Two businesses with ties to the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) received awards from the Iowa Economic Development Authority on May 16.

LSF Medical Solutions of Iowa City, Iowa, was awarded a $50,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance (POCR) loan for intellectual property development and evaluation, product refinement and market planning, and entry activities. 

Terraform Tillage, LLC, of Eldora, Iowa, was awarded a $50,000 POCR loan for intellectual property development and evaluation, proof of concept work, product refinement and market planning, and entry activities. 

LSF Medical developed a solution that empowers lung disease patients to monitor their lung function at home remotely with their physicians, reducing the risk of hospitalization. LSF Medical won first place and $20,000 for Best Technology Startup at Iowa JPEC’s Innovation Challenge in Fall 2022. The company also participated in the NSF I-Corps Workshop in Spring 2021, the National NSF I-Corps Program in 2023, and Iowa JPEC’s Venture School in 2022.

Terraform Tillage is an agricultural technology company that develops innovation solutions for soil management. Terraform Tillage participated in Iowa JPEC’s Venture School at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa, in Spring 2022, where it placed second and received $1,000. The company was a finalist in the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition in 2023, and placed second in the Alumni Division and received $10,000 at Iowa JPEC’s Innovation Challenge in 2025.

About Iowa JPEC: Iowa JPEC fosters entrepreneurship and innovation across the state of Iowa by providing a range of educational, training programs, and support services for entrepreneurial ventures and existing small-to-medium size businesses. Iowa JPEC is dedicated to nurturing the growth of new ventures and assisting them in reaching their full potential.