The biotechnology industry in Iowa comprises a diverse range of companies contributing significantly to advancements in healthcare, environmental sustainability, and agricultural productivity. From companies specialising in the development of innovative immunotherapeutic products to businesses providing mapping services for breeding and custom aseptic fluid handling solutions, these biotech firms have carved a distinctive niche in Iowa's economic landscape. Spearheading R&D efforts and employing cutting-edge technology, they are not only creating valuable products and services but also propelling Iowa's journey towards becoming a national leader in biotech innovation.


Top 19 biotechnology companies in Iowa

1. NewLink Genetics

NewLink Genetics is a company that focuses on the development and commercialization of innovative immunotherapeutic products to improve cancer treatment. Their offerings include targeted cancer therapies that harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer and enhance patient outcomes.


2. Data2Bio LLC

Data2Bio offers genotyping and mapping services for breeding projects with tGBS genotyping technology, with a focus on providing accurate and efficient results on time. They also offer RNA-seq and assembly services, as well as custom and turn-key projects.


3. J2biosystems LLC

Providing clients custom aseptic fluid handling solutions for the high value therapeutics they produce


4. BioSpace

  • Website: biospace.com
  • Headquarters: Urbandale, Iowa, United States
  • Founded: 1985
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Latest funding type: Series B
  • LinkedIn

BioSpace is a platform that connects life sciences professionals with biotech and biopharma organizations. It provides news, research, career resources, and job opportunities.


5. JMI Laboratories

  • Website: jmilabs.com
  • Headquarters: North Liberty, Iowa, United States
  • Founded: 2000
  • Headcount: 51-200
  • Latest funding type: Acquired
  • LinkedIn

JMI Laboratories is a CLIA certified reference microbiology laboratory that provides comprehensive GCLP support for bacterial and fungal phase I – IV clinical trials. They have over two decades of experience in performing surveillance studies in support of new drug applications or to satisfy post-marketing commitments. They offer full laboratory support for genetic investigations of the entire microbiome and provide clients with full molecular characterization of isolates, including epidemiological typing and resistance/virulence gene analysis. JMI Laboratories also offers medical writing services to help disseminate study results to the clinical and scientific community.


6. Institute for Responsible Technology

The Institute for Responsible Technology is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the public from GMOs and raising awareness about the potential dangers of gene editing. They offer information and resources on GMOs and provide a non-GMO shopping guide for consumers.


7. Global Farmer Network

The Global Farmer Network is an organization that amplifies the farmers' voice in promoting trade, technology, sustainable farming, economic growth, and food security.


8. Tom Swegle

  • Website: tomswegle.com
  • Headquarters: Des Moines, Iowa, United States
  • Headcount: 1-10

Tom Swegle is a serial entrepreneur who chases opportunities that focus on investing, developing and launching business entities that build value within the prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. Example sectors include clinical pharmaceutical organizations, e-commerce pet medications, and medical marijuana companies. Tom has been a partner and CEO for biopharmaceutical institutions such as RegenaCorp and MedCara Pharmaceuticals, working throughout his career to push the envelopes of science, technology and commercial strategy from products developed from the bench of compounding pharmacies. Tom has invested in and/or worked for entrepreneurial companies such as VetCara, NuCara Management Group, Paragon Manufacturing, John Deere Health and The Meyocks Group. He has successfully developed and implemented a compounding prescription model to dispense products such as Med101 under the brand name WartPEEL®, a topical prescription treatment for resistant warts that can be prescribed in all 50 U.S. states. The development of WartPEEL® has resulted in the creation of marketing and pharmacy operations, distribution, reimbursement strategies and supporting infrastructures for the Med101 therapy, thus gaining valuable anecdotal patient feedback and impressive revenue streams. Tom has over 10 years of pharmaceutical executive experience that has involved the direction, preparation and implementation of out-licensing and partner materials including investor briefing documents, financial and valuation models, market scaling, intellectual property, clinical and regulatory data. Tom has successfully negotiated with the FDA to approve pre-clinical data and received approval to begin Phase I human studies and filing for Med101. He has directed the consultant services in preparing, filing, and otherwise advising in the preparation and filing of INDs, Supplemental NDAs, NDAs, investigational brochures, labeling, orphan applications and Investigator INDs. He has negotiated with the ...


9. AccuraScience

AccuraScience provides bioinformatics and data modeling services to biomedical researchers in academic institutions, biotech and pharmaceutical industries, clinical facilities, and government agencies. They advise and assist in the design and implementation of bio-informatics-heavy projects, its bioinformatics team directly delivers bio-informatics projects and bio-informatics-heavy components to its clients. AccuraScience provides bioinformatics and data modeling services to biomedical researchers in academic institutions, biotech and pharmaceutical industries, clinical facilities, and government agencies. They advise and assist in the design and implementation of bio-informatics-heavy projects, its bioinformatics team directly delivers bio-informatics projects and bio-informatics-heavy components to its clients.


10. Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing

Contract Fermentation and Bioprocessing CBB offers an experienced professional staff and state-of-the-art fermentation and purification facilities to perform confidential contract services. Operations are smoothly transferred from the main facility to GMP. In 2004, CBB acquired the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facility with three protein purification suites. In 2007, CBB completed a cGMP fermentation suite containing 30, 100 and 300-liter fermentors. The GMP facilities are located on the University of Iowa Research Park adjacent to the CBB's Research and Process Development Laboratory. The CBB develops, evaluates, optimizes, and scales up bio-based products in volumes ranging from 1 to 1,000-L. Typically, they bring research findings from the bench through the first stages of scale-up. The more than 20-member lab staff's extensive experience includes a wide-range of organisms, notably high-cell-density recombinant E.coli and Pichia pastoris. Products produced cover the complete range of interest - vaccines, enzymes, immobilized catalysts, antibiotics, therapeutics, nucleotides, polysaccharides, peptides, polymers, and biochemicals. The development process is rapid, economical and can be easily transferred to CBB cGMP Laboratory. CBB produces bulk biopharmaceuticals for evaluation. The Center has considerable experience purifying fermentation-produced biological materials. Biotech. Research and Education Education and research are major interests of the CBB. Currently, the predoctoral program supports six fellows. These fellowships provide interdisciplinary research training that focuses on the applications of engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biochemistry, and biology to those areas of research related to biotechnology. Faculties from the physical, engineering, and biological sciences support a curriculum that bridges these disciplines, essential for biotechnology training programs.


11. Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio)

  • Website: iowabio.org
  • Headquarters: Des Moines, Iowa, United States
  • Founded: 1994
  • Headcount: 1-10
  • LinkedIn

Iowa Biotechnology Association is a non-profit, membership-based organization that represents companies committed to advancing bioscience in Iowa. Their diverse membership includes emerging companies, universities and colleges, state and federal associations, and service and support companies.


12. Tri-County Boarding Kennels

Tri-County Boarding offers premium dog boarding and training services in the tri-county area.


13. Metabolic Technologies, Inc.

MTI Biotech is a company that creates cutting-edge products to maintain and maximize healthy, active lifestyles. They have a partnership with analytical lab Heartland Assays to develop top-quality products backed by research.


14. Alliance for Bio-integrity

Preserving the safety of our food, the health of our environment, and the harmony of our relationship with nature.n


15. Truth in Labeling Coalition

Anne Dietrich is co-founder and President of The Truth in Labeling Coalition, a 501(c)(4) non-profit political advocacy organization formed in March 2008 to advance her work as executive director of The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Food, which resulted in all the major democratic candidates for President going on written record in support of federal GE labeling legislation. Her advocacy has led her to Capitol Hill to communicate personally with more than 100 Members of Congress. Annes sole agenda is to end the genetic engineering of the worlds food. For more than nine years, Anne has worked full-time to find common ground among doctors, farmers, industry leaders, scientists, public interest groups and government officials; in order to enact a federal law requiring producers to provide clear, on-package labeling of food made with genetically engineered ingredients. Before tackling the job of lobbying Congress for common-sense, precautionary measures in the face of scientific uncertainty, she volunteered for Mothers for Natural Law to petition the National Organic Standards Board to disallow genetically engineered ingredients in organic food. Employed by Genetic ID in 2005, Anne encouraged retailers to adopt the Non-GMO Projec t standard for producing food without genetically engineered ingredients, and from 2006-2007, she was responsible for subscriptions and advertising at the Organic and Non-GMO Report. Anne inspired philanthropist and environmentalist Chris Wege to fund a national campaign, and worked with former Congressman Jim Bates to put GMOs on the Congressional radar. She recruited Dr. John Fagan , molecular biologist, and Dr. Michael Hansen , Senior Scientist for Consumers Union to inspire the AMA to adopt new policy recommending that the federal government mandate pre-market safety testing of all genetically engineered food. Anne believes that the degradation of our food supply, loss of cultural integrity, ecological and climate imbalance will ultimately be resolved by re-establishing ...


16. Miller Hybrids, INC.

Miller Hybrids is an independent, family-owned company offering elite corn and soybean hybrids, and high-yielding alfalfa with excellent nutritional characteristics. The company takes pride in its unique research program that consistently produces new, unique commercial corn hybrids. They also offer various treatment options to fit different farm needs.


17. Trans Ova Genetics

  • Website: transova.com
  • Headquarters: Sioux Center, Iowa, United States
  • Founded: 1980
  • Headcount: 201-500
  • Latest funding type: Acquired
  • LinkedIn

TransOva Genetics is an internationally recognized company offering superior animal husbandry and reproductive expertise. They provide a comprehensive system of regional and satellite centers, as well as on-farm application of reproductive technologies.


18. MedCara Pharmaceuticals

MedCara Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company located in Iowa that develops drugs, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and homeopathic products through collaborations with compounding pharmacies and strong commercial partners.


19. Salzman International Inc.

Salzman International is a wholesaler of animal byproducts that has been serving pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and biotechnology researchers since 1946. They provide high-quality porcine, bovine, equine, and ovine byproducts to their customers exclusively from USDA packers.


Want to find more biotechnology companies?


If you want to find more companies that offer breakthrough products and unparalleled services you can do so with Inven. This list was built with Inven and there are hundreds of companies like these globally.


With Inven you'll also get to know the company's:


  • Ownership: Which of these are private equity backed? Which are family-owned?
  • Contact data: Who are the owners and CEO's? What are their emails and phone numbers?
  • Financials: How do these companies perform financially? What are their revenues and profit margins?

...and a lot more!