What Silicon Prairie News does

Silicon Prairie News is a nonprofit digital media organization founded in July 2008 by Jeff Slobotski and Dusty Davidson to cover entrepreneurs, startups, and innovation across Nebraska and the broader Midwest. The publication has operated under the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity, since AIM donated it in 2022, and all journalism is distributed free to the public under a Creative Commons license. The core product is a digital news publication organized into channels covering Entrepreneurs & Startups, Investment & Funding, Policy & Research, Corporate Innovation, Universities & Education, and Support & Resources, complemented by the weekly Prairie Portraits interview series, a Wednesday newsletter reaching 3,000+ subscribers, and the SPNTV video platform. Built on a WordPress CMS with social media and newsletter distribution, the publication also operates event-based products including Silicon Prairie Startup Week (a multi-city annual event co-presented with NMotion, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development), a startup pitch competition with a $10,000 first-place prize, and 10-Hour Challenge hackathons.

Revenue is generated through three streams: tax-deductible corporate sponsorships of the website, newsletter, and events; donations processed through the Nebraska Journalism Trust; and event-related sponsorship/participation fees, while the newsletter itself is free to subscribers. The organization serves a horizontal ecosystem audience that includes Nebraska founders, investors, policymakers, economic developers, corporate innovation leaders, and university research offices — a segment mix that differs from typical niche trade media by spanning grassroots entrepreneurship and institutional economic-development stakeholders. Customer concentration is moderate, anchored by regional ecosystem sponsors such as Elevator, Nebraska Tech Collaborative, and Invest Nebraska, partially offset by a broad individual-donor and reader base. Leadership transitioned in mid-2025 with the departure of Executive Editor Stefanie Monge; current leadership includes Matt Wynn (Executive Director of the parent Nebraska Journalism Trust) and a team of approximately 10 editorial, development, and operations staff based primarily in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska.

Name

Silicon Prairie News

Legal name

Silicon Prairie News

Website

https://siliconprairienews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Silicon Prairie News is a nonprofit digital media outlet covering startups, tech, and innovation in Nebraska through a website, weekly newsletter, events, and video, serving founders, investors, policymakers, and community builders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Digital Tech and Startup Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem news
• Regional tech journalism
• Entrepreneurship media coverage
• Innovation news reporting
• Nonprofit digital media

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship: Website, newsletter, and event sponsorships from companies and organizations in Nebraska's tech and startup ecosystem. Sponsorship packages include homepage recognition, article logo placement, sponsor spotlights, and Prairie Portraits series sponsorships.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Accepts planned giving and one-time contributions.
3. Newsletter Subscriptions: Weekly newsletter subscription delivering latest news and events from Nebraska's entrepreneurship and innovation community. Free subscription model with intent to grow audience reach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Silicon Prairie News is a nonprofit digital news publication that covers startups, technology, entrepreneurship, and business innovation across Nebraska. It distributes free journalism under a Creative Commons license through its website, a weekly email newsletter, social media channels, video content (SPNTV), and flagship community events such as Silicon Prairie Startup Week, the 10-Hour Challenge, and pitch competitions.

Product overview

Silicon Prairie News is a single-product digital publication providing news coverage of Nebraska's tech, entrepreneurship, and business ecosystem. The publication delivers content through its main website and integrates related offerings including a weekly newsletter subscription, the Prairie Portraits interview series, and event programming such as Silicon Prairie Startup Week with its associated pitch competition and 10-Hour Challenge hackathon. SPNTV provides video content including event coverage and the Weekly Rundown.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Silicon Prairie News Publication A digital news publication covering tech, entrepreneurship, and business innovation across Nebraska and the broader Midwest, operating as a program of the Nebraska Journalism Trust. The site organizes coverage into channels including Entrepreneurs & Startups, Investment & Funding, Policy & Research, Corporate Innovation, Universities & Education, Support & Resources, and Prairie Portraits. Free to access.
• Weekly Newsletter A free weekly email newsletter delivered every Wednesday, curating the latest news, funding announcements, founder stories, and events from Nebraska's innovation and startup ecosystem. Reaches 3,000+ subscribers.
• Prairie Portraits Series A recurring weekly interview article series profiling founders, funders, and community builders from Nebraska's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, available as a sponsorship series.
• Silicon Prairie Startup Week

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 4,000 monthly visitors to siliconprairienews.com
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Nebraska Journalism TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilicon Prairie News is a program of the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a nonprofit organization with a mission to uncover truth, amplify diverse voices and enrich life in Nebraska. The Trust makes all journalism free to the public with Creative Commons license.
• NMotion AcceleratorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of Silicon Prairie Startup Week events; NMotion powered by gener8tor is a Nebraska-based accelerator offering $100,000 investments and 12 weeks of mentoring to startups
• Greater Omaha Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in presenting Silicon Prairie Startup Week; collaborated in 2024 to transcend geographical boundaries and foster unity in Nebraska startup community
• Lincoln Partnership for Economic DevelopmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in presenting Silicon Prairie Startup Week; co-presenter of inaugural Silicon Prairie Startup Week 2024
• Invest NebraskacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit venture development organization; partnered with SPN to compile venture capital investments data for Q1 2026 Nebraska venture capital update
• AIM InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNot-for-profit community organization promoting technology; acquired SPN and Big events in 2015; donated SPN to Nebraska Journalism Trust in 2022
• SourceLink NebraskaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPowers the Local Startup Events calendar on SPN's events page
• ElevatorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing support to Silicon Prairie News; operates co-working and event spaces in Nebraska

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GeekWire: Independent tech/startup news outlet covering the Pacific Northwest innovation ecosystem. Closest analog to SPN: region-locked, founder/investor-focused journalism with events and newsletter monetization.
• Hypepotamus: Nonprofit/independently operated startup and tech news site covering the Atlanta innovation ecosystem. Comparable to SPN as a regional nonprofit-style outlet serving founders, funders, and community builders.
• Technical.ly: Multi-city regional tech news and events publisher covering startup ecosystems in Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, and other Mid-Atlantic markets. Comparable to SPN on community-driven, regional, niche-tech journalism with strong events component.
• Minne Inno (American Inno): Regional tech/startup news outlet covering the Minneapolis-Saint Paul innovation ecosystem. Directly analogous to SPN as a city/region-locked startup journalism brand.
• Startland News: Kansas City-based nonprofit news outlet covering the regional startup and innovation ecosystem. Direct peer to SPN: similar nonprofit structure, regional focus, and Midwest geography.

Broad incumbents

• Built In: National tech/news publisher operating across multiple U.S. tech hubs. Overlaps with SPN on tech/startup news, employer branding, and local market coverage but at vastly larger scale.
• TechCrunch: National/global leader in startup, venture, and tech news. Overlaps with SPN's founder/investor/deal-flow coverage but serves a national audience with significantly larger staff.
• Crunchbase News: Editorial arm of Crunchbase focused on startup funding, venture capital, and ecosystem coverage. Comparable to SPN's Investment & Funding category at a national scale.
• Omaha World-Herald: Regional general-interest newspaper also covering Nebraska business and startup stories. Overlaps with SPN on local audience, sponsorship pool, and investigative journalism pedigree but serves a much broader topical remit.

Others

• Nebraska Journalism Trust: Parent nonprofit entity that houses SPN and Flatwater Free Press. Peer as a related nonprofit news organization sharing donors, infrastructure, and mission alignment rather than as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SiliconPrairieNewsTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/SiliconPrairieNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silicon-prairie-news
• Instagraminstagram.com/siliconprairie
• Xx.com/SiliconPrairie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Silicon Prairie News