The Portland startup scene wouldn’t be much of scene without the capital to fuel its growth. And over the years, it’s been nice to watch that investment community come together, connect, and collaborate to enable some of our most promising young companies gain the initial footing they need to succeed. That said, it’s been a few years since Portland has seen a new investor enter the fray—Rogue Venture Partners and Seven Peak Ventures are among the most recent. Until now. Meet Elevate Capital.
Headed by prolific angel investor, Nitin Rai, with a team boasting Robin Jones of PIE alum Geoloqi (acquired by Esri) and Motorola Ventures and uber-connector Stephen Green, Elevate looks to provide another source of capital for early stage companies throughout Oregon.
We support passionate founders who are focused on solving real world problems, persevere when they face challenges, and are open to seek help when they need it. We provide the financial and mentor capital needed to build a successful company. Backed with experienced mentors, investors, and partners globally, we can elevate your dreams into a reality.
The fund has a fairly large purview. It’s not just tech. And it’s seeking to represent the wide variety of founders in the Oregon ecosystem, as well.
We will invest in a broad range of startups from tech to apparel, to food and beverage, to bioscience.
We will tap into regions like the Willamette Valley, Central Oregon, SW Washington and Southern Oregon, where there has been traditionally less flow of capital.
We will invest “Mentor Capital” – money and mentoring, from launch to series A, so you as a founder/entrepreneur can focus on building your business, while we become your partner in helping you be successful.
We will be intentional about investments in under-represented entrepreneurs such as women and communities of color so our investments reflect the diversity we bring in our own team (East Indian, Hispanic, Black/Latino and women).
Wow. This is a really good start for 2016. I can’t wait to see where this goes.
For more information, visit Elevate Capital or follow Elevate on Twitter.
[Full disclosure: Robin Jones worked out of PIE on her own startup and was the COO of Geoloqi, a PIE alum. I am the cofounder of PIE.]
