Jim Hallett leaving executive leadership at KAR after 30 years
Hallett is retiring from his positions as executive chairman and board chairman, the Carmel-based company announced Friday. He will remain a member of KAR’s board of directors.
Susan Orr
Articles
Indianapolis-based consulting firm lands huge Space Force contract
Indianapolis-based Agility Consulting was one of 18 U.S. companies awarded a 5-year contract giving it a piece of $900 million in spending on data software services for the U.S. Space Force.
Chase exec Al Smith set to retire after six decades in banking
Smith, 82, will be wrapping up a 59-year banking career when he retires in May. He has spent his entire career working for banks that are now part of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Banking upheaval presents opportunity
The failures of both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier this month mean venture investors and startups in Indiana and elsewhere are rethinking how and where they bank.
Carmel-based startup Blue Agilis lands $2.5M seed investment
Founded in 2021, Blue Agilis helps health care providers customize their care based on research and provides a structure to make sure that care gets delivered.
Indianapolis-based angel investor group eyeing ‘record year’ in 2023, executive director says
VisionTech, a group of more than 130 investors, has so far this year made seven investments totaling $1 million. In comparison, the group made a total of 16 investments totaling $2.4 million in all of 2022.
Indianapolis-based Studio Science acquires RevTech360
Steve Pruden, CEO of design and innovation consulting firm Studio Science, said the acquisition of RevTech360 adds new technical capabilities to Studio Science’s lineup.
Fishers-based marketing-tech firm Vibenomics acquired
Vibenomics, which has raised about $32 million in investment capital since its 2016 launch, is now owned by Austin, Texas-based Mood Media, a much larger player in marketing tech field.
Steak n Shake rebounds with self-service push
Indianapolis-based Steak n Shake has spent $50 million to eliminate table service at its restaurants in favor of self-service ordering—an investment the company says has allowed it to regain profitability after three straight years of losses.
Ag-tech startup Athian secures investors for $5M funding round
Athian expects to begin beta testing for its first product this month. The company was launched last year by Greenfield-based Elanco and Indianapolis-based High Alpha Innovation.
Elevate Ventures launching new multiday innovation conference
The new event, called Rally, will take place at the Indiana Convention Center and feature a $5 million pitch competition, more than 200 speakers, and opportunities for entrepreneurs to demonstrate their innovations and meet individually with potential investors.
Local software startup Elate lands $4.9M VC investment
Indianapolis-based Elate was founded in 2019 by two former coworkers at another local software firm, Springbuk. Elate offers a platform to help organizations develop and execute their strategic plans.
Cummins expects big growth from its alternative-fuels business, CEO says
Cummins brought in $176 million—a tiny fraction of its overall revenue—from its electric and hydrogen products last year. But the company expects revenue to hit as much as $13 billion in 2030.
Cummins reveals Accelera as new brand for its green-tech power biz
The rebranding is an attempt to differentiate what until now had been known as Cummins’ New Power business unit, giving it a separate identity from the rest of the 104-year-old company, which has traditionally been known for its diesel engines.
Indianapolis-based Sanctuary Wealth ousts CEO, but won’t say why
Ousted CEO Jim Dickson founded Sanctuary in 2018 after the firm acquired Indianapolis-based David A. Noyes & Co., which in 2020 changed its name to Sanctuary Securities Inc.
Zionsville-based Group 1001 reports ransomware attack
The insurance holding company says all of its systems are back online following the Feb. 9 discovery of a ransomware attack that affected several of its subsidiary firms. But it hasn’t yet said how many individuals might have be affected by the attack.
Republic sues flight school students over deal for reduced tuition
The Indianapolis-based airline and its flight school have sued a dozen former students the airline says failed to honor their commitment to fly for Republic after graduation.
Ivy Tech to roll out new Ivy+ tech training program this month
Ivy+, which will offer non-degree credentials and skills training, launches in mid-March in Muncie, with an expected statewide rollout by the end of the month. Ivy Tech says it expects to enroll a cumulative 6,000 students by the end of next year, helping to ease Indiana’s tech workforce shortage.
Stifel sues rival financial firm over mass exodus from Indianapolis office
Stifel is suing a newly-formed competitor firm, Sapient Capital, alleging that Sapient conducted an “orchestrated raid” of Stifel’s 96th Street office, convincing nearly all the employees to jump ship and attempting to bring their clients and their $10 billion in assets with them. Sapient characterizes the situation differently.
For many Indy law firms, downtown remains where it’s at
Downtown law firms say they have good reasons to remain in the heart of the city—from logistical concerns to the desire for a central location to the prestige factor they associate with a downtown address.