Nitride Solutions will produce substrates that are used to build electronics such as DVD players, TVs, and other LED products. The company’s innovation in technology will create aluminum nitride substrates at a high volume and a low cost while improving on the defect rate of current products on the market. The product will help manufacturers lower their costs while increasing the efficiency of power systems in hybrid vehicles, improving consumer and industrial lighting, sharpening color on flat-screen TVs, and enhancing air and water purifiers. Nitride will use the funding to begin manufacturing and sales by the end of 2011.

“Nitride Solutions’ novel method of creating substrates will change the market,” said Karen Linder, co- deal lead for Nebraska Angels in Lincoln. “The technology is revolutionary, and the leadership team has the commercial experience and the scientific skills that will make the company successful.”

Nebraska Angels President, John Brasch said, “Nitride Solutions is a technology play with exciting possibilities. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to invest in their proposal. This was our first instance of investing with our peers from Kansas angel groups. We look forward to their co-investing with us in future Nebraska based startup company opportunities.”

Founded in 2009, Nitride Solutions is led by president and CEO Jeremy Jones, who has 30-plus years of experience in advanced materials businesses and COO Jason Schmitt, who has worked with this technology for 14 years.

Read the article and watch the interview here

The Omaha company released Battle Bears with both paid and free versions. The 3D action shooter game is taking the country by storm and has received attention locally, nationally and across the Internet. SkyVu has been updating the world on success of the game using its own web site and pages on Facebook and Twitter.

SkyVu Pictures Inc. is an American animation studio based in Omaha, Nebraska with studios in Singapore and Vietnam. SkyVu specializes in creating original character franchises for film, TV, and mobile games. SkyVu was founded by animator Benjamin Vu and his brother Hoa Vu who manages the company’s Asia operations.

SkyVu Pictures is the studio that never sleeps. SkyVu’s international animation production system allows the studio to create high quality animation at more cost effective rates than larger traditional animation studios. The studio specializes in computer animation using the latest high-performance hardware and cutting edge animation software.

SkyVu Pictures is financially backed by the Nebraska Angels investment group that includes successful entrepreneurs and executives in the Midwest.

Mark your calendars and make sure you head to Mosaic Community Development this Thursday at 6:30 for the next TweetUp!

This month’s TweetUp is in conjunction with Mosaic Community Development’s relaunch & re-branding party so we’re celebrating there with them!

Big Special Thanks to all of the sponsors including Blue Planet Natural Grill for providing all food and drinks!

We’ll see you this Thursday evening!

Tagged as: Mosaic Community Development, Omaha Tweetup, Tweetup

It’s not every Tuesday evening in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where you’ll find 21 creative artists outside together at a park working on their medium of choice. However, July 14 was not an ordinary Tuesday night it was DrawnTown night.

Drawn Town, which gets its’ name from hosting the event in downtown Sioux Falls outdoor locations, is a unique social/creative event put on by a little design blog called Graphic Content. Sioux Falls based advertising agency, Fresh Produce, sponsors Graphic Content and believes it is important to highlight the work of local artists.

Kiel Mutschelknaus (that’s pronounced MU – CHIK – NOUSE), graphic designer for Fresh Produce and “curator” of Graphic Content said, “The site came out of a desire to highlight local art. It’s really grown and we’ve seen a lot of great stuff from right here in Sioux Falls.”

Graphic Content has existed for 14 months and has seen dramatic growth in the willingness and excitement for local artists to showcase their work. “It started kind of slow with Ted (co-founder of Fresh Produce) and I posting work from Fresh Produce, but it’s really caught on and now we’re backed up with submissions.”

In just over a year GC has showcased the art of nearly 50 local artists and is updated multiple times a week by Mutschelknaus with new posts to stimulate any art fan. Andrew Osborn, native of Omaha, Nebraska and recent graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, has had his work showcased multiple times on GC and loves the opportunity. “It’s a neat little forum to not only get your art show, but to tune in to see what other local artists are doing. I draw inspiration from that and allow myself to be an inspiration to others,” Osborn said.

Tuesday’s event was the second installment of DrawnTown and it continues to grow in popularity in the community of Sioux Falls. The original DrawnTown event was held in June and had roughly 15 participants despite poor weather conditions. In regards to the future of the event Mutschelknaus said, “It’s already been a success. We have over 20 artists sharing, talking and collaborating. That’s what Graphic Content is really all about, collaboration. I just hope to see DrawnTown continue.”

Thanks to sites like Graphic Content and social media tools, artists now have the ability to share and promote their work all over the world for little to no costs. “As an artist any exposure you can get is necessary and Graphic Content allows anyone to exhibit art. Although some art can be private, art is meant to be seen and interpreted and GC provides that opportunity,” Osborn said.

To all artists of the Silicon Prairie, DrawnTown III is already set for August 11. Mark your calendars!

Tagged as: DrawnTown, John Meyer, Sioux Falls