NOVA8 Ventures
NOVA8 Ventures is a Kansas-based venture capital firm providing Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A funding under $10MM post-money to early-stage U.S. companies in AI, healthtech, cybersecurity, telecom, robotics, and enterprise software, supplemented by hands-on advisory services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLenexa, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NOVA8 Ventures does
NOVA8 Ventures is a privately held, Kansas-based venture capital firm that provides Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A capital to early-stage companies with post-money valuations under $10MM. The firm targets continental U.S. companies, with stated preference for the Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Kansas City regions, and concentrates its thesis in artificial intelligence, healthtech, cybersecurity, fiber/wireless telecommunications, robotics, and enterprise software. Its visible portfolio spans six companies across logistics (NaviFreight), fiber infrastructure (WanRack), enterprise software (Stackify), and other technology sectors, with one confirmed successful exit — 1102 GRAND, now Netrality Properties, which was led through its growth phase by CEO Darren Bonawitz.
The firm's product extends beyond capital deployment into a bundle of six advisory modules: business plan feedback, roadmap planning, professional networking, management meetings, sounding board sessions, and financial guidance through M&A, fundraising, recapitalization, or exit. Deal sourcing is sales-led and inbound — entrepreneurs submit four-to-six-page executive summaries or investor decks to [email protected] for initial review, with a full business plan required for deeper evaluation. Revenue mechanics are typical of venture investing: returns via capital gains on exits within a stated 5-7 year horizon, with no publicly disclosed fund size, management fee structure, or AUM. The firm is structured as NOVA8 Ventures, LLC, governed under Kansas law, and operated by a two-person executive team — CEO Darren Bonawitz and COO Emily Lomaka — both with deep backgrounds in telecommunications, IT, and infrastructure rather than financial services.
NOVA8 Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NOVA8 Ventures
- Legal name
- NOVA8 Ventures, LLC
- Website
- https://nova8.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NOVA8 Ventures is a Kansas-based venture capital firm providing Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A funding under $10MM post-money to early-stage U.S. companies in AI, healthtech, cybersecurity, telecom, robotics, and enterprise software, supplemented by hands-on advisory services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NOVA8 Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where NOVA8 Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lenexa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NOVA8 Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: NOVA8 Ventures generates returns through capital gains from successful portfolio company exits, including recapitalization events, mergers and acquisitions, and liquidity events within their 5-7 year investment horizon.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
NOVA8 Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NOVA8 Ventures is a private venture capital firm that invests capital in early-stage companies during Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds, targeting companies with post-money valuations under $10MM with high-margin, scalable recurring revenue models. The firm supplements its investment capital with hands-on value-add services including business plan feedback, roadmap planning, professional networking, management meetings, sounding board sessions, and financial guidance for mergers, acquisitions, and exits.
Product overview
NOVA8 Ventures is a venture capital firm offering a unified investment and advisory platform. The core offering is Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A funding for early-stage companies with valuations under $10MM. This is supplemented by six add-on advisory modules: Business Plan Feedback, Roadmap Planning, Professional Networking, Management Meetings, Sounding Board, and Financial Guidance. These services work together to provide holistic support to portfolio companies throughout their growth journey, with a focus on companies in AI, healthtech, cybersecurity, telecommunications, robotics, and enterprise software sectors located primarily in the continental US, especially the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A Investment Services Venture capital investment services providing funding to early-stage companies with post-money valuations less than $10MM, focusing on high-margin and scalable recurring revenue models in AI, healthtech, cybersecurity, telecommunications, robotics, and enterprise software sectors.
Companies that use NOVA8 Ventures
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
NOVA8 Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NOVA8 Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
NOVA8 Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cultivation Capital: Cultivation Capital is a St. Louis-based early-stage venture firm focused on technology and life sciences, directly comparable to NOVA8 in fund stage, regional Midwestern base, and sector-agnostic early-stage investing.
- gener8tor: gener8tor is a Milwaukee-based accelerator and early-stage investor that runs cohorts and invests seed capital in startups across sectors, comparable to NOVA8 in early-stage stage focus and Midwestern regional footprint.
- Dundee Venture Capital: Dundee Venture Capital is an Omaha-based early-stage fund investing across the Midwest in technology and high-growth sectors, comparable to NOVA8 in fund stage, region, and multi-sector early-stage thesis.
- M25: M25 is a Chicago-based seed-stage venture fund investing primarily in Midwest-headquartered startups, comparable to NOVA8 in early-stage stage, regional Midwest geographic focus, and multi-sector technology thesis.
- Mid-America Angels: Mid-America Angels is a Midwest-based angel investment network that funds early-stage companies across sectors, directly comparable to NOVA8 Ventures as a similarly regional, early-stage capital provider serving non-coastal geographies.
- KCRise Fund: KCRise Fund is a Kansas City-based venture fund providing early-stage capital to technology startups in the region, directly comparable to NOVA8 given overlapping Kansas City geographic focus and early-stage technology investment thesis.
Regional players
- Network Kansas: Network Kansas is a statewide entrepreneurship-support organization operating across Kansas, comparable to NOVA8 through overlapping regional focus on the Great Plains and Kansas entrepreneur ecosystem, though as a support entity rather than direct investor.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator and early-stage investor with a strong presence across the US, comparable to NOVA8 as a much larger, broader incumbent offering early-stage capital plus intensive mentorship to startup cohorts.
- Jump Capital: Jump Capital is a Chicago-based venture firm with seed through growth-stage funds, broadly comparable to NOVA8 as a larger Midwest incumbent investing in enterprise software, fintech, and other technology verticals.
- Lightbank: Lightbank is a Chicago-based early-stage venture fund investing in technology companies, broadly comparable to NOVA8 as a larger Midwestern incumbent providing seed-stage capital to technology and software startups.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
NOVA8 Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceNOVA8 Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NOVA8 Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
NOVA8 Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NOVA8 Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NOVA8 Ventures
What does NOVA8 Ventures do?
NOVA8 Ventures is a private venture capital firm that invests capital in early-stage companies during Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds, targeting companies with post-money valuations under $10MM with high-margin, scalable recurring revenue models. The firm supplements its investment capital with hands-on value-add services including business plan feedback, roadmap planning, professional networking, management meetings, sounding board sessions, and financial guidance for mergers, acquisitions, and exits.
Is NOVA8 Ventures a public or private company?
NOVA8 Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was NOVA8 Ventures founded?
NOVA8 Ventures was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NOVA8 Ventures based?
NOVA8 Ventures is headquartered in Lenexa, United States, in the North America region.
How does NOVA8 Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Who are NOVA8 Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cultivation Capital, gener8tor, Dundee Venture Capital, M25, Mid-America Angels and KCRise Fund. Network Kansas is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Techstars, Jump Capital and Lightbank.
Does NOVA8 Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for NOVA8 Ventures.
What industry is NOVA8 Ventures in?
NOVA8 Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.