In 2019, a report was published by Forbes, highlighting Salem as the 78th best place to start a new business or a career. Similarly, the city has expanded its entrepreneurial culture and mindset throughout the decades. It is still home to some of the biggest brands in the food industry, including Kettle Foods, Inc.

In the modern era, Salem has attracted many angel investors and entrepreneurs, becoming a tech innovation hub. 

But, even with so many investors, the question of how to find startup investors for emerging businesses can still be a daunting one.

So, let's not wait any longer and start discussing the list of the top 6 angel investors in Salem.

Top 6 Angel Investors in Salem

Following are some of the top individual angel investors and venture capital firms that fund startups in Salem.

Keiretsu Forum

Website: Home | Keiretsu Forum

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Industry, E-Commerce, Consumer Products, SaaS and Healthcare

Investment Stage: Early and Late Stage

Founded in 2000, Keiretsu Forum is one of the biggest and most prominent venture capital firms worldwide. After funding over 100 companies in 2022, Keiretsu Forum actively invests in tech-hubs across different countries.

Although the venture capital firm may not be headquartered in Salem, it still has offices in Portland and funds Salem-based ventures accordingly. Similarly, Keirestu Forum has an online application procedure, followed by a pitching competition arranged in different cities.

Once a startup has passed the screening tests, Keiretsu Forum provides it with funding and access to its expert mentors. Comparatively, Keiretsu Forum has almost 350 successful exits from 1,411 investments, displaying their expert guidance throughout the startup journey.

The investment range of Keiretsu Forum usually depends on the startup, as they can invest up to $20M and do additional fundraising. Some of their recent portfolio companies are:

BroVo Spirits: BroVo Spirits is an organic botanical liquor distillery that offers hand-crafted liqueurs, amaro, and vermouth.

LoanTek: LoanTek is a company that provides a SaaS platform designed to save time, create better leads, and convert them into new businesses more cost-effectively. The company raised a total of $1 million in funding.

Vizit: Vizit is a company that specializes in image analytics. The company has raised $10 million in funding over 2 rounds.

Portland Seed Fund

Website: Portland Seed Fund | Main page

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: tech, healthcare/life sciences, consumer products, and real estate.

Investment Stage: Pre and Seed Stage.

Portland Seed Fund is also among the famous Oregan venture capital firms. The network consists of 4 investors, and they fund startups across all the major cities of Oregon, including Salem.

Since its inception in 2011, Portland Seed Fund has funded around 250 startups. Similarly, they always focus on high-growth startups with low market competition and can generate 4-5x revenue within 24 months of investments.

Like most other investors, Portland Seed Fund provides its portfolio companies with the required guidance by conducting mentorship programs. However, a unique side of Portland Seed Fund is its dedication to startup growth. Throughout the year, they organize several networking events to boost the entrepreneurial culture in Oregon.

The investment range of Portland Seed Fund ranges from $1M to $5M. Notable companies in their portfolio are:

A Kids Company About: The company offers multimedia conversation starters, including streaming classes and a podcast network. They have raised $8M in financing across two rounds, with $7M raised in a Series A roun

Auth0 Inc.: Auth0 is a provider of an enterprise-grade platform for customer identity management. It was acquired by Okta for $6.5 billion. Auth0 has raised a total of $332.3M in funding.

Hubb: Hubb is a platform that makes virtual, in-person, and hybrid events with powerful attendee engagement tools that bring brands to life. It was acquired by Intrado Corporation. Hubb has raised a total of $9.6M in funding.

Rogue Venture Partners

Website: Rogue Venture Partners 

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Education, Healthcare, Consumer Products, and Services.

Investment Stage: Series A and Seed Stage

Rogue Venture Partners is a venture capital firm based in Oswego, Oregon. The network was founded in 2010 by Tom Sperry, Caroline Lewis, John Stirek, Rick Dillon, and Rick Miller. These entrepreneurs and investors are always ready to fund high-growth startups at the seed stage.

Aside from investments, Rogue Venture Partners also organizes various events. They have a dedicated group of mentors who provide much-needed guidance through workshops and business classes.

Currently, Rogue Venture Partners have made 70 investments and have 32 companies with successful exits. The investment range of Rogue Venture Partners ranges from 150,000 to several million dollars, depending on the startup idea and growth. Some of their recent investments are:

Megh Computing: A company that provides a real-time analytics platform for creating actionable insights from streaming data1. They secured $1.75M in Series Seed Round financing, led by Rogue Venture Partners and Oregon Venture Fund.

Edify OS: A company that offers an immersive learning platform for enterprise and higher education.

KIVO: A regulatory software startup that provides document management and submission orchestration for life science companies. They secured $3 million in seed funding, with Rogue Venture Partners participating in the round.

ClearClub: A company that offers custom, high-quality dental night guards.

Oregon Venture Fund

Website: Oregon Venture Fund

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Digital Businesses, E-Sports, Software and Consumer Products.

Investment Stage: Seed Stage

Founded in 2007, Oregon Venture Fund is a venture capital firm that has funded over 100 startups in Oregon. Being headquartered in Portland, the fund invests in startups all across Oregon and has a team of 12 investors.

During the screening tests, Oregon Venture Fund evaluates various startup factors, including its growth potential, team, idea market, competitors, and estimated ROI.

Once the startup has secured an investment, Oregon Venture Fund provides it access to their experienced network of mentors. The investment range of Oregon Venture Fund ranges from $100,000 to $2M. Although they have made many investments and notable names include;

Wicked Saints Studios: A gaming company that develops console and PC games. Their flagship game, World Reborn, is an interactive story game with real-life quests facilitated by augmented reality. They raised $3.5 million in seed funding, co-led by Riot Games and Oregon Venture Fund.

Eclypsium: A company that offers a platform for supply chain risk management. They raised $25 million in Series B financing, with participation from Oregon Venture Fund and others.

Customer.io: A Customer Engagement Platform that allows product-led growth businesses to aggregate their first-party data. They raised financing from Spectrum Equity with participation from the Oregon Venture Fund.

Seven Peak Ventures

Website: Home | Seven Peaks Ventures

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: B2B, enterprise software, fintech, real estate technology, workforce technology, med-tech, and digital health.

Investment Stage: Series A

Seven Peak Ventures is an active venture capital firm that has funded more than 70 startups. The network was founded in 2013 by Dino Vendetti, who has spent his career as an entrepreneur and executive in leading technology companies. As a venture capital firm, Seven Peak Ventures focuses on building and growing the tech ecosystem in Oregon.

Throughout the year, they organize many pitching contests to attract entrepreneurs from Oregon and fund the startups with the highest growth potential. They also participate in fundraising programs and provide startups with the required funding to boost their growth.

The investment range of Seven Peak Ventures isn't mentioned on their website. They usually fund startups depending on their sector and growth potential. Some famous names in their portfolio are:

Order. co: Order. co is a guided B2B marketplace that simplifies the buying process for businesses. The company raised $30M in Series B financing led by Stage 2 Capital, with participation from Seven Peaks Ventures.

Property Flow: Property Flow is a PropTech startup that focuses on digitizing the real estate industry. 

Xembly: Xembly is an AI chief that handles hectic tasks which are often difficult to be handled by employees. The company raised $15M in Series A funding led by Norwest Venture Partners, with participation from Seven Peaks Ventures.

Ryan Finley

LinkedIn: Ryan Finley | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Angel Investor

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage: Seed

Ryan Finley is an entrepreneur turned angel investor with around 30 investments in his portfolio. He started funding startups in the late 1990s when he funded a startup called "Survey Monkey" and generated high profits.

Ever since, Ryan Finley has participated in different growth funds and provided the required funding to startups with high growth potential. He usually invests in startups ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.

KrowdFit: KrowdFit is a comprehensive wellness program designed to help people achieve their fitness goals through home workouts.

Wrap Up

Wrapping up, Salem is home to many angel investors, and you can easily secure an investment by connecting with them.

When attending a pitching competition, always remain confident in your startup idea, display stats, and present your business as a successful venture that is a profitable opportunity for the investor.

Good Luck!

Frequently Asked Questions