Next Level Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 2013. It provides capital to technology-driven startups and growing companies across stages, with emphasis on agriculture technology, bioscience, software and data, AI/ML, and fintech, as well as related sectors such as health tech, manufacturing, IT, and telecommunications. The firm targets both early-stage and growth opportunities, often taking minority stakes and engaging with portfolio companies through board participation to support scale and execution.

Established in Ames, Iowa in 2015, Ag Startup Engine is a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage agricultural technology startups. It aims to bridge the gap in seed stage investment and mentorship for entrepreneurs in Iowa and the broader Midwest region.

Founded in 2019, ISA Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It supports Iowa-based companies across multiple growth stages—early, expansion, and later stages—focusing on sectors such as biotechnology, healthcare and medical technologies; education technologies; engineering and automation; agriculture, food and bioprocessing; insurance and finance technologies; transportation and logistics; agtech, edtech, food tech, health tech, insurtech, and information technology.

Innova Memphis is a Tennessee-based venture capital firm founded in 2007 with roots in the Memphis Bioworks Foundation. It focuses on pre-seed, seed, and early-stage investments in high-growth biosciences, technology, and agri-tech companies in Tennessee. The firm supports startups from concept to market by providing capital, strategic guidance, and access to industry networks, including connections with established corporations for licensing, buy-outs, or further investments. By combining experienced management, market expertise, and venture capital, Innova Memphis aims to accelerate product development and create viable business units capable of standing independently and collaborating with mature market leaders when appropriate.

Ames Seed Capital, LLC is a venture capital firm based in Ames, Iowa, that was founded in 1987. The firm specializes in providing funding to startups, early-stage companies, and businesses seeking expansion. It focuses its investments primarily in the Ames, Story City, Nevada, Huxley, and surrounding areas within Story County. As a collective of private investors, Ames Seed Capital aims to support local entrepreneurial ventures and foster economic growth in its target regions.

UnityPoint Health Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of UnityPoint Health, based in West Des Moines, Iowa. Established in 2019, it makes early-stage investments in healthcare and related technology sectors, including digital therapeutics, health information technology, tech-enabled services, medical devices, and diagnostics, seeking partnerships and opportunities that advance patient care and support healthcare providers.

Prairie Crest Capital is a Des Moines, Iowa-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 that concentrates on early-stage investments, particularly in agriculture technology. The firm targets seed and Series A rounds and operates across the United States, leveraging financial and operating experience to provide funding and development assistance to qualifying enterprises poised for growth.

Founded in 1998, Ag Ventures Alliance is a company that provides business support services tailored to the agriculture sector. It focuses on investing in seed-stage and early-stage companies within the agriculture and technology sectors based in the United States.

Founded in 2022 and based in Des Moines, Iowa, Innoventures Iowa is a venture capital firm focusing on investments in the information technology, advanced manufacturing, and life science sectors.

ManchesterStory Group is a West Des Moines, Iowa-based venture capital firm that invests in early- to growth-stage companies in the insurance, financial services, and healthcare sectors. Founded by Dave Miles and Matt Kinley, the firm concentrates on InsurTech, FinTech, and HealthTech and leverages industry expertise and a broad network of strategic relationships to support entrepreneurs solving complex market challenges. It aims to connect innovative startups with established players and investors to drive sustainable growth.

S2G Ventures is a Chicago-based, multi-stage investment firm focused on fostering innovation across food and agriculture, oceans, and energy. Founded in 2014, it targets late-stage venture and growth investments and maintains a portfolio spanning seed, venture, and growth rounds. The firm backs entrepreneurs delivering market-driven solutions that transform food systems and related sectors, including ingredients, infrastructure and logistics, food safety technology, retail and consumer brands, as well as opportunities in ocean and energy domains. Its objective is to catalyze healthier, sustainable, and locally sourced food systems through investments that cover agricultural products, logistics, and consumer offerings.

Founded in 2010, SVG Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. It focuses on investing in early-stage technology companies operating within the agrifood, supply chain, sustainability, and climate sectors.

Ulu Ventures is a Palo Alto, California-based seed- and early-stage venture capital firm focused on technology-driven startups across IT, software, internet-enabled services, EdTech, FinTech, IoT, digital media, and related sectors in the United States, with a Bay Area emphasis. Founded in 2008, the firm backs diverse entrepreneurial teams and frequently co-invests with other angels or venture funds in early rounds. Ulu is noted as the first Latina-led venture fund in Silicon Valley and is among the largest in the country by assets under management, with over $200M.

Kudu Investment Management LLC is a private equity and venture capital firm established in 2015 and based in New York, New York. The firm specializes in providing risk-sharing capital to asset and wealth management firms, focusing on ownership transfer, partner liquidity, management buyouts, and acquisition and growth finance. Kudu offers solutions for managers seeking a capital event while maintaining their independence, primarily through minority-stake equity investments. As a Registered Investment Adviser, Kudu Investment Management aims to support the growth and sustainability of its clients in the asset management industry.

Great North Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Maple Grove, Minnesota, founded in 2017. The firm focuses on investing in entrepreneurs who leverage breakthrough technologies to transform industries that remain reliant on analog processes. Great North Ventures primarily targets disruptive technology companies across the United States, providing essential guidance, capital, and connections from seed stage to Series B. The firm is committed to identifying promising startups regardless of their geographic location, recognizing that innovative companies are emerging beyond traditional hubs like Silicon Valley. With a foundation built by successful founders, Great North Ventures emphasizes the importance of execution and the capability of their portfolio companies.

Finistere Ventures, established in 2005, is a global venture capital firm headquartered in San Diego, California, with additional offices in Menlo Park, Dublin, and Tel Aviv. The firm specializes in investing in early to growth-stage companies across life sciences, information technology, sustainability, and agricultural technology sectors. Its focus includes medical devices, diagnostics, and food, energy, and health-related technologies. Finistere invests between $0.35 million to $4.5 million, typically holding investments for five years. The firm operates globally, with a presence in the United States, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.

Evergreen Climate Innovations, originally known as Clean Energy Trust, is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Illinois, that focuses on providing catalytic capital and support to entrepreneurs and startups developing impactful climate technologies. Founded in 2010, Evergreen's mission is to foster innovation in the Greater Midwest by aligning philanthropic and corporate contributions through its 501vc® Investment Fund. This approach aims to deliver significant environmental, economic, and social impact. Over the past decade, Evergreen has successfully invested in numerous startups, achieving an impressive leverage of $41 raised for every $1 invested. The organization is dedicated to cultivating a robust ecosystem of investors, donors, and collaborators to advance climate solutions in the region.

Launchpad Digital Health is a venture capital firm based in Emeryville, California, founded in 2013, that invests in early-stage digital health startups. It partners with digital health entrepreneurs to build companies aimed at improving care, lowering costs, and increasing patient convenience. The firm provides significant capital, with seed investments up to $1 million and Series A and B rounds up to $2-3 million. It focuses on areas including healthy living and wellness, patient compliance, remote diagnostics and monitoring, electronic health and wellness records, data analytics and big data, and independent living support. The founders bring extensive experience in healthcare and technology, having funded and operated multiple companies in these sectors.

Leaps by Bayer is the corporate venture capital unit of Bayer, focused on funding paradigm-shifting advances in the life sciences. Based in Leverkusen, Germany, and founded in 2015, it concentrates on biotechnology, agriculture, and healthcare, making significant and sustained investments in disruptive biotechnologies with the potential to have the greatest impact on humanity.

Founded in 2016, Cabra.VC is a venture capital firm based in Limassol, Cyprus with additional offices in Moscow and Riga. It specializes in direct investments across growth stages, focusing on consumer, enterprise, technology, and software sectors, particularly SaaS, B2B, and subscription-based business models. The firm considers investments in India and the United States.

M25 is a Chicago-based venture capital firm established in 2015 by Victor Gutwein and Mike Asem, focused on funding pre-seed and seed-stage technology startups in the Midwest. The firm supports portfolio companies across multiple industries, with a regional footprint spanning 24 Midwest cities in 11 states. Since its inception, M25 has backed more than 90 early-stage tech startups, aiming to accelerate growth and strengthen the Midwest startup ecosystem.

Optum is a healthcare services and innovation company dedicated to improving health outcomes. It offers a range of services including family medicine, mental health care, and specialized therapies for rare diseases. Optum also provides healthcare financial services and technology solutions to health plan providers.

Rabo Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Utrecht, Netherlands, focused on fast-growing clean technology companies and on the food and agriculture sector. It backs startups developing renewable energy, environmental solutions, and agricultural technology, helping them scale innovative technologies in these sectors.

Keiretsu Forum is an international association of private investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. Established in San Francisco in 2000, it has since grown to over 2,500 members across more than 50 global chapters. The forum provides a platform for its members to network and invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities, typically ranging from $200,000 to $3.5 million. Keiretsu Forum focuses on companies with high growth potential across various sectors, including technology, consumer products, healthcare, clean tech, energy, and real estate.

AXA Venture Partners is an independent global investment platform that targets high-growth technology companies across Europe and North America. It operates a multi-stage investment approach with four strategies—venture, early growth, growth, and a fund of funds—and manages a substantial asset base, reported as more than €2.5 billion. The firm has backed numerous technology companies and funds, with more than 60 technology companies and more than 60 funds in its portfolio, and it works closely with founders to help scale their businesses globally. The team maintains offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong to support portfolio companies and sourcing.

Hyde Park Angels is a venture capital firm based in Chicago, Illinois, founded in April 2007. The firm specializes in seed and early-stage investments across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, business and financial services, as well as consumer and industrial products. With a focus on businesses primarily located in the Midwest, Hyde Park Angels aims to drive startup growth and investment success by providing valuable support to entrepreneurs.

Canaan Partners is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 1987 that operates globally with offices in Israel and India. It focuses on early-stage investments in technology and healthcare, including software, fintech, enterprise/cloud, marketplaces, digital health, biopharma, and medtech, and it has a history of backing startups that achieve exits.

OSF HealthCare is a not-for-profit Catholic health care system based in Peoria, Illinois, serving Illinois and Michigan. Founded in 1877, it operates eight acute care facilities, two colleges of nursing, and a primary care network with over 600 physicians and advanced practice providers. The system owns OSF Saint Francis Inc. and OSF Home Care Services, and supports OSF Healthcare Foundation. It spans facilities in Illinois and Michigan, delivering comprehensive, integrated care to more than 2.5 million people. Guided by values such as justice, compassion, integrity, teamwork, employee well-being, stewardship and leadership, OSF HealthCare pursues compassionate care aligned with Catholic ethical principles.

Pioneer Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm established in 2017. It operates as an early-stage investor backed by a network of over 420 Y Combinator alumni, and it seeks to back top YC startups. The firm maintains a broad sector scope, investing in consumer products and services, information technology, financial technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, blockchain, life sciences, healthcare technology, real estate technology, ride-sharing, and SaaS and supply chain technologies, among others. Pioneer Fund positions itself as a generalist, technology-focused investor with activity across consumer, enterprise and emerging tech sectors.

Builders VC is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology-driven startups across the United States and Canada. The firm focuses on modernizing traditional industries through new business models, targeting sectors such as healthcare, agribusiness, life sciences, industrials, software, digital health, construction and real estate technology. It backs early-stage companies with growth potential in areas including B2B software, information technology, agricultural technology and advanced manufacturing, and maintains offices in Chicago, Calgary and Honolulu.

8VC is a technology and life sciences investment firm that partners with founders to develop transformational technologies and create long-term value. Its activities span sectors such as healthcare, logistics, software, energy, manufacturing, enterprise IT, and life sciences, with a focus on supporting early-stage and growth opportunities in the United States and beyond.

Fulcrum Global Capital, founded in 2016, is a venture capital firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, that invests in companies operating in agriculture, agtech, food production and safety, food waste, and animal health.

Research Corporation Technologies is a venture capital firm based in Tucson, Arizona, founded in 1987. It focuses on investing in technology companies in the medical device, therapeutic, and biotechnology sectors.

Mutual Capital Partners, established in 2004, is a private equity firm headquartered in Westlake, Ohio. The company specializes in venture capital investments, focusing on medical device and healthcare IT companies across the United States. It typically leads or co-leads investments, providing not only capital but also strategic guidance and operational support to its portfolio companies. The firm works closely with its network of over 100 investors, leveraging their expertise for due diligence, customer introductions, and ongoing executive counsel.

Founders Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that backs science and technology companies across multiple stages, from seed to late-stage. It pursues transformative technologies and follows a founder-friendly investment approach that provides substantial support with minimal interference. The firm invests in ventures solving difficult problems across sectors such as aerospace and transportation, artificial intelligence, advanced computing, energy, healthcare, biotechnology, cybersecurity, fintech, consumer internet, software, robotics, and related technology fields. It has backed notable companies early, including SpaceX, Palantir, and Facebook, reflecting a history of partnering with ambitious founders to scale breakthrough technologies.

Tiger Global Management is an investment firm founded in 2001 by Charles (Chase) Coleman. It allocates capital across public and private markets worldwide, with a focus on technology-enabled growth opportunities. The firm pursues public equity strategies, including long/short and growth investments, and private equity across early- to late-stage companies in multiple industries, seeking high-quality growth opportunities and guiding portfolio companies through their lifecycle.

Established in 2016, Stanley Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Stanley Black & Decker. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, it invests in innovative startups, focusing on sectors such as SaaS, electrification, autonomy, construction technology, and advanced materials. The firm offers industry expertise, supplier relationships, and access to customers.

Trimble is a technology solutions company that connects office and field workflows and manages asset lifecycles across construction, geospatial, and transportation industries. Its solutions integrate positioning technologies such as GPS, lasers, and optics with software tailored to user needs, and are delivered via hardware, software, and wireless connectivity to link field operations with back-office processes. The company operates through three segments: AECO (Architects, Engineers, Construction and Owners) providing software solutions for the construction community; Field Systems delivering hardware and software for field operations; and Transportation and Logistics serving trucking and freight markets. Trimble serves customers in surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety, and mapping. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Homegrown Capital is a venture capital firm based in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 2021, it focuses on technology investments in the Northern Plains and Midwest, with emphasis on business-to-business software, agricultural technology, and financial technology. The firm targets early-stage opportunities and backs high-tech companies across these sectors in the Midwest and surrounding regions.

LAUNCH is a California-based organization that supports entrepreneurs and fosters innovation within the technology sector. Established in 2010, it encompasses multiple initiatives, including the LAUNCH Fund, which focuses on early-stage investments in technology-related companies. Additionally, LAUNCH operates an incubator designed to nurture startup development. Its flagship event, the LAUNCH Festival, attracts over 12,000 participants, including venture capitalists, angel investors, founders, and industry professionals, serving as a premier platform for startups to showcase their innovations. The organization also produces the podcast "This Week in Startups," which discusses trends and insights in the startup ecosystem. Through its various endeavors, LAUNCH aims to empower founders and promote the growth of emerging companies.

First Analysis is a Chicago-based private equity and venture capital firm founded in 1981 that concentrates on early-stage investments in the United States. Its sectors include technology and software, healthcare, services, and clean-tech/chemicals. The firm supports growth by working closely with management on strategy, recruitment, sales and marketing, and corporate development, and it generally makes lead investments or participates as a syndicate partner with typical checks of 3 to 10 million. It emphasizes in-depth industry research and aims to help portfolio companies become profitable leaders in large markets. The firm operates as a registered investment adviser.

Mid-America Angels is a business angel group founded in 2006 and headquartered in Fairway, Kansas, with additional offices in Lenexa and Lawrence, Kansas. The organization focuses on funding start-up and early-stage companies primarily in the Kansas-Missouri region and within a 150-mile radius of Kansas City. It engages a network of accredited investors to identify and finance opportunities, typically participating in seed, Series A, and Series B funding rounds. Mid-America Angels aims to invest between $250,000 and $1,500,000 in promising ventures, and may consider investments outside its primary geographic area in collaboration with other angel networks or investment organizations. The group's structure allows it to leverage the collective knowledge, experience, and capital of its members to support the growth of emerging businesses.

Sante Ventures is a life sciences venture capital firm that invests exclusively in early-stage companies developing innovative medical technologies or healthcare delivery models. Founded in 2006, the firm focuses on backing startups at the forefront of life sciences to advance medical innovation.

iSelect Fund is a venture capital firm based in St. Louis, Missouri, focused on early-stage and growth investments across agriculture, food tech, healthcare, software and life sciences. The firm backs seed through Series A and B rounds and targets opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe and other markets, with a regional emphasis on the United States Midwest and Great Lakes. It prioritizes companies advancing plant sciences, seed genetics, sustainability, immunotherapy and personalized medicine, as well as business-to-business software, resource efficiency and related sectors. iSelect Fund seeks to build a portfolio through long-term, value-added partnerships, supporting companies from startup to scale-up as they develop innovative solutions in food, health and related industries. The firm operates across multiple markets.

HPS Investment Partners is a global investment firm focused on non-investment grade credit across the capital structure. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in New York, it operates a worldwide network of offices. The firm originated as a unit of Highbridge Capital Management, a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and was acquired by its principals in 2016 after Highbridge’s hedge fund strategies remained with J.P. Morgan. HPS manages a variety of strategies, including syndicated leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, privately negotiated senior secured debt, mezzanine, asset-based lending, and private equity, and serves clients across industries such as insurance, healthcare, media, retail, logistics, and marine.

Cultivian Sandbox Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm established in 2008, specializing in investments in disruptive agriculture and food technology companies. The firm takes an active role in its portfolio, engaging as early investors and board members to shape company strategy, recruit key executives, and secure further capital. Cultivian Sandbox Ventures distinguishes itself by leveraging a robust network and strategic partnerships within the agriculture and food sectors, providing substantial value beyond mere financial support. Its investment team, which combines expertise from Cultivian Ventures and Sandbox Industries, is proficient in sourcing, evaluating, and managing equity investments. This hands-on approach not only aims to build stronger businesses but also seeks to transform entire industries.

Rhapsody Venture Partners is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based venture capital firm that concentrates on funding science and technology startups, with an emphasis on industrial science breakthroughs outside the life sciences. The firm seeks hard science ventures that address practical industrial challenges and aims to support companies across the United States that commercialize advanced technologies. By backing early-stage to growth-stage ventures, it focuses on translational research and market-ready innovations that improve manufacturing, materials, energy, and related sectors.

Cavallo Ventures is the corporate venture arm of Wilbur-Ellis Holdings, based in San Francisco. It invests its own capital in early-stage ventures across livestock feed, pet nutrition, aquafeed, and related ingredients and formulation, including cosmetics and nutrition products for humans and animals. The firm looks for innovative solutions in areas such as water management, irrigation, soil biology, and resource conservation, and supports startups advancing agricultural and ecological sustainability. By partnering with entrepreneurs, Cavallo Ventures aims to accelerate commercialization of scalable technologies that align with Wilbur-Ellis’ core feed, nutrition, and agrochemical interests.

Founded in 2006, Stage 1 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on building partnerships with entrepreneurs. They invest in sectors such as mobile technology, software-as-a-service (SaaS), internet video, pay-for-performance marketing, and security.

Founded in 2013, AgFunder is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California. It invests globally in agritech and food tech startups that are solving problems in the food system through automation, digitization of supply chain, food waste reduction, alternative proteins, and nutrition. The firm manages multiple funds and has invested in over 50 companies, aiming to deliver meaningful environmental and social impact across the food system.