Iowa Startup Accelerator

Eric Engelmann, as founder of both NewBoCo and ISA, has historically led investment decisions across accelerator cohorts. The firm structures selection through a multi-stage diligence process involving mentors, domain experts, and the managing director. David Tominsky previously served as Managing Director with direct cohort selection responsibility before moving to a partner role at Novy venture studio (per public record).

ISA draws applicants nationally through its membership in the Global Accelerator Network (GAN) and its ties to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, which surfaces regional founders. The accelerator runs open calls for each cohort, with a stated preference for companies that can benefit from Iowa-based corporate partners in agribusiness, insurance, and advanced manufacturing. Mentors drawn from local industry often refer pre-seed founders into the pipeline.

ISA is neither. It operates as an early-stage accelerator structured inside NewBoCo, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit innovation collaborative. While it deploys capital into portfolio companies and functions like a seed-stage investor, its nonprofit parentage distinguishes it from a traditional venture firm — investment returns support the broader mission of tech education and regional economic development in Iowa.

ISA invests directly into cohort companies through equity stakes tied to the accelerator program. Publicly available information does not indicate that ISA makes fund commitments to other venture managers. A related vehicle, ISA Ventures, led by Eric Engelmann, operates as a separate early-stage fund and may have a different investment scope.

ISA targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies, with an emphasis on startups that can execute a 90-day intensive build-and-launch cycle. The accelerator model concentrates on very early-stage firms — often pre-revenue or early-revenue — that require product development support and initial go-to-market execution alongside their first institutional capital.

Iowa Startup Accelerator is the investment arm of New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo), a Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit. NewBoCo houses multiple programs including K-12 computer science education initiatives and entrepreneurship support alongside ISA. This means ISA's investment activities sit within a charitable organization that prioritizes regional innovation over pure financial returns — a structure distinct from independent accelerator funds or VC firms.

Yes. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is a frequent co-investment partner, providing state-level grants and matching funds to startups that complete ISA's accelerator program. This public-private funding model is central to ISA's ability to support companies that may struggle to attract coastal venture capital at the pre-seed stage.