Oregon Venture Fund

Last updated
Oregon Venture Fund
FormerlyOregon Angel Fund
Company type Private Ownership
Industry Venture capital
Founded2007;17 years ago (2007)
Founders
  • Eric Rosenfeld
  • Robert Ward
Headquarters Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Products Venture capital
Total assets $185 million
Number of employees
8
Website oregonventurefund.com

Oregon Venture Fund makes venture investments in the Portland, Oregon area and throughout Oregon and SW Washington. The fund consists of 180 institutional and [1] angel investors, of whom 85% have run or founded a business. The fund evaluates up to 300 business plans per year, selecting five to seven to invest in annually. [2] In 2018, the fund changed its name from Oregon Angel Fund to Oregon Venture Fund and launched a new $30M fund. [3] Since its inception, Oregon Venture Fund has generated an average annual rate of return of 34% and a return on investment exceeding $3.50 for each dollar invested. [4]

Contents

Investment strategy

About 70 percent of the fund's investments are in technology. 20 percent are medical devices, health care IT, and related fields. And 10 percent are in other areas such as transportation, advanced materials, and consumer. [5] 31% of portfolio companies were founded by, or are headed by, a woman and 23% by a person of color. Some 70 companies in Oregon Venture Fund's portfolio include Absci, Jama, [6] Elemental Technologies, [7] Brandlive, [8] Salt & Straw, [9] and Wildfang. [10]

The Oregon Venture Fund also receives investment from The Oregon Community Foundation, [11] Meyer Memorial Trust, the State of Oregon, and regional colleges and universities, such as University of Oregon, Willamette University, Portland State University, and Lewis & Clark College. [12]

Investments and exits

Oregon Venture Fund notable investments and exits include:

Management

Co-founded by Robert Ward and Eric Rosenfeld, [55] the fund is now managed by Eric Rosenfeld, Alline Akintore, Deepthi Madhava, Melissa Freeman, Jon Maroney, Matt Compton, Lynn Fletcher, and Mary Geyer. [56]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silicon Forest</span> Nickname for the cluster of high-tech companies near Portland, USA

Silicon Forest is a nickname for the Washington County cluster of high-tech companies located in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon, and most frequently refers to the industrial corridor between Beaverton and Hillsboro in northwest Oregon.

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation is an American semiconductor company specializing in the design and manufacturing of low power field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Headquartered in the Silicon Forest area of Hillsboro, Oregon, the company also has operations in San Jose, Calif., Shanghai, Manila, Penang, and Singapore. Lattice Semiconductor has more than 1000 employees and an annual revenue of more than $660 million as of 2022. The company was founded in 1983 and went public in 1989. It is traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol LSCC.

Elemental was an American software company based in Portland, Oregon, and active from 2006 to 2015. It was founded by three engineers formerly of the semiconductor company Pixel works: Sam Blackman (CEO), Jesse Rosenzweig (CTO), and Brian Lewis. In 2015, it was acquired by Amazon.

Cvent Holding Corp. is a Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company that provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for meetings, events, and hospitality management. Their web-based platform caters to in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, offering functionalities like online registration, venue selection, event management tools, and attendee engagement features. Cvent also provides software for hotels and venues to manage group bookings, including corporate travel, and source new group business. Previously a public company, Cvent was acquired by investment firm Blackstone Inc. for $4.6 billion in June 2023.

Cascade Microtech is a semiconductor test equipment manufacturer based in Beaverton in the Portland metropolitan area of the United States. Founded in 1983, the Oregon-based company employs nearly 400 people. Formerly publicly traded company as CSCD on the NASDAQ, the company is now fully merged with FormFactor, Inc.

New Relic is a US-based web tracking and analytics company. The company's cloud-based software allows websites and mobile apps to track user interactions and service operators' software and hardware performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airship (company)</span>

Airship is a US-based company that offers marketing and branding services to its clients. Its services enable businesses to create personalized messages that can be delivered to customers through various channels, such as push notifications and SMS messaging. In addition to messaging services, Airship provides its clients with customer analytics services to help them better understand their customers' behavior and preferences.

Simple was an American neobank based in Portland, Oregon. It was recognized as the first neobank and operated between 2009 and 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Act-On</span> American software company

Act-On Software is a software-as-a-service product for marketing automation. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and was founded in 2008, originally retailing its software exclusively through Cisco, which provided $2 million in funding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Incubator Experiment</span> Business incubator in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Portland Incubator Experiment, often abbreviated as PIE or PIE PDX or stylized as Pie, is a business incubator based in Portland, Oregon that provides mentorship and resources to select startup companies. Co-founded by Renny Gleeson and Rick Turoczy, PIE is run by the Portland-based advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy (W+K). The program was informally launched in 2009 before converting to a formal structure in 2011. PIE participants are chosen by a selection committee, following an application process. Startups receive seed money and spend three months developing their businesses with support from W+K and participating mentors. Companies that have provided financial assistance and mentorship include The Coca-Cola Company, Google, Intel, Nike, Inc. and Target Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandlive</span>

Brandlive is a Software as a service (SaaS) company based in Portland, Oregon, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sol Republic</span> American audio manufacturer

Sol Republic, Inc. was an American privately held audio manufacturer based in Michigan. Founded in 2011 by Scott Hix, Seth Combs, and Kevin Lee, it was sold to HoMedics in late 2015 or early 2016.

Vacasa is an international vacation rental management company based in Portland, Oregon. It provides property management services for over 35,000 vacation rentals in North America, Belize, and Costa Rica. Vacasa manages properties in 34 U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qorvo</span> American technology company

Qorvo is an American multinational company specializing in products for wireless, wired, and power markets. The company was created by the merger of TriQuint Semiconductor and RF Micro Devices, which was announced in 2014 and completed on January 1, 2015. It trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol QRVO. The headquarters for the company originally were in both Hillsboro, Oregon, and Greensboro, North Carolina, but in mid-2016 the company began referring to its North Carolina site as its exclusive headquarters.

OpenSesame Inc. is a Portland based educational technology company that provides an online marketplace for buying and selling SCORM elearning courses focused primarily on employee training. Its online training platform, directly connects content providers with employees and businesses for online training resources and specially designed courses for professionals, which can be accessed through a Learning management system. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. As of January 2024, OpenSesame tracks around 30,000 courses from more than 200 publishers.

Responsive is a privately owned developer of cloud-based software that automates and streamlines the process of responding to a request for proposal (RFP) based in Beaverton, Oregon. The company also maintains an office in Coimbatore, India. Founded in 2015, the company has expanded rapidly and now has more than 150,000 users worldwide after tripling its user base in 2019 and sustaining growth during the global pandemic. RFPIO software has supported more than $20 billion in RFP responses.

Elevate Capital (Elevate Capital LLC) is a privately owned venture capital firm based in Portland, Oregon, that focuses on early-stage investments in startup companies and particularly those companies led by women, minorities, and veterans. The firm manages the Elevate Capital Fund that invests in early-stage companies and the Elevate Inclusion Fund that invests in startups run by women and minority entrepreneurs.

inDinero is an accounting software and services company providing accounting and financial software. Founded in 2009 by Jess Mah, Andy Su, and Andrea Barrica, inDinero graduated the startup incubator, Y Combinator in 2010. On May 8, 2018, inDinero acquired San Jose-based firm tempCFO. On February 1, 2019, inDinero acquired a second company, mAccounting, an Indianapolis-based accounting and tax firm.

Pacifica Beauty is an American cosmetics company based in Carpinteria, California. It was founded in 1996 by Brook Harvey-Taylor and Billy Taylor in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Women in Technology</span> Nonprofit organization in Portland, Oregon

Portland Women in Technology was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon with the mission of advancing inclusion in the technology industry. They hosted four to six events per month, which ranged from member-driven events to monthly happy hours. In 2021, all formerly in-person PDXWIT events became virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization is to be dissolved in April 2024 due to lack of funding.

References

  1. ↑ "Building better angels: Oregon Angel Fund tops its own fundraising goals". Portland Business Journal.
  2. ↑ "What Portland startups need the most — more angels". Portland Business Journal.
  3. ↑ "Oregon Angel Fund Rebrands". Portland Business Journal.
  4. ↑ Spencer, Malia (2021-09-17). "3 summer exits lift Oregon Venture Fund returns". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  5. ↑ "Inside the Mind of a Portland Angel Investor". Portland Monthly Magazine.
  6. ↑ Rogoway, Mike (30 March 2015). "Jama Software secures $20 million venture round, begins hiring surge". The Oregonian .
  7. ↑ Earnshaw, Aliza (11 October 2007). "New fund drops $205K on technology company". American City Business Journals .
  8. ↑ Rogoway, Mike (9 September 2013). "Portland online retail startup Brandlive raises $1.6 million from Oregon Angel Fund". The Oregonian .
  9. ↑ Beer, Jeff (9 December 2019). "Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia invest in Salt & Straw ice cream to make cheat meals more awesome". Fast Company . Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  10. ↑ Duffy, Clare (28 August 2017). "Wildfang completes $2.3M round of funding, looks to open NY and LA locations". American City Business Journals .
  11. ↑ "Oregon Community Foundation re-ups with Oregon Angel Fund". The Oregonian. 6 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "Oregon Angel Fund Targets $8M 2015 Fund". Portland Business Journal.
  13. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Mike Rogoway | The (2021-07-22). "Absci's IPO values Vancouver biotech startup at $2 billion". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  14. ↑ "Victory for V2V: Connected car technology gets Transportation Department's vote". GeekWire. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  15. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Mike Rogoway | The (2013-09-10). "Portland online retail startup Brandlive raises $1.6 million from Oregon Angel Fund". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  16. ↑ Pifer, Rebecca (2023-10-10). "Cigna's Evernorth acquires Bright.md's asynchronous care tech". Healthcare Dive. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  17. ↑ Team, Trefis. "Cisco's ClearAccess Deal Could Breathe New Life Into Routers Business". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  18. ↑ "Following Significant Growth, Cloud Campaign Raises $5M to Scale, Hire | Built In Colorado". www.builtincolorado.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  19. ↑ "Cvent Acquires CrowdCompass to Offer Mobile Apps for Business Events | Cvent". www.cvent.com. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  20. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Mike Rogoway | The (2017-03-25). "Portland online marketer Customer.io raises $3 million". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  21. ↑ Lardinois, Frederic (2024-01-25). "Digs raises $7M for its collaboration platform for home builders". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  22. ↑ "Eclypsium Venture Capital and Private Equity Financings". www.vcnewsdaily.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  23. ↑ "Amazon Acquires Elemental Technologies For A Reported $500 Million In Cash". TechCrunch. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  24. ↑ Siemers, Erik (2013-01-08). "Digital gift card startup Giftango acquired by InComm". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  25. ↑ Spencer, Malia (2016-04-14). "GlobeSherpa to change name after merging brands with its Daimler subsidiary owner". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  26. ↑ "DealRoom.co". app.dealroom.co. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  27. ↑ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/fundings/2024/03/18/honey-mamas-investment-irresistible-food-group.html . Retrieved 2024-04-30.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ↑ "Intrado acquires Hubb, which builds software for in-person and virtual events". GeekWire. 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  29. ↑ "Portland cloud data startup Hydrolix raises $20M". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  30. ↑ Spencer, Malia (2021-09-17). "JSR Corp. buys Corvallis-based Inpria for $514M". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  31. ↑ Rogoway, Mike (2022-06-13). "Portland smart-home startup IOTAS sells to security giant ADT". OregonLive. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  32. ↑ Schlosser, Kurt (2024-03-18). "Jama Software to be acquired for $1.2B in significant exit for Portland-based company". GeekWire. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  33. ↑ Spencer, Malia (April 7, 2022). "Portland startup vets grab $3M in seed funding for new venture". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  34. ↑ "Sprinklr Acquires Influencer Identification and Marketing Platform Little Bird". www.sprinklr.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  35. ↑ "Lumen Learning raises $2.5M to help college students save money with open courseware". GeekWire. 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  36. ↑ "Now it can be told: Why Meridian's $26 million all cash exit is incredibly important for the Portland startup scene". Silicon Florist. 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  37. ↑ "Top Silicon Valley VC firm Accel leads $15M round for Opal, a marketing collaboration startup based in Portland". GeekWire. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  38. ↑ Chinnock, Chris (2018-03-01). "Osram Acquires Pacific Light Technologies". DisplayDaily. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  39. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Mike Rogoway | The (2016-02-09). "Poached Jobs, restaurant job portal, raises $1.5m". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  40. ↑ Qualtik. "Qualtik Partners with JAM FINTOP". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  41. ↑ "Wireless tech company Rigado raises $3M to expand overseas and grow IoT product line". GeekWire. 2017-06-01. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  42. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Michael Russell | The (2019-05-22). "New Salt & Straw investment could put ice cream closer to hand". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  43. ↑ "HomeAway Acquires Social Vacation Rentals App Second Porch". TechCrunch. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  44. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Mike Rogoway | The (2021-07-26). "Portland banking technology startup Sila raises $13m". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  45. ↑ "ADTRAN Acquires SmartRG—Leading Provider of Connected Home Software Platforms & Cloud Services". www.businesswire.com. 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  46. ↑ FinSMEs (2023-08-01). "Source Raises $8.5M in Series A Funding". FinSMEs. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  47. ↑ "Home services giant Frontdoor acquires Portland augmented reality startup Streem". GeekWire. 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  48. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Mike Rogoway | The (2016-01-08). "Portland-based The Clymb sold to California rival". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  49. ↑ Soper, Taylor (2022-03-24). "Autodesk to acquire The Wild, which helps architects and engineers collaborate in 'extended reality'". GeekWire. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  50. ↑ "How this travel startup raised $5M from ex-CEOs of Orbitz and Vacasa in the middle of a pandemic". GeekWire. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  51. ↑ "Hillsboro Oregon News & Announcements". Hillsboro, Oregon. February 7, 2024.
  52. ↑ Spencer, Malia (January 14, 2022). "Bend founder snags $6M for education startup". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  53. ↑ "Riot Games co-leads Oregon startup's $3.5M round". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  54. ↑ Oregonian/OregonLive, Anna Marum | The (2017-09-01). "In the Trump era, feminist brand Wildfang is doing just fine". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  55. ↑ "Thriving Oregon Angel Fund records strongest year". Portland Business Journal.
  56. ↑ "The Team — Oregon Venture Fund". oregonangelfund.com. 29 July 2014.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.