Hyperscale Investments and Startup Funding Underpin Des Moines Tech Growth

Google's $7 billion expansion and Microsoft's $6 billion investment across six data center campuses in West Des Moines have anchored recent tech growth in the region, according to records from the Greater Des Moines Partnership. These commitments join data centers operated by Meta and Apple to form the backbone of new job creation and infrastructure spending. Local hiring has concentrated in cybersecurity, cloud computing and AI roles at companies such as Dwolla, which processed $13 billion in transactions, Q2 and John Deere.

Data center commitments set scale

The hyperscale projects coincide with an 8.9 percent increase in tech jobs during 2025 that added more than 2,500 positions. Average pay for software developers reached $112,706, up 26.3 percent since 2021. Des Moines, designated the Silicon Prairie, holds a Top 20 ranking among mid-sized metros for AI-enhanced jobs and a Top 25 spot among up-and-coming tech markets, with particular strength in InsurTech and AgTech.

Startup support channels new capital

ISU Startup Factory has backed 165 companies that together raised more than $108 million. Gravitate Coworking has helped more than 100 startups since 2014. The Des Moines startup ecosystem recorded a 25 percent increase in new tech companies in 2024, aided by lower operating costs and groups including Start DSM and Plains Angels. The Greater Des Moines Partnership's Summer Startup Tour in July 2026 and the upcoming Iowa Startup Week from September 28 to October 1, 2026, at Hoyt Sherman Place continue to connect founders with investors ahead of the Iowa Angel Investor Summit on November 19.

Professionals seeking roles or capital can review openings at Dwolla, Q2 and John Deere while monitoring events listed by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Updated listings appear on the partnership's economic development site and on Nucamp's Des Moines coverage pages.