Ama AI Wins $25,000 in 21st John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
AMES, IA — NarrateAR, Inc, doing business as Ama AI, has been awarded second place and $25,000 in the 21st Annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition.
Ama AI was selected from applicants across the state of Iowa, which recognizes promising early-stage Iowa companies with the potential to scale. Finalists presented their ventures to a panel of judges on August 19 in Ames.
“Families of children with autism are often left to carry knowledge, goals, and strategies across a fragmented system of home, school, and care,” said Christopher Whitmer, co-founder and CTO of Ama AI. “We created Ama to turn that knowledge into personalized, practical support children can use in everyday life. This award validates both the need and the progress our team has made, and it will help us bring that support to more families.”
“This year, more than 60 founders applied for the statewide competition, and we narrowed the list to only 11 finalists,” said Judi Eyles, director of the Iowa State University Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. “The pool was incredibly strong, and the presentations were outstanding. It’s rewarding to watch a company like Ama AI refine its pitch and direction, then show up at the competition and secure one of the top awards. We are proud of Ama’s progress, and it was exciting to see them win $25,000 for the great work being done to support families.”
The recognition builds on Ama AI’s continued progress toward making personalized support more accessible to families, educators, and care teams. The company is currently expanding access to its platform and developing partnerships that strengthen how children’s goals and progress carry across the places where they live, learn, and receive support.
About Ama AI
NarrateAR, Inc. dba Ama AI is an Ames, Iowa-based assistive technology company creating personalized AI support for children with autism and their families. Ama helps children communicate, learn, navigate daily routines, and build greater independence across home, school, and care settings.
Learn more at www.withama.ai.
About the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
The John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition supports and champions early-stage, scalable, for-profit Iowa companies while connecting founders with entrepreneurial resources across the state. Companies are evaluated through written submissions and, for those advancing to the final round, presentations before a panel of judges.
The competition is co-hosted by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers and the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
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