/Investor DB

Idea of La Crosse

Venture capital

La Crosse · Seed–Series A · 4 people tracked

Also known as IDEA FUND VENTURE MANAGEMENT, LLC

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Investment thesis

The firm addresses the Catch-22 of early-stage growth by providing capital and operational support to entrepreneurs before traditional venture milestones. Idea Fund seeks founders with unique insights into business problems across diverse industries and technologies, prioritizing underserved Upper Midwest regions while maintaining significant reserves for follow-on investments. The strategy emphasizes support through inevitable ups and downs of early growth and leverages the region's strong work ethic, educational institutions, anchor employers, and quality of life as advantages for building sustainable businesses.

Invests inSector AgnosticUnited States

Source: firm website, verified Oct 13, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Series A
HQ
La Crosse, WI, US
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2016
Private fund assets
$39.4M
VC funds
3
Tracked investments
6

Team · 4 people

from the firm's website & public directories
Libby Weber· President

President and CEO of The Weber Group with experience launching several La Crosse businesses. Earned an MBA from Viterbo University, a Master's in Communications and Leadership from Gonzaga University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Jonathon Horne· Managing Directorin

Managing Director with investment banking experience at J.P. Morgan. Holds a bachelor's degree from Lawrence University and an MBA and JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Garrett Lauderdale· Vice Presidentin

Vice President who previously worked at SEI Ventures, the venture capital fund of Strategic Education Inc., in the Twin Cities. Holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and an MBA from Capella University.

Srilata Manikandan· Analyst

Investment Analyst focused on evaluating venture opportunities and analyzing corporate strategy. Holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

What they invest in

from 4 of 6 portfolio companies

SaaS ×3Advanced Manufacturing ×1Consumer ×1Data & Infrastructure ×1Deep Tech ×1Digital Health ×1Fintech ×1GovTech ×1

HQs:United States×4

Investments · 6 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2022 · 12020 · 12019 · 22018 · 26 dated

AgrographinSeed · May 2018 · $500K

Madison, US

Mutlu Ozdogan(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJonathan Horne(Director)David Borcsok(Director)in

Co-investorsMucker Capital

Curate Solutionscuratesolutions.comin𝕏Seed · Apr 2019

Curate is a local legislative tracking software that scans meeting minutes, agendas, and planning documents from over 12,000 local government entities, delivering relevant updates through a custom dashboard and daily email reports.

GovTechLegalTechSaaSMadison, US

Taralinda Willis(Executive Officer)Dale Willis(Executive Officer)in

BoardNick Amundsen(Director)Mark Platt(Director)Anne Smith(Director)

Co-investorsAllos Ventures

Quiverquantquiverquant.com𝕏Mar 2022 · $2M

Quiver Quantitative scrapes and aggregates alternative stock market data from across the internet into a free web dashboard.

ConsumerData & InfrastructureFintechSaaS

Christopher Kardatzke(Founder)in

Co-investorsAllos VenturesAlumni VenturesConnetic VenturesM25

SciArt Softwaresciartsoft.comin𝕏Seed · Oct 2018 · $530K

sciartsoft is a technical research and writing site covering topology optimization, generative design, and multi-objective optimization for engineers, researchers, and design teams.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechMedia & EntertainmentMadison, US

Yadav Praveen(Executive Officer, Director)Karen E Caswelch(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsTechstars

Smartcare Softwaresmartcaresoftware.cominSeed · May 2019 · $500K

Aaniie (formerly Smartcare Software) develops a cloud-based home care platform with EMR functionality and front/back-office tools for home care agencies, ranging from small independent start-ups to multi-site national franchisors.

Digital HealthHealthtechSaaSEau Claire, US

Scott Zielski(President and Chief Executive Officer)inJohn Frazer(Director)Sam Johnson(Director)Katie Schmitz(Director)

Co-investorsRock River Capital Partners

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

Zenitech

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Idea of La Crosse made?
Idea of La Crosse has 6 tracked investments.
What stage does Idea of La Crosse invest at?
Idea of La Crosse invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
What sectors does Idea of La Crosse focus on?
Idea of La Crosse focuses on Sector Agnostic.
Where is Idea of La Crosse located?
Idea of La Crosse is headquartered in La Crosse, US.

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