Next Level Ventures

Next Level Ventures, LLC is a venture capital firm based in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in December 2013. The firm specializes in investments across various sectors, including agriculture, banking, insurance, biosciences, advanced manufacturing, and information technology. It typically focuses on seed, startup, and early-stage ventures, investing between $0.5 million and $5 million for minority ownership in companies with at least $1 million in annual sales. Next Level Ventures aims to support entrepreneurs and growing companies in ag-tech, SaaS, artificial intelligence, health tech, and fintech. The firm often seeks to participate on the boards of its portfolio companies and invests with a timeframe of two to five years. Through its investment partners, Next Level Ventures has the capacity to engage in larger transactions.

Scott Hoekman

Co-Founder and Partner (VC Investor)

Craig Ibsen

Managing Partner

Liz Keehner

Associate

Michael Perrin

Managing Director

Wyatt Powers

Analyst

Martin Walker

Vice President

Past deals in Iowa

iotaMotion

Series A in 2023
iotaMotion, Inc. is a company based in Iowa City, Iowa, that specializes in the development and manufacture of cochlear ear implants aimed at treating hearing loss. Founded in 2015, the company has created a robotic-assisted surgical system designed to standardize the insertion of cochlear implant electrodes. This innovative technology enhances surgical precision by controlling the speed and acceleration of electrode insertion, which helps to reduce variability in surgical procedures. By personalizing the approach to each patient, iotaMotion enables surgeons to provide more accurate and tailored cochlear interventions, ultimately expanding access to these critical treatments for both patients and healthcare providers.

Pitchly

Series A in 2022
Pitchly, Inc. is a technology company that offers a cloud-based content services platform tailored for merger and acquisition professionals. Founded in 2014 and based in Des Moines, Iowa, Pitchly's platform allows users to create and manage custom databases that catalog proprietary experience and intellectual property. The service is designed for investment banks, accounting firms, and law firms, enabling non-technical users to easily generate data-driven documents in PowerPoint and Word, linking to various internal data sources such as Excel, SQL, and Salesforce. By aggregating disparate information, Pitchly significantly reduces the time needed to create complex documents and eliminates errors, thus enhancing efficiency in data management and presentation. Users can also create custom forms to ensure they are accessing the most current data, further streamlining their workflows.

Tractor Zoom

Series A in 2022
Tractor Zoom, Inc. operates an online marketplace that connects farm equipment auctioneers with buyers, facilitating the purchase and sale of agricultural machinery. Founded in 2017 and based in Urbandale, Iowa, the company offers a mobile application that allows auctioneers to list and promote their auctions while enabling buyers to search for and browse available farm equipment. The platform streamlines the auction advertising process, making it easier for users to access auction inventory nationwide. Tractor Zoom is dedicated to helping agricultural leaders make informed, data-driven decisions regarding the buying, selling, financing, and insuring of heavy equipment.

Gross-Wen Technologies

Series A in 2021
Gross-Wen Technologies, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Slater, Iowa, focused on developing solutions for wastewater treatment. The company specializes in a revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system that effectively recovers nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater while generating algae biomass, which can be utilized as a fertilizer or bioplastic. By providing municipalities and wastewater-producing industries with an economical and environmentally friendly method for treating water, Gross-Wen Technologies aims to enhance water quality and promote sustainability in wastewater management. Established in 2013, the company is dedicated to delivering effective and affordable solutions for the treatment of wastewater pollutants.

MSUITE

Seed Round in 2020
MSUITE Corporation develops a cloud-based suite of management software designed to enhance collaboration among building information modeling (BIM), fabrication, and field construction teams within the construction industry. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the company offers several key solutions: BIMPro, a plug-in for Autodesk Revit that automates spooling selection and sheet creation; FabPro, a tool that focuses on accurate productivity tracking and shop production management; and FieldPro, which enables site leadership to monitor real-time productivity and status of job site activities. MSUITE's software provides valuable tracking, estimating information, and real-time updates, ultimately improving communication, expediting workflow, and reducing errors throughout the life cycle of construction projects.

MākuSafe

Venture Round in 2019
Founded in 2016, MākuSafe makes wearable technologies to help identify, predict, and prevent risk in workplace environments using IoT sensors and SaaS. MākuSafe has created a technology that identifies true leading indicators that can be used by organizations to proactively reduce the risk for their workforce. Their patented armband device is equipped with sensors to track environmental and human motion data from employees while they work and send that data back to the MākuSmart platform. Safety and operational personnel can view the cloud dashboard to see the employee-generated and auto-generated reports relating to environment, safety, and productivity.

FarmlandFinder

Seed Round in 2019
FarmlandFinder, Inc. operates an online platform that facilitates connections between farmland buyers and sellers, primarily in the Midwest United States. Founded in 2016 and based in Grimes, Iowa, the company provides Terva, a tool that allows users to search for upcoming land sales and auctions. The platform offers a wealth of resources, including sale price records, comparison tools, and soil composition maps, aimed at streamlining the process of researching farmland real estate. By enhancing access to farmland information and promoting market transparency, FarmlandFinder helps clients minimize the time and costs associated with buying, selling, or renting farmland.

MākuSafe

Seed Round in 2019
Founded in 2016, MākuSafe makes wearable technologies to help identify, predict, and prevent risk in workplace environments using IoT sensors and SaaS. MākuSafe has created a technology that identifies true leading indicators that can be used by organizations to proactively reduce the risk for their workforce. Their patented armband device is equipped with sensors to track environmental and human motion data from employees while they work and send that data back to the MākuSmart platform. Safety and operational personnel can view the cloud dashboard to see the employee-generated and auto-generated reports relating to environment, safety, and productivity.

Pitchly

Seed Round in 2018
Pitchly, Inc. is a technology company that offers a cloud-based content services platform tailored for merger and acquisition professionals. Founded in 2014 and based in Des Moines, Iowa, Pitchly's platform allows users to create and manage custom databases that catalog proprietary experience and intellectual property. The service is designed for investment banks, accounting firms, and law firms, enabling non-technical users to easily generate data-driven documents in PowerPoint and Word, linking to various internal data sources such as Excel, SQL, and Salesforce. By aggregating disparate information, Pitchly significantly reduces the time needed to create complex documents and eliminates errors, thus enhancing efficiency in data management and presentation. Users can also create custom forms to ensure they are accessing the most current data, further streamlining their workflows.

Higher Learning Technologies

Venture Round in 2017
Higher Learning Technologies Inc. is an educational technology company that develops mobile applications aimed at enhancing student learning on smartphones and tablets. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Coralville, Iowa, the company offers its products through popular platforms such as the iStore and Google Play. Higher Learning Technologies focuses on creating innovative and engaging educational solutions that empower students, providing them with the knowledge and confidence needed to achieve their academic goals. Through its commitment to leveraging mobile technology, the company aims to transform the educational landscape and improve learning outcomes for students.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.