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Category: Funding

MergerTech stands up MergerTech Capital, a $50 million fund for healthcare IT startups

For all of the good things happening in the Portland startup scene, there’s one area where we’re clearly still maturing: successful exits which result in capital reinvested in the startup community.

But we’re beginning to see glimmers of hope. Like Nitin Khanna, CEO of MergerTech who—following a successful exit from Saber in 2007—has begun to invest capital in a number of early stage startups here in Portland. Read More

Puppet Labs just landed $8.5 million in funding from Google, Cisco, and VMWare — and a Portland investor

So much for things slowing down with the holidays. Or Christmas is coming a little early. Or something.

Puppet Labs just announced that they have landed $8.5 million in Series C funding—and it includes money from Google, Cisco, and VMWare.

But there’s some local money investing in Puppet, too. Read More

Oregon Angel Fund invests in local mobile: Meridian lands $1 million in seed funding

It’s not often you see local money investing in local tech. It’s even more rare that local money decides to bet on mobile tech.

That’s why I’m incredibly pleased to share that the Oregon Angel Fund and the Bellingham Angels Group have decided to invest $1 million in Meridian, a Portland company that helps you find your way around large venues using your mobile device. Read More

BankSimple banks $10 million in additional funding

It’s always nice to report on Portland funding news. This time, it’s BankSimple—whom we count as a Portland company thanks to their CTO and co-founder Alex Payne and their dev shop being located here in Portland. The company just landed an additional $10 million in financing and added Visa, Bancorp, CBW, Allpoint, and Andera to their partner list. Read More

Care to guess who the Portland Seed Fund selected for its first class?

Well, well, well. Here we are. The moment for which we’ve been waiting, patiently, for quite some time. It’s time to announce the first class of the Portland Seed Fund, a new fund designed to help stimulate startup growth here in Portland.

And now? Now it’s time to see who is going to get stimulated… err funded. So who made the cut? Read More

Pitch over a (free) pitcher: Portland Seed Fund hosts last minute pitch sessions with TiE Oregon and Beer and Blog Portland

So you’ve been flirting with the idea of applying to the Portland Seed Fund. You know, to get some much needed cash and guidance for your startup idea. To get it off the ground. And to, hopefully, take the initial step toward finding more cash from customers and investors.

But, I hear you. It’s intimidating. And you’re not quite sure you’ve got your pitch dialed in. Read More

Oh it’s on. Beaverton startup Act-On lands $10 million in funding for cloud-based marketing automation

It’s always nice to wake up to another nail in the “it’s hard to find funding in Portland” coffin. And this time, not only is it funding for a cloud-based company in the Portland area, it’s funding for a company that sits outside the Old Town/Pearl region of town that has been a recent magnet for capital. Way outside. Like Beaverton.

Act-On software has secured $10 million in C round funding, led by Trinity Ventures. Why does Trinity sound familiar? Oh, because Trinity also just sunk some cash into ShopIgniter. Read More

This whole Facebook thing might just catch on: ShopIgniter secures $8 million in venture funding

Last year they quietly landed $3 million. Today, ShopIgniter quietly announced that they had landed another $8 million in Series B.

ShopIgniter is kind of one of those quiet startups around Portland. There isn’t a great deal of hubbub around them. Not a great deal of hype. Last year they quietly landed $3 million. Today, ShopIgniter quietly announced that they had landed another $8 million in Series B. Read More

Three techie Portland Kickstarter projects that could use a little love… and one that’s been successfully funded

Portland loves the Kickstarter projects. And not just because Andy Baio was the CTO while he was living here. There’s simply something about the friends and family funding model that appeals to the Portland mindset.

So it should come as no surprise that there are any number of Portland projects on Kickstarter. But what may be surprising are some of the more tech oriented projects that wind up there. Here are a few of my favorites. Read More