Portfolio
Our Strategic Capital Investment Funds
Strategic Investment Funds That Fuel Growth
Next Level Ventures is a leading Iowa venture capital firm with a strategically diverse investment portfolio. Since our founding in 2014, we have fueled the growth of successful companies across multiple industries throughout the Midwest and beyond. Today, we manage over $700 million in assets, funding companies at various stages of development and expansion.
Our mission is simple: identify high-potential opportunities, provide the capital and expertise needed to accelerate growth, and help businesses achieve lasting success.
The Curql Fund – Driving Fintech Innovation for Credit Unions
Through the Curql Fund, Next Level Ventures delivers the technology credit unions need to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving banking environment. By investing in cutting-edge financial technology (fintech), we empower credit unions nationwide to match, and often exceed, the capabilities of larger financial institutions.
Curql offers more than just funding. Our team provides strategic guidance, industry insight, and long-term partnership to help safeguard and grow the companies we support. As a proven investment management firm, we are proud to help bring game-changing fintech solutions to credit unions, ensuring they continue to deliver exceptional service to their members.
The Iowa Funds – Fueling Growth Across the Midwest
The Midwest is home to some of the nation’s most dynamic industries, from agriculture and biosciences to insurance and manufacturing. Iowa, in particular, is a fertile ground for innovation and investment.
The Iowa Funds invest in innovative early-stage and growth-stage technology startups that are shaping the future of their industries. Our firm partners with visionary entrepreneurs to accelerate product development, scale operations, and drive transformative growth.
The Iowa Funds invest in innovative early-stage and growth-stage technology startups that are shaping the future of their industries. Our firm partners with visionary entrepreneurs to accelerate product development, scale operations, and drive transformative growth.
Bankjoy
Bankjoy is a seamless digital banking solution including mobile and online banking.
Bankjoy's mission is to enable their customers, community-based financial institutions, to be the leading digital banking providers to their members and customers.
AKUVO
AKUVO provides software, data & analytics that enable customers to better manage their credit risks.
AKUVO believes that financial integrity, wellbeing & security are essential for everyone. They enable their customers and account-holders to better manage their credit risks & obligations by providing cloud-based software, data & analytics that predict & drive behavior.
BlastPoint
Results-Driven and Accessible Member AI
To provide reliable, excellent software that our customers can use to answer fundamental questions and drive smart growth.
Greenlight
The money and safety app for families
Shine a light on the world of money for families and empower parents to raise financially-smart kids.
Caribou
Technology to refinance your car loan with big savings
President: Kevin Bennett
Location: Arlington, VA
Maxwell
Mortgage optimization platform
We help small and midsize lending teams thrive and serve their communities.
Eltropy
Digital communications platform that increases engagement and revenue for financial service institutions
President: Ashish Garg
Location: Milpitas, CA
DefenseStorm
Real-time cyber safety and soundness, including cybersecurity, cyber compliance, and cyber fraud solutions purpose-built for financial institutions.
CEO: Steve Soukup
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Equipifi
Equipifi powers a Buy Now, Pay Later solution for financial institutions.
Founded in Scottsdale, Arizona, equipifi is a leading fintech SaaS powering banks and credit unions with BNPL solutions that align with their debit cardholder's payment preferences and financial goals.
The platform integrates with financial institutions to provide a single source for debit cardholders to access flexible financing on everyday purchases.
Provision IAM
Identity access management tools for credit unions
We provide credit unions identity access management tools they need with the security they deserve.
Illuma
Real time voice authentication solutions for global customers
President: Milind Borkar
Location: Plano, TX
LoanStreet
LoanStreet is the premier loan sharing platform for financial institutions.
LoanStreet is the first fully integrated, online platform that streamlines the process of sharing, managing, and originating loans for credit unions, banks, and direct lenders.
Our Mission is to provide the most efficient, transparent and robust tools for financial institutions to manage loans, connect with partners, and effectively share risk.
Pulsate
Mobile engagement platform for credit unions
To help credit unions stay connected with their members while providing them with a safe and secure way to grow.
PortX
Banking integration and connectivity-as-a-service
We enable limitless financial services by removing the barries that impede innovation.
Bowery Valuation
The Modern Commercial Appraisal Firm
Bowery brings appraisers and software engineers together to design and build powerful technology that their best-in-class team of appraisers uses in the field every day.
Credit Mountain
Credit Mountain provides a platform for credit unions to engage members with a personalized touch.
Credit Mountain believes that credit union members need tools, not tips. The Credit Mountain platform provides a personalized experience for each rejected borrower, allowing the credit union to stay connected and build relationships.
Facteus
Facteus is the top-ranked debit and credit card transaction data provider.
Facteus is on a mission to help democratize data insights by safely unlocking valuable data sets and increasing data literacy through technology.
Neural Payments
Neural Payments connects financial institutions to payment innovations.
Neural Payments was created to assist financial institutions in adopting change at or ahead of market pace. Its products help to build digital adoption, lower transaction costs, limit exposure to fraud, and simplify technology integrations in order to successfully navigate those challenges.
Nymbus
Provider of banking technology solutions for financial institutions to innovate and grow
President: Jeffery Kendall
Location: Miami Beach, FL
PatientFi
PatientFi partners with healthcare practices to offer patients friendly monthly plans.
We partner with healthcare practices to change the way patients pay for elective procedures. And when we remove the cost barrier, we replace it with a friendly monthly payment plan.
With PatientFi, paying over time isn't a last resort. It's the reason patients can get excited about saying yes to the treatments and procedures they want.
Posh
Posh is the leading platform for Conversational AI technology.
Posh started at MIT's AI Lab as part of the Spoken Language Systems group. The team now consists of Masters and PhD talent from top research institutions like Harvard and MIT across AI and Natural Language Processing. Our team of engineers, data scientists, designers, marketers, and sales specialists is growing quickly!
RenoFi
The best loan for your home renovation or remodel
RenoFi makes home renovation lending more accessible by offering loan products that leverage a home's After Renovation Value.
Silvur
Silvur provides a proven white-labeled, ready-to-launch retirement solution for credit unions.
Silvur is a team of retirement & technology experts who believe deeply that retirement in America is overly complex. Retirement Simplified, powered by Silvur, is a white-labeled retirement platform that ensures your Gen X and Baby Boomer members are prepared to navigate retirement.
WithClutch
Digital platform for loan applications
CEO: Nicholas Hinrichsen
Location: San Francisco, CA
Exited - Payrailz
Enables FI's to deliver a smarter payments experience
CEO: Fran Duggan
Glastonbury, CT
Gross-Wen Technologies
Sustainable algae-based wastewater treatment technology.
Founder, President, and CEO: Dr. Martin
OpenLoop
Connecting clinicians and practices
CEO: Dr. Jon Lensing, MD
Location: Des Moines, IA
iotaMotion
Advancing CI surgery beyond human capability
iotaMotion's mission is to help more people hear better. We believe that intuitive technologies will increase access to standardized outcomes for every patient, and every procedure.
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds connects small businesses with hyper-local content creators.
Hummingbirds' mission is to help local communities thrive by connecting businesses and organizations with a people-powered marketing solution that drives relevancy and revenue, keeps dollars inside communities, builds long-term business success and creates meaning and purpose for content creators and social media enthusiasts.
Pitchly
B2B software to create dynamic documents from data automatically
CEO: Ryan Gerhardy
Location: Des Moines, IA
Tractor Zoom
Find & Finance Farm Equipment Faster
Tractor Zoom is committed to helping leaders in agriculture make empowered, data-driven decisions when it comes to buying, selling, financing, and insuring heavy equipment.
Dryland Genetics
Working towards a sustainable food supply in a world with less water.
Co-Founder & CEO: Patrick S. Schnable, Ph.D.
Location: Ames, IA
Dwolla
Software for online payments and money transfers
CEO: Dave Glaser
Location: Des Moines, IA
WINPRO Pet
Supplements to keep pets healthy and active
President: Tim Mitchum
Location: Des Moines, IA
Coviance
Software and data for loan originators
CEO: Omar Jordan
Location: West Des Moines, IA
Roboflow
Software for incorporating computer vision into applications
CEO: Joseph Nelson
Location: Des Moines, IA
Certintell Telehealth
Telehealth software and virtual care solutions
CEO: Ben Lefever
Location: Des Moines, IA
TapOnIt
Mobile advertising software solution for companies
CEO: Katie Castillo-Wilson
Location: Davenport, IA
Distynct
Remote management for livestock facilities
CEO: BJ Brugman
Location: Ames, IA
MākuSafe
IoT platform designed to improve workplace safety and reduce workers’ comp claims
CEO: Gabriel Glynn
Location: West Des Moines, IA
VIDA
Software for quantitative pulmonary analysis
CEO: Dr. Susan Wood
Location: Coralville, IA
Vertex
Software that enables 3D design collaboration across the extended enterprise
CEO: Dan Murray
Location: Ames, IA
ARCORO
Integrated HCM software; merger of BirdDogHR, ExakTime, and InfinityHR
CEO: John O'Hara
Locations: AZ / CA / IA
HLT
Software to create interactive educational applications
CEO: Alec Whitters
Location: Coralville, IA
Connectivity
Enterprise-level video conference and language translation solutions
CEO: Tom Kielty
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Ag Startup Engine
Private systematic program to fund AgTech entrepreneurs and help them towards success through mentorship and financial support
Directors: Kevin Kimle and Joel Harris
Location: Ames, IA
Ames Seed Capital
Private investment funds to support high-growth start-ups in Ames, IA and other Story County areas.
CEO: Dan Culhane
Location: Ames, IA
Exited - Mazen Animal Health
Developer of novel oral vaccines for pets and livestock
CEO: Dr. Jenny Filbey
Location: Ames, IA
Exited - WebCareHealth
Software for clinicians to remotely monitor their patients at home
CEO: Dr. Teresa Sieck
Location: Ankeny, IA
Exited - FarmlandFinder
Digital tool set for farmland professionals
CEO: Steven Brockshus
Location: Des Moines, IA
Exited - Igor
Power over ethernet smart building systems
CEO: Dwight Stewart
Location: West Des Moines, IA
Exited - MSUITE
Software to manage all HVAC-related design, production, and installation
CEO: Britton Langdon
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Exited - Viewpoint Molecular Targeting
Developer of a novel therapeutic for metastatic melanoma
CEO: Dr. Frances Johnson
Location: Coralville, IA
Exited - Workgroups DaVinci
Software for project management & workflow automation for marketing and creative teams
CEO: Todd Skokan
Location: Des Moines, IA
Exited - BirdDogHR
Software for talent management and compliance
CEO: Todd Skokan
Location: Urbandale, IA
Explore Our Portfolio
We encourage entrepreneurs and business leaders to review our portfolio and see the types of companies we’ve helped grow. If your vision aligns with our strategy, we welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work together to achieve your goals.
Choose Next Level Ventures as Your Future Partner
Helping companies go to the next level, and beyond. If you have a strong business plan and need funding for a startup or expansion, let’s talk. Our investment professionals are ready to understand your vision, explore your potential, and discuss how our funds can support your growth. Speak with one of our experienced investment professionals today!