BEND, Ore., Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cascade Seed Fund, a regional early-stage technology and consumer products investment fund, today announced twelve new investments for 2020 and plans for the year ahead.
Focusing on early-stage technology companies and direct-to-consumer product brands with proven traction, the current $6 million fund brings individual and institutional investors together to activate regional capital and provide venture development to the entrepreneurial ecosystem as it seeks out investment opportunities. Cascade Seed Fund met with over 280 companies during the year to hear their stories, provide feedback, assist with connections and make investments.
"We believe our location helps our regional focus as we are always looking for great companies both in major cities as well as smaller cities and towns in the Pacific Northwest," said Robert Pease, Managing Director of Cascade Seed Fund. "We have investments throughout Oregon in places like Bend, Eugene, and Portland but also in cities like Seattle where we have two investments. As companies become more distributed having key personnel located in our region is another great opportunity for us and we believe this is the right size fund for our stage and region focus to generate the best return for investors."
Cascade Seed Fund remained active as the Covid-19 situation evolved, meeting companies, conducting due diligence and closing investments in many cases without having met the company founders in person. With a target initial investment amount of $250,000, Cascade Seed Fund fills a funding gap between individual angel investors and larger venture capital funds as companies are seeking their first outside, institutional capital.
"A year ago, our total revenue was under a quarter of a million, last month we did that much in a single day. Cascade's investment and backing helped us accelerate our growth at the right time." said Jelani Memory, Founder and CEO of A Kids Book About which was recently selected as one of Oprah's Favorite Things 2020.
Cascade Seed Fund has a unique operating model that utilizes an Investment Committee to provide input on investment decisions while offering better connections between entrepreneurs and investors who can leverage their networks and expertise to help. The Fund continued investing as Covid-19 spread leveraging a proven process-driven approach to finding, screening and closing investments honed since its first fund in 2014 that was easily adopted to remote operations and virtual meetings.
"After an initial period of uncertainty, we saw many of our portfolio companies actually accelerate given the forced digital transformation across many industries – both technology and consumer products companies," said Julie Harrelson, Managing Director of Cascade Seed Fund. "We think the year ahead will be filled with more uncertainty but also further accelerate changes and create opportunities for new startup companies and innovative leadership."
Completed investments in 2020 include:
- A Kids Book About http://www.akidsbookabout.com
- ToolBelt http://www.toolbelt.work
- Deep Surface http://www.deepsurface.com
- TripGrid http://www.tripgrid.com
- GoalFive http://www.goalfive.com
- Candid http://www.candidwholesale.com
- ZipCan http://www.zipcan.com
- Sizzle http://www.sizzle.gg
- Enviral Tech http://www.enviraltech.com
- LegUp http://www.legup.care
- EdjSports http://www.edjsports.com
- Locl http://www.locl.io
As part of Cascade Seed Fund's virtual annual meeting held in September, portfolio CEO's were asked to provide one word to describe working with Cascade:
"Game-changing" Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard, Slumberkins
"Community" Rob Little, Cairn
"Generosity" Chris Tranquill, TopBox
"Faith" Jelani Memory, A Kids Book About
"Confidence" Joel Gendelman, n2uitive
Full video available on the Cascade Seed Fund website: http://www.cascadeseedfund.com
Cascade Seed Fund plans another 4-5 new investments in 2021 along with supporting existing portfolio companies in their follow-on financing activities and plans to begin raising their next fund of similar size and focus in early 2021.
About Cascade Seed Fund
Founded in 2013 and investing as Cascade Angels Fund across five funds, we became Cascade Seed Fund in 2019 building on more than six years of early stage investing experience. Today we continue to seek out opportunities to work with amazing entrepreneurs in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The Fund's investors include prominent business leaders, exited entrepreneurs and institutional investors who are committed to contributing to a sustainable economy and building a regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since 2014, all of the Cascade Funds combined have raised over $12 million and invested in a total of 42 early-stage companies employing over 200 people. For more information, visit http://www.CascadeSeedFund.com or http://www.twitter.com/CascadeFund.
Participation in the Cascade Seed Fund is by referral and invitation only. Angel and venture investments involve a high degree of risk. Participation is limited to "accredited investors," as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Media Contact
Robert Pease, Cascade Seed Fund, +1 (206) 327-0397, [email protected]
SOURCE Cascade Seed Fund
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