Terraform Tillage (Josh Jeske) and NeuroPred, Inc. (Michal Brzus) tied for first place at the first-ever Iowa JPEC AI Pitch Competition on Nov. 5 at the Kirkwood Regional Center, each earning $50,000 in Amazon Web Services support from Predictif Solutions. LSF Medical Solutions, LLC (Melissa Bates) placed third, receiving $25,000 in AWS support.

Terraform Tillage is an agricultural technology company dedicated to making tillage decisions more precise and cost-effective. Its tools help farmers identify and address soil compaction, an often invisible cause of yield loss, while reducing unnecessary tillage, fuel use, and soil degradation.

NeuroPred, Inc., a medtech startup that is pioneering an AI-powered Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) platform that transforms standard clinical MRI scans into rapid stroke diagnoses, personalized cognitive outcome predictions, and actionable dual reports to support precision medicine from acute care through rehabilitation.

LSF Medical Solutions is a respiratory health technology company enabling proactive, at-home monitoring for patients with chronic lung disease. Its product, Pneumero, combines an easy-to-use device with a cloud app to deliver gas-washout measurements from patients’ homes, addressing the lack of reliable out-of-hospital tools and limitations of spirometry.

Hosted in partnership by the University of Iowa John Papajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), with sponsors Amazon Web Services (AWS) and PREDICTif Solutions, the event featured 10 businesses presenting ventures that could benefit from AI-driven applications.

“This event highlights the depth of talent and innovation happening across Iowa and beyond,” said Dana Rupe, director of Iowa JPEC. “By partnering with AWS, PREDICTif Solutions, and the SBDC, we’re helping founders harness the AI tools and mentorship needed to turn ideas into real-world impact.”

For more information about upcoming innovation and entrepreneurship events, visit iowajpec.org.