First Edition: Startup Iowa Hot List
Meet the startups to support and watch in Iowa + beyond
Welcome to the first edition of the Startup Iowa Hot List, showcasing startups companies to support and watch in Iowa.
This twice-monthly digest is to better connect Iowa-based startups (and affiliated) to the strong support networks in the Midwest investor and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Investors, entrepreneurs, mentors, corporate startup champions, economic developers, and educators in and outside of Iowa can dial-in on the startup activity happening across the state while finding the next business to support.
If you are a startup that would like to be featured, please fill out the application here.
Feedback or questions? Reach out to Diana at dwright@dsmpartnership.com.
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Actively Raising
🚀MemberMarketplace
Highlights: “Enabling online commerce for communities,” MemberMarketplace now operates in over 18 states, helping local governments, chambers, and even national agencies (Small Business Development Centers) to shop local, all on one platform.
Raising: $500,000 / Committed: $450,000
Backed by: ISA Ventures, IEDA Propel Fund, and Wellmark Venture Capital Fund
Founded by Cherie Edilson, Woman-led Company; Executive Summary
Contact: cherie@membermarketplaceinc.com + Web; HQ: Marion, Iowa
🚀ChopLocal
Highlights: ChopLocal is an alternative meat supply chain connecting consumers with farmers and butcher shops. Launching an Etsy-style marketplace in late 2020, the SaaS platform makes it easier for farmers and butcher shops to sell their meat online.
Raising: $300,000 Seed Round
Backed by: Ag Startup Engine and Ag Ventures Alliance
Co-founded by Jared Achen + Katie Olthoff; Executive Summary
Contact: jared.achen@choplocal.com + Web; HQ: Wayland, Iowa
🚀Groov
Highlights: Groov digitizes the experience for land developers, home builders, and new construction home buyers. The team has three pilots with Vista Real Estate, Knapp Properties, and Frampton Homes.
Raising: $500,000 / Committed: $100,000
Backed by: IEDA Proof of Commercial Relevance fund; Angel investors, Brandon Carlson and Justin Frampton
Co-founded by Ryan Glick + Bryan Gill; Executive Summary
Contact: ryan@letsgroov.com + Web; HQ: Clive, Iowa
Can You Help? Ask: Intros to land developers in Greater Des Moines and across Iowa
🚀Alquist 3D + Atlas Community Studios
Highlights: Alquist 3D brings new vitality to smaller communities by creating affordable, sustainable, innovative homes. Using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology, Alquist helps lift economically distressed and under-served communities by lowering the cost of building the single-family, multifamily, mixed-use, and senior-living homes they need to thrive.
Raising: $5,000,000 / Committed: $2,000,000
Founded by Zachary Mannheimer; Executive Summary
Contact: zmannheimer@alquist3d.com + Web; HQ: Iowa City, Iowa
Closed Rounds
💰PeachPay closes $2.6M by Global Paytech Ventures
💰Distynct closes $600k by multiple angel investors
💰IoTFlows accepted into Y Combinator ‘22 batch (Parto is an ISU alum)
On the Horizon: Companies to Watch
Brale - Incognito mode (for now), look for more to come from the founder, Ben Milne.
Farmer’s Risk - Provides farmers with better access to the entire landscape of risk to make better revenue decisions that leverages crop insurance choices, hedging strategy, and cash sales decisions.
NanoBio Designs - A self-service platform that provides a simpler, faster, and less-expensive genetic detection process by converging scientific technologies.
Nebullam - Grows and delivers the freshest local greens, all year round utilizing indoor farming growing equipment based at the ISU Research Park.
Pitchly - Software to automate enterprise content and document creation using their data enablement platform.
Tennis Line Call - The tennis app to challenge line calls like the pros, now available on the Apple App Store.
VetMeasure - The first non-invasive pet health and vitals monitoring device designed to help veterinarians better monitor recovering patients.