Oregon has emerged as an IT hub. Cities like Portland are listed as the 21st best startup ecosystems in the state, with over 600 active startups in the area.
But did Oregon recover all on its own after the recent crash in 2020, with unemployment crossing 13.3%?
Of course No! The secret lies in angel investors!
For several years, Oregon has been backed by active angel investors who are constantly looking for thriving startups and provide them with funding.
Are you also looking for angel investors in your area?
Let’s move on to the list of the top 10 IT investors in Oregon.
Top 10 Angel Investors in Oregon Who Invest in IT Startups
Here’s a table to quickly summarize the list of the angel investors.
| Investor | Focused Sectors | Present In | Notable Investments | Investment Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Torch | Enterprise software, GovTech, environmental tech, e-commerce, and education | Portland | Aclima, HopSkipDrive, Nvoicepay, Newsela | $100,000 |
| Jay Trickett | CRM, digital marketing, and information technology startups | Portland, Maine, USA | Ginkgo Bioworks, Troops, The Sill, HeadSpin | $200,000 |
| Adam Stoll | Enterprise technology/services and financial services startups | Oregon, USA | The Dyrt, WaystoCap, Sokowatch, MaxAB | $25,000 - $100,000 |
| Joe Powers | Industry-agnostic; software, IT, manufacturing, consumer tech | Northeastern US (Maine) | Pumpspotting, VETRO FiberMap, Anodyne Health | $100,000 |
| Michelle Lantow | Enterprise software, GovTech, and environmentally oriented tech ventures | Portland | Decorist, The Riveter, EdSurge, Nvoicepay | $100,000 |
| Tal Ziv | Sports/fitness tech, retail technology, and men’s apparel & consumer products | Portland, Oregon | Humon, Sopogy, Keahole Solar Power | $100,000 |
| Chris Williams | Fintech and financial services, IT, and marketing tech startups | Portland, Oregon | Peer5, Tripstr, AddShoppers | $250,000 |
| Nathan Wheeler | Computer vision, AI, hardware, and related software startups | Portland, Oregon, USA | Entropix, Network Optix | $25,000 - $250,000 |
| Steve Lodzinski | Advertising, enterprise software, fintech, e-commerce, digital media | Portland, Oregon | Fusion-io, AngelList, Tonal, Zuora | $50,000 - $400,000 |
| Jenn Lynch | Sector-agnostic early-stage: software/SaaS, consumer products, clean energy, biotech/health | Pacific Northwest | Auth0, ESS Inc., Sightbox | $80,000 |
Susan Torch
- Focused Sectors: Enterprise software, GovTech, environmental tech, e-commerce, and education
- Present In: Portland
- Notable Investments: : Aclima, HopSkipDrive, Nvoicepay, and Newsela
Susan Torch is a venture capital and private equity investor based in Portland, Oregon. She focuses on early-stage startups across IT sectors.
As an investor, Susan likes to partner with founders who are solving a unique problem in the IT sector. She makes most of her investments through funding programs, networking events, and investor meetings. She also prefers startups that can at least generate 2-5x ROI within 36 months of investment.
The investment range of Susan Torch is around $100,000.
Jay Trickett
- Focused Sectors: CRM, digital marketing, and information technology startups.
- Present In: Portland, Maine, USA
- Notable Investments: Ginkgo Bioworks, Troops, The Sill (online houseplant retailer), and HeadSpin
Jay Trickett is a seasoned investor and partner at Blue Collective, a venture capital and private equity firm based in Portland, Maine.
Before joining Blue Collective, Jay practiced law for 12 years, advising startups and investors in the venture capital industry.
As an investor, Jay focuses on big data and marketing-related companies that are providing breakthrough solutions. He likes to partner at the earliest stages of a business and also brings follow-up rounds through his VC firm if the startup shows potential.
The investment range of Jay Trickett is around $200,000.
Adam Stoll
- Focused Sectors: Enterprise technology/services and financial services startups
- Present In: Oregon, USA
- Notable Investments: The Dyrt, WaystoCap, Sokowatch, and MaxAB
Adam Stoll is a seasoned venture capitalist with over eight years of experience in fund administration and venture capital, complemented by five years as a CFO in high-growth companies.
As an investor, he focuses on seed-stage investments, seeking companies with strong leadership, innovative solutions, and the potential for significant impact in their respective markets.
He also participates in many networking events and incubator programs. The investment range of Adam Stoll lies between $25,000 and $100,000.
Joe Powers
- Focused Sectors: Largely industry-agnostic; invests in a broad mix from software and IT to manufacturing and consumer tech
- Present In: Northeastern United States (Maine)
- Notable Investments: Pumpspotting, VETRO FiberMap, and Anodyne Health
Joe Powers is the Managing Director of the Maine Venture Fund (MVF), an early-stage, state-sponsored fund investing in innovative Maine companies.
He joined MVF in 2019. Joe also has entrepreneurial experience as the founder of Ripso and has been an active angel investor and SCORE mentor with the award-winning Portland chapter.
In his investment approach, Joe focuses on transparent entrepreneurs. He believes that while CEOs often serve as primary salespersons for their startups, they must adopt a self-critical, open, and communicative style when interacting with investors and board members.
Plus, he makes most of his investments through fundraisers and investor meetings. The average check size of Joe Powers is around $100,000.
Tal Ziv
- Focused Sectors: Enterprise software, GovTech, and environmentally oriented tech ventures
- Present In: Portland
- Notable Investments: Decorist, The Riveter, EdSurge, and Nvoicepay
Tal Ziv is an experienced angel investor and corporate executive based in Portland, Oregon. He currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Development and New Business at Nike, where he leads acquisitions and strategic initiatives.
Prior to joining Nike, Tal was a Venture Partner at Enerdigm Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments. In this role, he focused on identifying and nurturing startups with high growth potential, particularly in the technology and innovation sectors.
As an investor, Tal Ziv focuses on businesses that are at the earliest stages and can easily scale once provided with the funding.
The investment range of Tal Ziv lies around $100,000.
Chris Williams
- Focused Sectors: fintech and financial services, information technology, and marketing tech startups
- Present In: Portland, Oregon
- Notable Investments: Peer5 (peer-to-peer video CDN, acquired by Microsoft), Tripstr, and AddShoppers
Chris Williams is an angel investor and entrepreneur currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Board Member at Xceleration, Inc.
As an investor, Chris likes to partner with experienced entrepreneurs and invest in their startups when they're at the seed stage. He attends many startup events to find fast-growing companies that have the potential to break through in the IT sector.
The investment range of Chris Williams is around $250,000.
Nathan Wheeler
- Focused Sectors: Computer vision, AI, hardware, and related software startups
- Present In: Portland, Oregon, USA
- Notable Investments: Entropix and Network Optix
Nathan Wheeler is a seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor with a strong background in computer vision, information technology, and hardware.
He currently serves as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Network Optix, a company specializing in video software platforms optimized for edge computing. Under his leadership, Network Optix has become a $30M company.
Moreover, Nathan co-founded ENTROPIX, Inc., where he serves as Chief Strategy Officer. ENTROPIX focuses on advanced video technologies.
About his investment activities, Nathan focuses on startups in computer vision, artificial intelligence, software, and related fields. He is particularly interested in companies developing innovative solutions in these areas, seeking strong leadership teams and the potential for a big market impact.
The investment range of Nathan Wheeler lies between $25,000 to $250,000.
Steve Lodzinski
- Focused Sectors: : Advertising, enterprise software, fintech, e-commerce, digital media, and more
- Present In: Active in the United States (based in Portland, Oregon)
- Notable Investments: Fusion-io (flash storage, IPO), AngelList, Tonal, and Zuora (subscription management SaaS)
Steve Lodzinski is an experienced angel investor and financial executive based in Portland, Oregon. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at The Al Angelo Company.
As an angel investor, Steve focuses on early-stage startups, particularly those in the seed and pre-seed stages. His investment interests are in industries, including advertising, enterprise software, fintech, e-commerce, consumer electronics, media, and entertainment. Throughout the year, Steve participates in over a dozen events to find high-growth startups and provide them with the required capital, boosting their success.
The investment range of Steve Lodzinski lies between $50,000 and $400,000.
Jenn Lynch
- Focused Sectors: Sector-agnostic early-stage focus – backs software/SaaS, consumer products, clean energy, biotech/health, and other “tech-enabled” companies
- Present In: Primarily invests in the Pacific Northwest
- Notable Investments: Auth0 (identity platform, acquired by Okta), ESS Inc., Sightbox (contact lens subscription, acquired by J&J)
Jenn Lynch is a seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor with a strong focus on technology startups. She currently serves as Managing Director and Partner at Portland Seed Fund (PSF), an early-stage venture capital firm.
Before her tenure at PSF, Jenn co-founded Upstart Labs, where she acted as a general partner. In her early career stages, she worked as a web developer, product manager, and product marketer.
When investing in startups, Jenn looks for high-growth companies that are led by entrepreneurs with at least 4 to 5 years of relevant experience. She invests in startups that have strong management teams and can easily generate 2-4x ROI.
The investment range of Jenn Lynch is around $80,000.
Wrap-Up:
Summing it up, Oregon is a hub for angel investors if you know the art of networking. Since you now have the list of the right investors, start by researching where you can find these investors, the events they attend, their emails, etc.
Then, try to get an in-person meeting, such as meeting with an investor during a fundraiser or an incubator. Ask them about what kind of startups they love funding, hand a business card, and there you have built a solid connection down the pipeline.
Good luck!
