Backing ambitious founders with Iowa roots before the rest of the world sees what they can become. Founded in Iowa City in 2013, Built By Iowa backs early-stage, Iowa-connected founders with capital, operating experience, and conviction.
Built By Iowa was founded when Iowa’s early-stage ecosystem was still taking shape. Beyond investing, its principals have helped connect founders, investors, universities, and operators across the state.
We back ambitious Iowa-connected entrepreneurs with early capital, operator experience, and the conviction to lean in before the opportunity is obvious.
The thesis was never to build companies only for Iowa. It was to prove that world-class companies could be built from here.
Scaling companies, allocating capital, and building organizations for the long term.
Decades of experience building education businesses and developing people.
Built TelePharm from an Iowa startup through national scale and acquisition by Cardinal Health.