09 Mar IU Ventures ranks among most active venture firms in Great Lakes region
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2022
BLOOMINGTON, Ind — Indiana University’s early-stage venture and angel investment arm, IU Ventures, is one of the most active venture capital firms in the Great Lakes region of the U.S., according to PitchBook’s 2021 Annual Global League Tables rankings.
IU Ventures tied for 12th place in the newly released rankings with Chicago-based Hyde Park Angels. Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures, one of IU Ventures’ key partners in working to strengthen Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, topped the rankings.
The PitchBook rankings arrived after IU Ventures announced last week that it had once again been recognized as one of as one of Indiana’s most active professional investors in a comprehensive report — prepared annually by Elevate Ventures — on venture investment in the Hoosier state.
“This ranking reflects the many ways that IU Ventures is supporting IU’s mission of creating a vibrant economy in Indiana,” said IU Ventures President and CEO Tony Armstrong. “It is also a chance to recognize the importance of Elevate Ventures and other highly successful venture investment firms we are fortunate to partner with in strengthening our state’s culture of innovation and further the success of creative entrepreneurs from Indiana and the surrounding region.”
IU Ventures, which manages multiple early-stage funds to support IU-affiliated entrepreneurs, made investments in nine Indiana companies totaling $1.2 million in 2021, overcoming the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and adding to a growing portfolio that includes 23 active Indiana companies.
IU Ventures also added investments of $3.1 million made by members of the IU Angel Network into eight new portfolio companies and follow-on investments into several of the 10 companies that received initial investment in 2020. Many of these are Indiana companies. The IU Angel Network facilitates connections between new ventures and prospective investors among IU’s global community of alumni, faculty, staff, students and associates.
PitchBook, which serves more than 60,000 professionals around the world, is a financial data and software company that collects and analyzes detailed data on the entire venture capital, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions landscape — including public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people.
About IU Ventures
IU Ventures invests in and supports IU-affiliated early-stage companies. Its investment programs include the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund, IU Angel Network, Shoebox Fund and Innovate Indiana Fund. It further supports IU founders through the Executive in Residence Program and IU Founders and Funders Network. Student support is provided through a variety of engagements, including the new IU Venture Fellows Program. Each program takes unique approaches to accelerate and support the positive impacts that entrepreneurs affiliated with IU already achieve across the world. IU Ventures is a recognized leader in increasing opportunities for diverse and historically underserved entrepreneurs and investing in Indiana startups with a shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Media Contact:
Ryan Piurek
IU Ventures
812-855-5393
rpiurek@iu.edu