Invest Nebraska, a Nebraska Venture Capital firm funded by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, is pleased to welcome Josh DeMers as the Program Manager of The Combine. Josh comes to Invest Nebraska with experience in startups, agriculture, and mentorship.
Josh DeMers started by getting his hands dirty as a farm hand until he pursued his Bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through the Nebraska Business Honors Academy. As an Engler Entrepreneur, he began an insurance technology company, Prepare Insurance, and today continues to run the operations. Josh enjoys building, learning, and reading books about startups and philosophy. At the end of the day, he is training for the next Spartan Race and investing time in family, friends, and community. Josh cares deeply about Nebraska's startup community.
With a focus on food and ag tech, The Combine supports startups building the blueprint of tomorrow’s agriculture. The incubator program consists of commercialization support through mentorship, a capital readiness program, networking events, and a group of partnering ag producers across Nebraska dedicated to helping The Combine’s startups. Located in Nebraska, the incubator program encourages founders to have a ‘farmers-first’ mindset and interact with their future customers from initial customer discovery to pilot program testing. The Combine Program is designed to assist entrepreneurs on an individual basis. Companies are accepted on a rolling basis and work through eight program modules.
Josh’s previous experience makes him well-suited for this role because he understands what it takes for entrepreneurs to succeed—from creating a solid business model all the way to executing successful launches. As Program Manager of The Combine, Josh will be responsible for helping guide existing and new startups, growing and sustaining the entrepreneurial network in Nebraska, and developing more resources for entrepreneurs in our state.
We are thrilled to welcome Josh DeMers as Program Director of The Combine! His unique combination of skillset and experience makes him perfectly suited for this role, where he will be able to provide guidance and support startups at every level of their growth cycle at Invest Nebraska's nationally recognized startup incubator program - The Combine. We look forward to seeing what he brings to our team! Welcome aboard, Josh!
What is The Combine?
Invest Nebraska's Combine Incubator is a statewide initiative focused on supporting high-growth agri-food entrepreneurs through mentoring, commercialization support, physical incubation space on Nebraska's Innovation Campus, and a network of helping farmers and ranchers across the state. Invest Nebraska is a private, non-profit statewide venture development organization focused on high-growth companies in Nebraska and growing the state's entrepreneurial economy. Invest Nebraska works directly with entrepreneurs, researchers, and companies to help commercialize their technologies, launch and grow new businesses, and access needed capital.