Portland Seed Fund

The Portland Seed Fund finds and surrounds the most promising seed-stage companies with capital.

The Portland Seed Fund finds and surrounds the most promising seed-stage companies with capital, mentors and contacts to nurture and encourage vigorous economic growth within Oregon. The Portland Seed Fund selects entrepreneurs with great venture ideas and the passion and grit to see them through. With no specific company quota in mind, they typically invest in classes of six to ten ventures at a time. Each selected venture starts with an initial $25,000 investment, and upon a 90 day mentoring program, they see how these entrepreneurs progress. The Portland Seed Fund team surrounds each cohort of companies with mentors, subject matter experts and a peer group of entrepreneurs that understand their obstacles and share their successes. Portland Seed Fund also reserves follow-on capital for top performers and the ability to introduce seed-stage companies to more funding opportunities, partners and acquirers. The cycle is repeated every six months, resulting in ~25 investments every two years. Portland Seed Fund is sector-agnostic in investments and favor capital-efficient, highly-scalable companies with high-growth potential. The Portland Seed Fund was established in 2010, beginning with a $500,000 grant from the Portland Development Commission. As of December 2012, the fund had raised $5 million from government backed entities and private investors. It is managed by Bridge City Ventures, which does business as Portland Seed Fund.