IA · Midwest
Des Moines venture capital & startups
Des Moines insurance-corridor capital — Next Level, ManchesterStory, BrokerTech Ventures, plus Dwolla, Recoop, Gain Compliance, and Benekiva.
Iowa's insurance nucleus pairs local seed capital (Next Level Ventures, ManchesterStory, BrokerTech Ventures) with payments infrastructure (Dwolla), statutory reporting SaaS (Gain Compliance), disaster insurtech (Recoop), and life-claims software (Benekiva). Workiva stays an Ames-area gap — not a fake Des Moines HQ.
Aliases: des moines, iowa. West Des Moines HQ counts via Iowa aliases. Workiva (Ames-area) and GIA alumni beyond profiled names remain gaps.
Venture firms in Des Moines
Matched from fund headquarters in our directory (alias-based). Dual-HQ firms may appear in more than one city.
| Firm | HQ (directory) | Leads |
|---|---|---|
| Next Level Ventures | Des Moines, IA | Seed, Series A |
| ManchesterStory | Des Moines, IA | Seed, Series A |
| BrokerTech Ventures | Des Moines, IA | Pre-Seed, Seed |
Startups we cover in Des Moines
Matched from startup hq fields. Many profiles still lack HQ — curated lists
in editorial notes fill gaps when verified.
| Startup | One-liner | HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Dwolla | ACH payments API for programmatic U.S. bank-to-bank transfers. | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Benekiva | Life insurance claims and policy administration software for carriers. | Des Moines, IA |
| Recoop Disaster Insurance | Multi-peril disaster insurance paying lump-sum cash after hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and other declared disasters. | West Des Moines, IA |
| Gain Compliance | Cloud-native NAIC statutory financial reporting software for insurance carriers. | Des Moines, IA |
Coverage gaps
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Workiva (Ames-area)
Major Iowa cloud/compliance SaaS with Ames-area roots — not Des Moines city-limits HQ; no /startup/ page yet
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Global Insurance Accelerator alumni
Expand individual insurtech profiles beyond Benekiva, Recoop, and Gain Compliance as verified rows land
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Global Insurance Accelerator (program)
Des Moines insurtech accelerator at 321 E Walnut — ecosystem home base, not a classic /fund/ VC vehicle
Related reading
Des Moines FAQs
Practical answers for founders researching this investor.