Startups face a lot of challenges and have to go through tons of problems when growing. The founders want to hire dedicated teams and generate huge profits… But that isn’t it.

One of the major problems faced by startup leaders, especially in the early stages is about finding angel investors. Many entrepreneurs try to pitch to angel investors but cannot generate positive results because they do not present their ideas to the right people.

That is why, I have prepared a list of the top 6 angel investors in Oregon with some additional tips about how to pitch to them.

Top 6 Angel Investors in Oregon

Following is a list of some of the top angel investors and venture capital firms in Oregon. Although most of these angel investors are in Portland, they still fund startups throughout the state.

Angela Jackson

LinkedIn: Angela Jackson | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: Tech and B2B

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

Angela Jackson is one of the most experienced and active angel investors in Oregon. Funding startups for almost a decade, she has invested in almost 40 companies. 

When meeting investors, Angela Jackson always invests in high-growth, capital-efficient companies in sectors including technology, energy, health, and consumer products. According to her, startups must have been operating for at least 2 years and led by individuals who are well-experienced in the relevant industry.

Once a startup has been funded by Angela Jackson, she assures that it can receive the best guidance through her workshops. Before becoming an investor, Angela Jackson worked at several VC firms, having ample experience to guide her portfolio companies.

The investment range of Angela Jackson ranges from $100,000 to $1M. Notable portfolio companies are:

Chronicled: Chronicled is a technology company based in San Francisco. The company automates business rule enforcement in the life sciences industry through the blockchain-powered MediLedger Network.

IOTAS: IOTAS is a company that provides a smart home platform for the rental market. It enables property developers to equip rental apartments with smart outlets, switches, thermostats, door locks, and sensors. It was acquired by ADT and has raised a total funding of $17.5M over 7 rounds from 15 investors.

Lish: Lish is an e-commerce company that offers a B2B technology platform that connects offices to local chefs and restaurants to create a food program.

Chris Kraybill

LinkedIn: Chris Kraybill | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage: Early

Chris Kraybill is an entrepreneur and angel investor in Oregon. He has founded several companies and is known for his innovative ideas in the Tech sector. 

As for the startup funding, Chris Kraybill mostly invests in startups related to Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software, Healthcare, Mobile Health, and Email Marketing. He funds startups at the early stages and selects them on the basis of their leaders, estimated ROI, and market competition.

Like most other angels, Chris Kraybill also utilizes his experience and guides startups at various stages. His investment range is usually around $100,000. Notable portfolio companies are:

CiviData: CiviData is a leading technology innovator of on-demand business intelligence for the public sector. It automates data collection and provides local public sector benchmarking and performance measure information. 

AgencyRevolution: Agency Revolution provides insurance marketing automation and digital marketing tools to independent insurance agents and brokers throughout the nation. It provides services in Oregon, California, New York, Texas, Florida, Washington, Arizona, and others in the United States. It has raised $11.5M in funding.

JettStream: JettStream is a venture capital fund that invests in founders advancing life and prosperity on our planet. JettStream has raised a total funding of $16M over 4 rounds from 20 investors.

Ryan Finley 

LinkedIn: Ryan Finley | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage: Early

Ryan Finley is an angel investor and also the founder of SurveyMonkey. He has founded several startups and is known for his exceptional knowledge of the business sector. Similarly, Ryan Finley developed an interest in funding startups in 2008 and has invested in around 30 companies.

He invests in startups that are solving real-time problems. He invests in startups by arranging separate investor meetings, allowing startup leaders to explain their business ideas.

The investment range of Ryan Finley is not mentioned on his LinkedIn or website. However, most of his previous investments are within the range of $100,000. Some famous startups that secured investment from Ryan Finley include

Urban Airship: Now known as Airship, this company 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.

Elemental Technologies: Also known as AWS Elemental, this company was active from 2006 to 2015 and was acquired by Amazon in 2015. It offers software-based video processing to distribute and monetize video over IP networks.

TiE Oregon Angels

Website: Home - TiE Oregon

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech and Healthcare

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

Known as the most active investment firm in Oregon, TiE Oregon Angels was founded by Nitin Rai. Ever since its inception, TiE Oregon Angels have invested over $13 Million in 60 companies at the early and seed stages.

When funding startups, the investors at TiE Oregon  Angels take a very focused approach and invest in startups that can promise growth. They also prefer problem-solving ideas that can provide value to the consumers.

Aside from funding, TiE Oregon Angels also arranges many mentorship programs, startup accelerators, and networking events. 

The investment range of TiE Oregon Angels lies between $100,000 to $600,000. Some of their portfolio companies include

Aerin Medical: Aerin Medical is a health technology company that develops therapeutic devices to improve nasal breathing. They have raised over $190.5 million in funding over several rounds. Their latest funding was a $60 million equity financing led by Ally Bridge Group.

AppEnsure: AppEnsure provides a performance management platform for managing enterprise and semi-private applications. They have raised a total of $3.02 million over three rounds.

Biomotum: Biomotum is a medical device startup that develops a robotic ankle assist device for individuals with movement disorders. They have raised a total of $3.6 million in funding over seven rounds.

The Alley Group

Website: The Alley Group: About | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage: Early

The Alley Group is an investment network that was founded in 2012 by Allen Alley. Since its inception, The Alley Group has made around 80 investments and usually funds startups at the early and seed stages.

With a network of 10 investors, The Alley Group is known for having a huge growth potential and invests in startups that can generate huge ROI. Throughout the year, TAG arranges several pitching competitions, selecting 5-6 startups with the least competitors and profitable ideas.

The investment range of The Alley Group ranges from $200,000 to several million dollars.

The Women VC Fund

Website: Investing in Female-Led Businesses - Womens VC Fund II

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Software, Healthcare, and Consumer Products 

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

The Women Venture Capital Fund is also known for its active involvement in the startup industry of Oregon. The network was founded in 2011 by Edith Dorsen and Monica Dodi. In the past 13 years, the fund has made a total of 22 investments, in early and seed-stage startups.

As understandable by the name, The Women VC Fund only invests in businesses that are women-led and have high growth. They invest in startups that can at least provide a 4x ROI within 24 months of investment and provide solutions in the related sector.

Similarly, once they have invested in a startup, the Women VC Fund ensures it can guide the startup in the best way through their mentors. The VC firm also hosts a huge network of mentors, arranging 5-10 workshops every year.

The investment range of The Women VC Fund ranges from $50,000 to $800,000. Some of their portfolio companies are

Nvoicepay: Nvoicepay is a fintech platform that automates accounts payable payments for businesses. Nvoicepay was acquired by FLEETCOR in 2019. The company has raised a total funding of $28.8M.

Newsela: Newsela is an instructional content platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject. Newsela has raised a total funding of $172.2M.

HopSkipDrive: HopSkipDrive is a leader in innovative, scalable school transportation solutions. It offers safe, dependable transportation solutions for schools and families.

Wrap-Up

With the list of top angels coming to an end, you will think about how to pitch to these angel investors in the first place.

Generally, angel investors focus on startups that can be a good investment and generate profits. That is why it is important to display your startup idea as a profitable investment and understand the preferences of the specific investor.

Frequently Asked Questions