I always try to make a habit of coming back to things I think I know. Trying to approach them again with fresh eyes. Hoping to ensure that I actually know what I think I know. This year, Bend Venture Conference inspired some reflection along these lines. And then a number of other recent conversations caused me to double down on the topic. The subject…? As a Portland startup, what are the accessible early stage Venture Capital resources with a Portland presence and/or focus…?
Here’s the list of who I came up with through my research. Who’s missing…?
Cascade Seed Fund
Founded in 2014 and investing as Cascade Angels Fund across five funds, we became Cascade Seed Fund in 2019 building on more than five years of early stage investing experience. Today we continue to seek out opportunities to work with amazing entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest and rising entrepreneurial hubs throughout the US.
For more information, visit https://cascadeseedfund.com/
Coughdrop Capital
Typically, we write $25-50K checks into pre-seed or seed stage startups. Regardless of sector, industry, or stage, we like to fund smart founders with ambitious plans.
For more information, visit https://www.coughdropcapital.com/
Elevate Capital
For some populations, there is a noticeable gap in gaining access to investment capital. These aspiring entrepreneurs are both underserved and overlooked, yet they have the courage and vision it takes to start and scale a business. At Elevate Capital, we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to invest early and offer mentorship to these entrepreneurs. We provide the venture capital and guidance they need to turn their startups into great companies.
For more information, visit https://elevate.vc/
Founders First Fund (under development)
With a team dedicated to helping Oregon’s incredible founders, Founders First Fund is focused on working with founders of high-scale startups at the earliest stages. Typically the “first money in”, FF Fund is not just a check but can help founders proliferate.
For more information, see the blog post describing the inspiration for Founders First Fund.
Ideaship
Ideaship™ is a patent capital fund providing in-house patent department services, external patent counsel funding, and fundraising support for early stage startups.
For more information, visit https://ideashipfund.com
Oregon Sports Angels
Oregon Sports Angels (OSA) is an Oregon based Angel Network. We are a non-profit, member-based organization made up of a diverse team of experienced sports, outdoor and fitness industry professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and do-gooders. Our mission is to find and help grow the next great sports & fitness product and service companies.
For more information, visit https://oregonsportsangels.org/
Oregon Venture Fund
Founded in 2007, the Oregon Venture Fund is a community supported, professionally managed, collaborative venture capital fund backed by the leaders of the region’s business, technology, and entrepreneurial communities.
For more information, visit https://oregonventurefund.com/
Peninsula Ventures
Founded in Silicon Valley in 2000, Peninsula Ventures moved to Portland in 2015 to better focus on seed+, capital efficient deals in undercapitalized markets, such as the Pacific Northwest. Peninsula focuses on the software, cloud, AI, and healthcare IT sectors and likes scrappy entrepreneurs and collaborative VC syndicates. The firm works closely with its entrepreneurs to become their go-to thought partner.
For more information, visit https://www.peninsula.vc
Portland Seed Fund
Since 2010, we have grown Portland Seed Fund from an idea to reality, becoming the most active venture capital investor in Oregon (Source: CB Insights). We demonstrated that our novel strategy of investing relatively small amounts of money into a diverse array of promising sectors and entrepreneurs could generate profound economic impact, change the world with life-and planet-saving technologies, and book superior returns for our investors.
For more information, visit http://www.portlandseedfund.com/
Prohibited Capital
At Prohibited Capital, we thrive in underserved sectors, turning unconventional choices into asymmetric returns. We’re not just disruptors; we’re pioneers, fearlessly investing in the unloved, from regions viewed by some as pariahs, to psychoactive compounds and underbanked communities. Constraints? We turn them into opportunities with sky-high upside. Our solutions are as unique as the markets we serve.
For more information, visit https://www.prohibitedcapital.com/
Roadster Capital
Roadster Capital drives outsized returns while solving challenges for the industrial base with science and technology. We provide a competitive edge to mission driven founders who are developing bold and unmistakable technical solutions.
For more information, visit https://www.roadstercapital.com/
Rogue Women’s Fund
We invest in early-stage women-led technology companies. Our thesis is to fund women founders and support them as they make the impossible, possible.
For more information, visit https://roguewmn.com/
Seven Peaks Ventures
As experienced entrepreneurs and investors, we know what it takes to build and grow a category leading business. We aim to be a highly supportive investor and work with our entrepreneurs in a close collaborative way to help them solve problems and navigate the company building process. The journey of building a startup is a marathon not a sprint where wisdom, experience, and calm/clear decisions matter.
For more information, visit http://sevenpeaksventures.com/
Stargazer Ventures
We’re an early-stage fund that invests in untapped founders starting and scaling ambitious, high impact businesses. Our partners are successful founders themselves and are passionate and committed to supporting minority founders at the pre-seed and seed stage funding rounds. Our open-ended fund structure sets us apart and allows us and our investors maximum flexibility and diversification.
For more information, visit https://www.stargazervc.com/
The BFM Fund™
We pave the way for the success of Black and diverse founders by providing capital, a robust investor network, and world-class mentorship, all driven by our vibrant communities.
For more information, visit https://www.bfm.fund/
TiE Oregon Angels
TiE Oregon Angels stands at the forefront of supporting entrepreneurship through robust angel investment initiatives. As a distinguished angel investment group formed by Charter Members of TiE Oregon, our mission is to fuel the growth of top-tier emerging companies by providing them with early-stage investments, mentorship, and an extensive support network.
For more information, visit https://www.tieoregon.org/programs/oregon-tie-angels
Voyager Capital
With a focus on investing in the modern economy through AI-driven business solutions, software-driven hardware, sustainable agriculture, and supply chain in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada, we create a relationship with you early in your company’s lifecycle. We’re entrepreneur centric — so when we invest in your business, we invest in you. Our team is available, responsive and committed to you when and where you need it — from your very first venture round. The result is fast-tracked time to revenue with less capital.
For more information, visit http://www.voyagercapital.com/
So that’s what I’ve got. Please let me know what I’m missing. Also, I’m thinking it might be a good idea to put together a similar list of pitch competitions that provide capital for early stage startups locally, both nondilutive and equity based. So stay tuned for that.
As always, if you’re interested in helping keep this list of resources up-to-date, please feel free to contribute to the Github repository.
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