Fifteenth Edition: Startup Iowa Hot List
Meet the startups to support and watch in Iowa + beyond
Every month, I write a newsletter for Iowa entrepreneurs to get more connected to the strong networks of support in the Midwest (and beyond). Investors, entrepreneurs, mentors, corporate leaders, economic developers, researchers, and educators in and outside Iowa can dial in on the startup activity happening across the state while finding the next business to support.
Welcome to the 29 new Startup Iowa Hot List members who have joined us since the last edition. Join 508 intelligent, curious, and supportive startup champions by subscribing below.
Actively Raising
🚀Enceinte Health
Highlights: Enceinte Health helps automatically chart body weight, bowel, and bladder information for nursing home residents to provide complete, accurate, and timely data that improves residents’ outcomes and nursing home operating efficiency.
The team is working on its second pilot test program with nursing home customers and has relationships with strategic partners in medial device development, manufacturing, and FDA regulatory strategy.
Raising: $4,000,000; Committed: $500,000
Backed by: IEDA’s Proof of Commerical Relevance and Demo Fund, Wellmark VC Fund, and regional angel investors
Founding team: Andrew Guillemette, Dr. Matthew Schramm, Cody Allen, Dheeraj Nalluri, Darin Heisterkamp
Contact: andrew.guillemette@enceintehealth.com + web; HQ: Ankeny, Iowa
Can you help? Enceinte Health is seeking introductions to build relationships with the long-term senior care communities in Iowa. The team is looking for a lead investor for the seed round.
🚀Want to be featured? Looking for more Iowa businesses for investment?
For a list of more startups actively raising (that may not appear in this newsletter) or to be featured in the next edition, reach out!
Have you missed a monthly digest? Check out the Startup Iowa Hot List archives for companies raising here.
Closed Rounds
💰iotaMotion (Iowa City) closed a $12 million Series A round led by Research Corporation Technologies with participation from Mutual Capital Partners, ISA Ventures, and Next Level Ventures.
State Funding Announcements
Iowa Economic Development Authority announced six startups that received financial assistance, including:
Coltie Inc. awarded $50,000 for the Proof of Commercial Relevance
Janas Materials awarded $100,000 for the Demonstration Fund
Primary Assembly awarded $50,000 for the Proof of Commerical Relevance
MOD Advisor awarded $100,000 for the Demonstration Fund
GW Nutrition awarded $50,000 for the Proof of Commercial Relevance
VIDA Diagnostics awarded $1,000,000 for the Innovation Acceleration Expansion Fund
Bonus read! In addition to these monthly investments, check out IEDA’s second quarter $4.3M funding awarded to startups and entrepreneurial initiatives from the Business Record’s recent report.
Mergers & Acquisitions
+ Casey’s General Stores expands and acquires 63 convenience stores from EG Group
Pappajohn Venture Competition Awards
John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition announced the finalists for the statewide $100,000 business competition:
Dhakai awarded $40,000 for first place
Classroom Clinic awarded $25,000 for second place
Enceinte Health awarded $15,000 for third place
AugmENT, Easy2Show, PVpallet, Repaint Studios, and Stock Cropper were awarded $4,000 for honorable mentions
The John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, along with support from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, has invested $1.2 million into participating businesses since 2006 and is a true celebration of entrepreneurship across Iowa. The event is a collaborative effort executed by the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers located at Iowa State University, Drake University, North Iowa Area Community College, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa.
Looking for more pitch competition challenges in Iowa? Check out the InnoVenture Challenge, where early-stage companies compete on-stage for a winner-take-all $100,000 award. Applications open this Friday, September 1.
On the Horizon: Companies to Watch
Auzmor - Provides a learning management system (LMS) and employee experience platform that keeps your teams learning and connected
BLK & Bold - Offers premium coffees and teas where 5% of profits support the needs of disadvantaged domestic youth
Cybercade - Combines the art of engagement with the science of learning for employees to learn the fundamentals of cybersecurity
Flowstate Health - Provides collaborative mental health service organizations with medication evaluation and management, psychotherapy, crisis evaluation and placement, and other telehealth services with a focus on Iowa and Nebraska
Upcoming Events
📅 September 6 - Accelerate GIA Day (DSM)
📅 September 14- Beyond Business Conference (DSM)
📅 September 14- Show Me The Money (Sioux City)
📅 September 20 - Grow with Google (virtual)
📅 October - Local Business School: Master Your Small Business Marketing (virtual)
📅 October - Venture School (multiple locations across Iowa)
📅 October 6 - The Ag Innovators Unconference (Ames)
📅 November 2 - Iowa Family Business Conference (Ames)
📅 November 13-19 - Global Entrepreneurship Week
📅 November 18 - Immigrant Entrepreneurship Summit (Ankeny)
Story + Sound Bites
🔊 VizyPay: A Focus on Helping Rural Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (Small Business & Startup Stories DSM Podcast)
🔊 Entrepreneurship & Rock ‘n’ Roll: Zack Smith, Stock Cropper (The Entrepreneur’s Ethic Podcast)
📚 2023 InnovationIOWA Magazine (Business Record)
🗞️ These Founders Are Grinding Out a Space in the Coffee Market (Inc. Magazine)
🗞️ Plains Angels creates new investment fund (innovationIOWA)
🗞️ Bridging the urban-rural divide: Helping small businesses seek talent, financing (The Gazette)
🗞️ 10 Years of the Global Insurance Accelerator (DSM Partnership)
🗞️ ISU Startup Factory Announces Members of 14th Cohort (ISU Pappajohn Center)
🗞️ Pi515 Selected as part of Microsoft’s National TechSpark Program (Pi515)
What’s in a name? The Startup Iowa Hot List is specially curated with a rush of urgency to read just before the news cools. See a company you are interested in helping? Please act and support entrepreneurs that may be featured on this list and those close by, impacting our local communities and neighborhoods.
Entrepreneurship has always been a community sport.
Want to be featured in the next Startup Iowa Hot List? Reach out to Diana at dwright@dsmpartnership.com.