AccelerateIT

Eric Engelmann serves as General Partner and leads all investment decisions. He founded the firm in 2012 after building and exiting Geonetric, a healthcare digital marketing platform. Engelmann maintains a flat decision-making structure common among emerging venture managers, without a large investment committee.

Initial checks typically range from $250,000 to $1 million at the Seed and Series A stages. The firm reserves capital for follow-on investments through Series B rounds, though exact reserve ratios are not publicly disclosed.

AccelerateIT maintains a geographic concentration mandate focused on the Midwest, with active investments in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota. The firm's thesis is built on sourcing companies in regions underserved by coastal venture capital, and it has not publicly signaled expansion beyond this footprint.

Eric Engelmann operates both entities, with the Iowa Startup Accelerator functioning as a pre-seed mentorship and capital program. Companies that graduate from the accelerator often become candidates for AccelerateIT's Seed-stage investments, creating a structured pipeline 12–18 months ahead of formal rounds.

The firm targets enterprise software, agricultural technology, insurance technology, and industrial automation. Representative portfolio companies include Dwolla (payments), CropZilla (farm management software), and BirdDogHR (talent management, since acquired).

AccelerateIT frequently syndicates with other regional investors, including Dundee Venture Capital and Nebraska Angels. The firm's network helps portfolio companies access national syndicates without requiring coastal relocation, a structuring priority Engelmann has emphasized publicly.

The firm has participated in over 60 deals since its 2012 founding, maintaining an annual cadence of roughly 8–12 new investments. This pace aligns with a concentrated, high-engagement portfolio strategy typical of emerging seed-stage managers.