It’s the Midwest and it’s winter—of course there’s a sheet of ice outside right now. ❄️

⏰ Midwest Minute 

As we ushered in the new year, the Midwest was greeted with a significant cold snap. A polar vortex swept across the region, bringing bitterly cold temperatures, substantial snowfall and icy conditions. Cities across the Midwest, like Kansas City, experienced hazardous road conditions, leading to numerous accidents and travel delays. Parts of the Great Lakes began to freeze, creating striking but treacherous icy landscapes. Peak freeze conditions on the Great Lakes are expected in mid-February. For many, the season serves as a stark reminder of the Midwest’s unpredictable winters.

Despite the challenges, Midwestern communities have found ways to embrace the season with creativity and camaraderie. In Minnesota, the Sandstone Ice Festival, happening January 10 to 12, invites adventurers to try ice climbing and participate in gear swaps. Grand Rapids is hosting the World of Winter Festival—the largest winter festival in the U.S.—from January 10 to March 2, featuring stunning art installations and family-friendly activities. In Carmel, IN, the annual Art of Ice Weekend showcases professional ice sculptors crafting intricate frozen masterpieces. Beyond organized events, the Midwest’s winter pastimes are in full swing, from curling and ice fishing to exploring some of the nation’s largest outdoor ice skating rinks, like Chicago’s Maggie Daley Park or the Steinberg Skating Rink in St. Louis. For those staying cozy at home, why not get creative with "ice dyeing" fabrics or making a batch of nostalgic snow ice cream? Winter is what you make it, and in the Midwest, we make it cool. Who knows, maybe all that time spent on ice will pay off and you’ll make the 2026 Winter Olympics curling team!

Warm up with some of the latest funding announcements. Chicago’s Chicago-based Simple Foods was acquired by Flowers Foods for $795M. Two Minneapolis-based companies were in the headlines. Delaget was acquired by PAR Technologies for $132M. Players Health raised a $60M Series C. Columbus’ Loop acquired Wonderment for an undisclosed amount. More of the latest below. Stay safe, stay warm and find joy in the snowy season. 🌨️

Fun Fact: Supposedly, the largest snowflake ever recorded fell in January 1887 at Fort Keogh, Montana. Witnesses reported that some snowflakes measured up to 15 inches (38 cm) in diameter and 8 inches (20 cm) thick.

Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share how much snow you got in the past week? Send us an email: [email protected] 

📰 Notable News

Exits

• Chicago-based Simple Foods acquired by Flowers Foods for $795M

• Chicago-based Mavely acquired by Later for $250M 

• Minneapolis-based Delaget was acquired by PAR Technologies for $132M 

• Columbus-based Loop acquired Wonderment for an undisclosed amount

• St. Louis-based Amptify was acquired by Neurotone AI for an undisclosed amount

Startup Funding

• Geneoscopy - $105M Series C led by Bio-Rad Laboratories | St. Louis

• Remodel Health - $100M round led by Oak HC/FT | Indianapolis

• Players Health - $60M Series C led by Bluestone Equity Partners | Minneapolis

• SureCam - $12.5M Series B led by Lewis & Clark, with a $23.5M debt facility | St. Louis

• Matic Insurance Services - $30M round from Vistara Growth | Columbus

• Ubiety Technologies - $10M Series A-1 led by Delta Global | Chicago

• Advanced Ionics - $6.7M round from JERA, Lummus Venture Capital, the Argosy Foundation and others | Milwaukee

• Alta Resource - $5.1M Seed co-led by DCVC and Voyager Ventures | Neenah, WI

• Red Rover Health - $4M Seed from NewShore Partners | Des Moines

• Ecotone Renewables - $3M Seed from investors | Pittsburgh

• Nichefire - $2.6M Seed from investors like Rev1, Allos and Keyhorse | Cincinnati

• Realta Fusion - Undisclosed amount of funding from TitletownTech | Madison

Other News

• Pitchbook 2025 US Venture Capital Outlook

• Edtech giant PowerSchool says hackers accessed personal data of students and teachers

• Medtech, sports business led Minnesota venture capital deals in 2024

• OpenAI is losing money on its pricey ChatGPT Pro plan, CEO Sam Altman says

• NeueHealth, formerly Bright Health, to go private in $1.3B deal

• Foxtrot to reopen a couple Dallas stores in New Year

• Novy Ideation applications are now open until March

📆 Mark your Calendar

Need to fill your social calendar? We’ve scoured newsletters, scanned LinkedIn and found some of the latest tech + startup events in the region. Know of any upcoming events and want to share them? Send us an email: [email protected]