Startup Talk: Coding school offering scholarships

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 127 views 

Editor’s note: Each Thursday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Startup Talk,” a round-up of startup, technology and entrepreneurial news.

THE IRON YARD, INNOVATE ARKANSAS AND WINROCK ANNOUNCE $30,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UPCOMING CODE SCHOOL: The Iron Yard has partnered with Innovate Arkansas, a program of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Winrock International, to offer $30,000 in scholarships to applicants who enroll in the school’s upcoming software coding program in February.

The scholarships are open to applicants who demonstrate a passion for coding, dedication to the Little Rock community and have the drive to take the first step toward a rewarding career in technology. Twelve scholarships will be awarded in the amounts of $6,000 (two students); $3,000 (four students); and $1,000 (six students). The scholarship application can be found here. Those interested in applying should be planning to enroll or have already been accepted to The Iron Yard Little Rock’s immersive, 12-week program starting Feb. 15, 2016.

INDUSTRIAL GIANT MONSANTO TO INVEST IN A DOZEN FOOD AND AGRI STARTUPS: The venture capital arm of St. Louis-based industrial giant Monsanto announced Wednesday (Jan. 6) that it will invest for the first time in nearly a dozen independent companies that are active in key areas of agricultural productivity, digital agriculture and biologicals.

To date, Monsanto Growth Ventures has led or co-led all but two of its investments and counts more than 50 different co-investors in its portfolio. The investments range from structured buyouts, to syndicated venture capital investments with leading venture capital firms. All of them are independently run companies where MGV is a minority shareholder.

WELLS FARGO BULKS UP STARTUP PROGRAM: Financial giant Wells Fargo & Co. announced it has selected six additional clean technology startup companies to join its Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), a five-year, $10 million program to help accelerate new technologies. The early-stage companies will each receive up to $250,000 in cash and in-kind technical consultation to foster solutions focused on reducing energy and creating innovative clean technologies for commercial buildings. Launched in 2014, IN2 is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and co-administered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This is the second of three selection rounds. Last April, Wells Fargo selected four clean technology startups as the first participants in IN2.