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.

Ag Startup Engine is a venture capital firm based in Ames, Iowa, founded in 2015. It concentrates on seed- and early-stage investments in agriculture technology and related sectors, including robotics and drones, SaaS, financial technology, precision agriculture, animal health, livestock automation and clean technology, with a Midwest emphasis. The firm also supports agricultural startups in Iowa and the broader region by providing mentorship from successful regional entrepreneurs, addressing gaps in early seed funding and access to experienced guidance.

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.

Ag Ventures Alliance is a company based in Mason City, Iowa, founded in 1998, that provides agriculture-focused business support services to the industry.

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 is a venture capital firm based in Ames, Iowa, founded in 1987. It specializes in early-stage and expansion investments in startups and targets opportunities in Ames, Story City, Nevada, Huxley and surrounding Story County communities.

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.

InnoVenture Iowa is a venture capital firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 2022, that focuses on investments in information technology, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

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 Investments is a multi-stage investment firm that targets venture and growth-stage companies in food and agriculture, oceans, and energy sectors. It provides capital to businesses shaping the future of food systems and energy resources and supports entrepreneurs and leadership teams with market-driven solutions intended to deliver greater value, improved results, and superior performance relative to conventional options.

SVG Ventures|THRIVE is an investment and accelerator firm based in Los Gatos, California, focused on sustainable agri-food, agritech, food tech, and related supply chains. The company provides support, acceleration, mentorship, validation, and venture-building services to early-stage technology companies, often in collaboration with public and private partners on strategy, innovation and global expansion. It prioritizes climate-smart and ESG-oriented opportunities and backs startups operating in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Since its formation in 2010, SVG Ventures|THRIVE has built a network to help portfolio companies scale through strategic guidance and industry connections.

Craft Ventures is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2017 that focuses on early-stage and growth investments to help build innovative companies. The firm backs teams with strong leadership and scalable business models across sectors including software, e-commerce, consumer and enterprise technology, information technology, and fintech, with additional interest in cryptocurrency and blockchain ventures. It combines entrepreneurial experience with investment acumen to identify next generation world-changing companies and provides strategic guidance and operational support to help founders scale.

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.

Hard Yaka is an investment firm based in Crystal Bay, Nevada. It engages in private equity and venture investments, focusing on technology and financial services sectors, including early-stage investments in exchange-related startups and opportunities in buyouts and distressed assets, often pursuing majority stakes.

Optum is a health services and innovation company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives. It designs a healthcare system that connects people, places, and ideas across the ecosystem to deliver personalized care, including medication, healthcare financial services, and guidance, along with technology and services for health plan providers. The company offers a broad range of medical services, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, women's health, substance use treatment, and mental health, as well as care for common conditions of the eyes, ears, skin, and nervous system. By integrating data, insights, and digital tools, Optum seeks to improve access, care coordination, and the efficiency of the medical system for patients, providers, and employers in collaboration with health plans and other partners.

Kudu Investment Management is a New York–based growth expansion firm that provides capital to asset management and wealth management firms undergoing ownership transitions or growth initiatives. The firm offers risk-sharing capital and minority-stake equity investments to support ownership transfers, partner liquidity, management buyouts, and acquisition or growth financing, enabling managers to pursue capital events while preserving independence. Founded in 2015, Kudu targets opportunities within asset and wealth management, helping firms achieve strategic changes without surrendering control.

Union Square Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm that funds technology startups across early, growth, and late stages. It concentrates on internet-native opportunities at the applications layer, internet services, and web services that generate large networks and network effects, with an emphasis on software, fintech, e-commerce, media, mobile, and related sectors. The firm typically makes initial investments around one million dollars, with occasional larger early-stage bets of two to three million, and it aims to deploy as much as twenty million dollars in a single company. Founded in 2003, Union Square Ventures operates globally with investments in companies based in New York, San Francisco, London, Berlin, and elsewhere, seeking scalable businesses that leverage information technology to transform markets and create significant network value.

Great North Ventures is a venture capital investment firm founded in 2017 and based in Maple Grove, Minnesota. It backs entrepreneurs using breakthrough technologies to modernize industries still dominated by analog processes, supporting startups from seed to Series B with guidance, capital, and connections. The firm looks for standout teams and execution capability, and it seeks opportunities beyond Silicon Valley, focusing on US-based founders and startups wherever they are located.

Initialized Capital is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2012 that concentrates on early-stage technology investments, with a focus on seed opportunities. It manages multiple funds and has a team of investing partners, supporting technology startups through the initial funding stages.

Frontline Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with offices in London and San Francisco, that backs globally ambitious business-to-business software companies across the United States and Europe. Founded in 2012, it supports startups from inception to growth through its early-stage and growth programs, leveraging a team of entrepreneur-investors to help portfolio companies navigate cross-border expansion. The firm emphasizes value-added support over capital quantity, drawing on a global network of experienced operators and advisors to assist founders at pivotal moments and drive scalable growth in B2B software businesses.

Finistere Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on agriculture, agtech and life sciences. Founded in 2005, it operates from San Diego with additional offices in California and international locations, and it partners with entrepreneurs to build companies that advance modern agriculture, food security, nutrition and sustainability. The firm leverages operator experience and a global network to source and support early-stage and growth opportunities across the United States, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and other regions. Its investments span agricultural biotechnology, precision agriculture, agri-tech software and hardware, animal and plant health, biomass and related technologies, as well as life sciences applications that improve crop yields, animal health and food product integrity. Finistere emphasizes collaboration, co-investments and hands-on value creation to help portfolio companies scale and reach exit opportunities.

Evergreen Climate Innovations is a Midwest-focused nonprofit organization that provides catalytic capital and strategic support to climate technology startups. Formerly Clean Energy Trust, it funds and mentors early-stage ventures to accelerate the development and deployment of climate solutions across the Greater Midwest. The organization aligns philanthropic and corporate contributions through its 501vc investment fund and builds an ecosystem of investors, donors, and collaborators to broaden access to innovation and deliver environmental, economic, and social impact.

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.

Foundry Group is a Boulder, Colorado-based venture capital firm founded in 2007 that specializes in information technology, Internet and software companies across North America. It funds both early-stage and later-stage ventures and has launched multiple funds, including a fifth fund of about $225 million. Since inception it has invested in more than 100 companies as institutional investors and in more than 50 as angel investors, with a focus on software, digital services and related technology sectors.

M25 is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on the Midwest. Founded in 2015, it backs pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies headquartered in the Midwest and Great Lakes region, and has invested in more than 90 startups across numerous cities and states. Led by Victor Gutwein and Mike Asem, M25 employs an analytical, collaborative approach to portfolio-building across software, information technology and other tech-enabled sectors. The firm aims to support the regional startup ecosystem by providing early-stage capital and guidance to founders as they scale their businesses.

Cabra VC is a venture capital firm established in 2016 with a European footprint, including offices in Riga, Latvia; Limassol, Cyprus; and Moscow, Russia, and a global presence in the United States (Bay Area) and India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore). The firm backs early to growth-stage startups across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, focusing on consumer, enterprise and software sectors, particularly SaaS, B2B and B2B2C models that are subscription-based or CAPEX-free. It emphasizes post-revenue opportunities alongside seed and early-stage rounds, with investment activity primarily targeting the United States and India.

Sound Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Beverly Hills, California, founded in 2015, that invests in technology companies at early and mid stages and operates as a registered investment adviser.

Keiretsu Forum is an international investment community of accredited private equity investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. Founded in San Francisco in 2000, it operates as a worldwide network that structures access to high-quality deal flow and investment opportunities through regional chapters across the United States, Europe and Asia. It is described as the world’s largest invitation-only angel investor network, with thousands of investor members who participate in funding opportunities for early- to growth-stage companies in technology, healthcare, energy, consumer products and other sectors. The forum emphasizes collaboration among members and partner resources to support due diligence, syndication and capital deployment, enabling private capital to back high-potential ventures.

AXA Venture Partners is an independent global venture capital platform investing in high-growth technology companies across Europe and North America. Founded in 2015, the firm operates a multi-strategy approach including venture, early growth, growth and fund of funds, and manages assets reported at more than €2.5 billion. It combines global research with local execution to support portfolio companies as they scale, and provides access to business development opportunities. The firm maintains offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong, and has backed more than 60 technology companies and more than 60 funds through its multi-stage platform.

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.

Hyde Park Angels is a Chicago-based angel investor group that focuses on seed and early-stage investments across technology, healthcare, financial services, and consumer and industrial sectors, with a regional emphasis on the Midwest. Founded in 2007, the firm combines capital with a broad professional network and operating expertise to support portfolio companies through early growth, providing both financial backing and strategic guidance.

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.

Firebrand Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 2016 with offices in Austin, Texas, and Boulder, Colorado. It invests in software and technology startups across the United States and Canada, prioritizing ventures in underserved markets. The firm supports early-stage companies with capital and guidance, aiming to enable growth while reserving capital for select follow-on investments.

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 based in San Francisco that partners with founders to develop transformational technologies. The firm aims to create long-term economic and societal value through its investments, spanning healthcare, energy, consumer goods, financial services, infrastructure, information technology, manufacturing, enterprise, logistics, defense, and other sectors. By backing ambitious teams and providing strategic support, 8VC seeks to enable industry transformation and global innovation.

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, focused on investing in technology companies in the medical device, therapeutic, and biotechnology sectors.

Mutual Capital Partners is a Westlake, Ohio-based venture capital firm founded in 2004 that concentrates on early-stage investments in healthcare information technology, medical devices, and software companies in the United States. The firm emphasizes active management and collaborates with investors to support due diligence, facilitate customer introductions for portfolio companies, and provide ongoing guidance to portfolio executives, with a focus on building strong management teams and helping portfolio companies scale.

Stanley Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Stanley Black & Decker, established in 2016. It invests in startups across SaaS, electrification, autonomy, construction technology, and advanced materials, leveraging the parent company's industry expertise, supplier relationships, and access to customers to help portfolio companies scale.

High Alpha is an Indiana-based venture studio and early-stage investor focused on B2B SaaS. Headquartered in Indianapolis, it builds and scales business-to-business software companies by combining studio services—design, finance, talent, marketing, branding, and go-to-market—with capital support to create enterprise-scale ventures. Founded in 2015, the firm concentrates on early-stage software and SaaS opportunities in the United States.

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.

Quiet Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco, California. It invests across enterprise, consumer, fintech, marketplaces, deep tech, healthcare, and crypto sectors, and operates as a registered investment adviser.

First Analysis is a Chicago-based venture capital and private equity firm founded in 1981 that focuses on early-stage and growth investments across the United States. The firm concentrates on healthcare and technology sectors, including software and information technology, and also engages with services and related fields. It supports portfolio companies with strategic guidance, including management recruitment, sales and marketing, and corporate development, helping them become profitable leaders in large markets. Typical investments are in the mid-sized range and can be structured as lead investments or as part of a value-added syndicate with shared perspective. The firm maintains a long operating history and is known for its deep industry research in healthcare and technology to inform investment decisions.

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 an Austin, Texas-based early-stage investment firm and accelerator platform that combines capital with education for startups. It provides syndicate funding and operates a suite of programs to support builders, including Founder University, the LAUNCH Accelerator, and Startup Tuneup, as well as events such as Remote Demo Day. The LAUNCH ecosystem pairs investment with structured training, community access, and practical guidance to help founders move from idea to growth. By coordinating funding and educational programs, LAUNCH aims to accelerate startup development and enable teams to scale.

Mid-America Angels is a regional network of accredited investors that identifies and funds early-stage companies. It participates in seed, Series A, and Series B rounds depending on the capital raise and provides a framework to pool the members’ knowledge, experience, and investment capital. Founded in 2006, the organization is based in Kansas and Oklahoma and focuses on the Kansas-Missouri region around Kansas City, typically investing between $250,000 and $1,500,000 per opportunity.

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.