---
title: 'This week in “How do you define a ‘Portland startup’?” Crescendo’s CEO is here and Portland Business Journal covered their $50M raise so…'
date: '2024-10-08T16:42:53-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 411
char_count: 2830
tokens: 535
categories:
  - Portland
---

# This week in “How do you define a ‘Portland startup’?” Crescendo’s CEO is here and Portland Business Journal covered their $50M raise so…

I’m calling this one. **[Crescendo](https://crescendo.ai/) is a Portland startup**. Whether they like it or not. You see, the [founder and CEO of Crescendo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthspecialist/) is here in Portland. [Malia Spencer at the Portland Business Journal is covering them](https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/fundings/2024/10/07/crescendo-generative-ai-partnerhero.html). And the way we were defining “Portland startups” in the before times seems ripe for disruption. So I’m calling Crescendo a Portland startup. Which means [a Portland startup just raised $50 million in Series C](https://crescendo.ai/2024/10/01/crescendo-closes-50-million-in-equity-financing-led-by-general-catalyst/).

> Crescendo, creators of the first augmented-AI customer experience (CX) platform, today announced the closing of a series of venture round financings totaling $50 million. General Catalyst, where the company was conceived, led its latest Series C fundraise. Other investors participating include Celesta Capital, Alorica and strategic angels. The company was valued at $500 million post this investment.

So what do they do…?

> Crescendo developed the world’s first augmented-AI customer experience (CX) platform that combines the power of AI with human domain expertise to deliver outcome-driven results for fast-moving, digitally-native enterprises growing quickly. With its unique approach, Crescendo offers scalable solutions that optimize both frontline and back office operations, helping companies create meaningful, personalized customer experiences.

“What if you could have this experience where you could interact with the AI and the AI was really good, it answers questions as best as it could but it knew when it couldn’t answer a question and when it did that it transferred to a human and that human was there immediately,” cofounde, CEO, and Portland resident Matt Price told the PBJ. “That’s what we tried to build.”

And why Portland…?

> Price, who is originally from the UK, ended up in Portland because his wife was born and raised here. When remote work opened the possibility of leaving San Francisco, they headed north. Price jokes that the city’s gray climate and love of soccer made the city an easy place to get acclimated.

Interested in seeing where this one goes. And continuing to refine a modern day definition of “Portland startup.”

or more information on the raise, see the [press release](https://crescendo.ai/2024/10/01/crescendo-closes-50-million-in-equity-financing-led-by-general-catalyst/). For more information on the company, visit [Crescendo](https://crescendo.ai/).

More Portland startup news
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