In order to sustain a vibrant startup investor ecosystem, funds need to start, find success, and raise more funds. And should that success cause them to grow beyond their previous stage focus, then new funds need to start to backfill the gaps. So as many of the early stage funds in the Pacific Northwest achieve success and move downstream to Seed and Series A investments, it’s nice to see new funds stepping up to take the opportunity to support pre-Seed startups. Like the new Startup Haven Venture Fund.
Read MoreTag: seed
Portland Seed Fund portfolio company Auth0 to exit for $6.5 billion
While Auth0 is a Seattle company, they do have a distinct Portland tie. You see, the Portland Seed Fund was one of the company’s early investors. And today was a big day for everyone involved, given that it was just announced that Okta is acquiring Auth0 for $6.5 billion.
Read MoreWhat makes for a successful Seed deck?
There are any number of ways to tell a startup’s story. But no format sparks more debate than the pitch deck. What topics should it cover? How many slides should it contain? How much time should I spend on design?
Read MoreREMINDER: Portland Seed Fund “Pitch for a Beer” is tonight
Sorry, this one kinda snuck up on me. Portland Seed Fund regularly takes the opportunity to invite a bunch of startups to come hang out and practice their pitches to the PSF partners. This time, it’s taking place at the Portland State Business Accelerator.
For startups, Portland Seed Fund closing is a very good thing
In some industries, the idea of “closing” can be the worst possible outcome. But in the world of startups, closing is often a very good thing. And the latest news from the Portland Seed Fund is no different. The Portland Business Journal just revealed that PSF has just closed their third fund to the tune of $13.9 million.
A unicorn appears in the distance thanks in part to a seed investment by Portland Seed Fund
While the term unicorn has lost a bit of its luster as of late, it’s still an impressive milestone for any company to achieve a $1 billion valuation, but especially for a northwest company to do so. That’s why it was interesting to see Portland Seed Fund portfolio company Auth0 announce its Series E raise, which officially gives it the unicorn moniker.
Crunchbase took a look at states where seed stage funding is growing. Hint: It’s not Oregon.
Lately, it seems there’s been an uptick in sizable funding rounds and private equity investments in the state. With 2018 being a record setting and landmark year, in that regard. But in order to get to those multimillion dollar rounds — or liquidity events — companies have to first get out of the gates. And if they’re seeking seed funding in Oregon, that doesn’t seem to be happening at a rate on par with other states. According to Crunchbase.
Growing local: Coast to Crest Fund established to provide seed funding for Lane County
While raising capital is never easy, it’s a lot more difficult when you don’t have any local resources on which to lean. That’s what a couple of Eugene entrepreneurs are hoping to fix with the Coast to Crest Fund, a new $3 million seed fund focused on Lane County startups.
Crop rotation: As previous seed funds move to later stages, more seed funds fill the void
Ask any Portland founder what their biggest challenge is and I will bet you that—nine times out of ten—the response will be “talent.” But if you ask them what else—besides talent—is keeping them up at night, the answer will be the same answer it has been since, well, since startups. “Money.” And that’s why it’s nice to see the funding environment here in Oregon continuing to mature. Read More
Predicting how you'll spend your winter break: Portland Seed Fund Spring 2014 applications now open
It’s funny. These days, folks seem to look forward to holidays and breaks so that they can do more work. Focused work. Without interruption. And like it or not, I’ve got something awesome like that for your winter break task list. The Portland Seed Fund has successfully closed their second fund. And as such, they’ve opened applications for their next class. Read More