Innoventures Iowa
Government fundIowa · Pre-Seed–Series A · 11 people tracked
Investment thesis
InnoVenture Iowa is a public venture capital fund created in 2022 to support homegrown Iowa innovation using federal SSBCI capital, in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and BioConnect Iowa. It invests early in founders building category-defining companies across bioscience, ag-tech, advanced manufacturing, SaaS and AI. The fund aims to help Iowa's innovators grow faster while strengthening industries, creating jobs, and shaping the state's future economy. It has backed more than 40 founders since launch.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 11 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 16 of 26 portfolio companiesAgTech ×6SaaS ×6AI & Machine Learning ×5Hardware ×4IoT ×4Marketing Tech ×3Advanced Manufacturing ×2Consumer ×2
HQs:United States×13
Investments · 26 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathProvides companies with tools and training to recruit and upskill workers seeking high-paying careers.
Ankeny, US
Christian Gray(Executive Officer, Director)
A B2B platform connecting contractors and fabricators to reduce overhead and accelerate construction processes.
Coco Coders offers weekly online coding classes for children (typically ages 6 and up), teaching block-based coding in Scratch before progressing to Python, JavaScript, and web development.
ConsumerEdTech
Elizabeth Tweedale(Founder)
Distynct offers the Barn Alarm, a device that gives farmers remote visibility of their farm operations without installing new wires or probes.
AgTechHardwareIoTAmes, US
Bradly J Brugman(Executive Officer, Director)BJ Brugman(Founder & CEO)
BoardJustin Van Wert(Director)Ben Williamson(Director)
Haber Tech makes Auto-Bin, a modular grain bin monitoring and aeration system that uses CO₂, LiDAR, temperature, moisture, and weather sensors to automate fan operation and let farmers remotely track grain conditions from their phone.
AgTechHardwareIoTAmes, US
Eric Harweger(Co-Founder)Dillon Hurd(Co-Founder)
Harvest Increase Agriculture makes SUPRGrow, a liquid fertilizer applied at low volumes alongside NPK and other fertilizers to increase corn harvest yields.
AgTechClimate TechNew Materials
Hummingbirds is a creator platform that connects food and beverage brands with creators across 60+ cities for retail campaigns in grocery stores.
Creator EconomyMarketing TechMarketplacesRetail TechSaaSDes Moines, US
Emily Steele(Co-Founder & CEO)Charise Flynn(Co-Founder & COO)
Policy tracking and analysis platform that filters state legislation and delivers personalized insights to reduce administrative workload.
MakuSafe develops wearable technology aimed at improving workplace safety and productivity.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareIoTSaaSWest Des Moines, US
Gabriel Glynn(Executive Officer, Director)Todd Sutphen(Executive Officer)Mark Frederick(Executive Officer)Tom West(Executive Officer)Bryon Snethen(Director)
BoardHank Norem(Director)
Nebullam operates indoor farms located within restaurant facilities to supply fresher produce directly to diners.
ConsumerFoodTechRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Pitchly offers a data enablement platform with data pipeline, data workspace, and data productivity tools that automate data workflows to save time and improve performance for business teams.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSDes Moines, US
Ryan Gerhardy(Co-founder & CEO)Michael Brook(Co-founder & CPO)
BoardMatthew Paulson(Director)Wendy Batchelder(Director)
PVpallet makes reusable, recyclable packaging for the solar and renewable energy industry, including its HDPE plastic Series X solar panel pallets, bulk bins, and handheld totes.
Advanced ManufacturingAgTechCircular EconomyCleantechEnergyLogistics & Supply ChainMontrose, US
Luke Phelps(Director)Philip Schwarz(CEO & Co-founder)Etahn Wollbrink(Director)Eric Engelmann(Director)
SourceEazy is an AI-powered sourcing platform that enables distributors, decorators, and brands to design, source, and launch customized promotional products, uniforms, and event merchandise.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesE-commerceMarketing TechSaaSCedar Falls, US
STRATAFOLIO offers investor management software that gives commercial real estate organizations a consolidated view of investor activity, tracking which investors backed which legal entities, amounts invested, timing, and metrics such as Cash-on-Cash Return.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechPropTechSaaSCedar Rapids, US
John Courtney(Director)Jeri Frank(Executive Officer, Director)Uriel Barillas(Executive Officer, Director)
Tylmen provides ceiling-mounted cameras and computer-vision AI that monitor every bird in poultry grow-out houses in real time, tracking weight, growth, uniformity, movement, and behavior.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningIoT
WordFlight is a personalized reading intervention program based on the science of reading and learning, designed to build automatic word recognition and reading fluency in struggling students from grade 2 through middle school and above.
EdTech
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesMakusafe_ · intelligence360.news · Jul 22, 2026
Hummingbirds · finance.yahoo.com · Jun 22, 2026
Nebullam (DBA Clayton Farms) · youtube.com · Feb 18, 2026
SourceEazy · startlandnews.com · Sep 19, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Innoventures Iowa invest at?
- Innoventures Iowa invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Innoventures Iowa focus on?
- Innoventures Iowa focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AgTech, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, SaaS.
- Where is Innoventures Iowa located?
- Innoventures Iowa is headquartered in Iowa, US.
Images
Similar investors
Metavallon VC is a venture capital fund backing early-stage technology startups with strong ties to Greece, offering initial investment from pre-seed through seed and seed+ stages alongside hands-on support.
Monte Carlo Capital is an early-stage investment firm founded by Ian Sosso that began as an angel investor deploying its own capital and evolved into a value-added co-investor backing early-stage companies alongside leading VCs.
BeAble Capital is a Spanish fund manager and industry builder specialising in science equity, investing in disruptive, science-based deep tech companies and spin-offs with a strong sustainability focus.
Invest Nova Scotia is a provincial business development agency that supports companies across Nova Scotia through incentives, programs, services, and investments, helping start-ups grow, businesses expand into new markets, and attracting international businesses to Canada's East Coast.
Avonmore Developments is a London-based early-stage angel investment firm founded by brothers Simon and Michael Blakey, backing founders from the first cheque.