence Foods, whose original product was an artisanal chocolate called SoChatti, has secured 15 patents for its technologies, with another 70 patent applications in process.
Software developers say AI technology helps them work faster—sometimes
Local tech firms that have started to use the technology say, with the caveat that it’s difficult to make long-term predictions about ever-changing technology, that they view generative AI as a tool rather than a job killer.
Feds want more teeth to fight fake online reviews
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a rule that would give it authority to fine businesses that write, buy or sell fake reviews, provide compensation for positive or negative reviews, or sell fake social media followers.
Upcoming Rally conference sparking additional downtown gatherings
At least seven other events are taking place in and around downtown Indianapolis Aug. 28-30, all designed to capitalize on the momentum organizers hope Rally will generate.
Noble Roman’s CEO to remain on company’s board for now
A major shareholder of the Indianapolis-based company had been attempting to get its own CEO elected to the board instead.
Indianapolis consulting startup Stitch lands $3.3M in state incentives
Stitch, a marketing tech consulting firm, can earn up to $3.3 million in state economic incentives if it hires at least 100 Hoosiers by the end of 2027. The company launched last year out of Indianapolis venture studio High Alpha.
Cybersecurity firm Stamus Networks lands $6M investment
The funding round included participation from Indianapolis-based investors Elevate Ventures and VisionTech Partners.
Inaugural Rally conference aims to draw innovators
The Aug. 29-31 event at the Indiana Convention Center will have 220 speakers, five pitch competitions offering up to $5 million in total prize money, and hundreds of meetings between entrepreneurs and investors representing multiple industries.
Noble Roman’s faces investor lawsuit in ongoing proxy war
Indianapolis-based Noble Roman’s Inc., which is battling one of its biggest shareholders over whether to replace CEO Scott Mobley on the restaurant company’s board of directors, is now facing a lawsuit from that shareholder over the same issue.
Bloomington-based angel investor fund has big growth plans
Dimension Mill just closed its fourth angel investors’ fund this week, with $1.08 million from 52 investors. The fund has been so successful since the program’s launch in 2020 that Dimension Mill is planning significant expansion to spur more investment activity.
Rising interest rates on credit cards are squeezing some small businesses
The average credit card interest rate charged by commercial banks was 20.1% at the end of the first quarter—the highest since the Federal Reserve began tracking this statistic in 1995. In comparison, that rate stood at 14.6% during the same period a year earlier.
Indianapolis-based Ren Inc. snags big investment from Bain Capital fund
Ren, an Indianapolis-based financial technology firm, says it received an investment of between $75 million and $300 million from a fund associated with Boston-based Bain Capital. It’s the first outside funding Ren has taken in its 36-year history.
Hoosier borrowers gearing up for restart of student loan payments
Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers will soon be required to make payments on their federal student loans after a 3-1/2-year pandemic pause—and some of those borrowers are more prepared for that day than others.
Indiana’s tech firms saw smaller investments, but more of them, in Q1
Indiana-based tech firms attracted more than $47 million from venture investors in 36 separate deals last quarter, according to a new report by Indianapolis-based TechPoint.
Cummins CEO Jennifer Rumsey to become company’s board chair
Rumsey will take over as Cummins board chair on Aug. 1, after former CEO Tom Linebarger steps down from the position.
Gleaners looking to tech to help feed state’s needs
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana’s core mission of providing food relief has become a lot more complicated over the past few years, thanks to the pandemic, and the organization is looking to technology to help it navigate its “new normal.”
Indianapolis startup Bereave aims to improve funeral planning
Bereave, which launched quietly in 2021, is developing an online platform where individuals can preplan the details of their funerals. The company is working to raise close to $1 million in “friends and family” funding
Amid proxy war, Noble Roman’s delays shareholders meeting
Indianapolis-based Noble Roman’s s in a heated battle with one of its biggest shareholders over whether CEO Scott Mobley should remain on the restaurant company’s board of directors.
Noble Roman’s sparring with investor over proposed leadership shake-up
West Fargo, North Dakota-based restaurant operator BT Brands Inc. filed a proxy statement this month asking shareholders to vote for its own CEO, Gary Copperud, rather than reelect Noble Roman’s CEO Scott Mobley to the five-member Noble Roman’s board.