WELCOME!

We're glad you're here! Our goal is to provide updates on the impact of Oregon Venture Fund portfolio companies and venture capital in our region. You'll also find open positions from some of our portfolio companies - in case you or someone you know is looking for their next gig.

Take a look around and let us know what you think. Thanks for being here.

FUND + TEAM NEWS 

Inside UpSight Security: Tackling Cyber Threats with AI

We caught up with UpSight co-founder and CEO, Tracy Camp [pictured - at right - at the RSA Conference with co-founder and CTO Svetoslav Vassilev] toi learn more about how they created an end-point cybersecurity solution that fights phishing, spoofing, and ransomware using next-gen AI tech. Genius! You can learn more about how they predict, interdict and evict end-point threats in an exclusive chat with OVF partner Deepthi Madhava here.

OVF Annual Meeting 2024 - Oregon's Got Talent

A significant number of OVF's 800 current and former investors participated in our May 7 annual meeting at the Gerding Theater in Portland. This was an opportunity to mix things up, go beyond the reporting of the fund's performance and impact, and showcase our portfolio founders who are solving difficult and consequential problems and making the world a better place. This year's theme was Oregon's Got Talent! A riff on America's Got Talent! And an opportunity to honor the incredible entrepreneurial and technical talent in our portfolio and region. Thanks to all for spending the afternoon with us. Read more about the presenting companies here.

Pacific University Invests Local

Part of OVF's focus is strengthening entrepreneur connections with our region’s higher education institutions to ensure academic research and programs contribute to innovative solutions that can be commercialized locally and that students graduate more "future ready." This month OVF received a significant multi-year investment from Pacific University [the National Science Foundation ranks Pacific University as the top private research university in the Pacific Northwest]. The OVF team and network are looking forward to serving as a go-to resource for the university in preparing students for entrepreneurial careers and shaping the school's research activities to be market-driven and locally relevant. Read more about Pacific University's commitment to our region here.

Institutional LPs Unite

Institutional investors from across the Pacific Northwest met last week - many for the for first time - to share approaches and lessons learned re investing local. The purpose was to create a space for our region's largest stewards of investment capital to share initiatives and ideas and be inspired by entrepreneurs who have started and grown successful companies in Oregon and southern Washington, as well as how local investing can produce both superior financial returns and significant economic opportunities. Learn more on our perspectives page about the attendees, topics, and plans for next year's event.

Portland made Pitchbook's Top 50

Portland made Pitchbook's list as one of the Top 50 Startup Cities in the world. Pitchbook researched and compared global cities based on the size and maturity of their startup networks. Sure, Portland was number 49, but we're talking about the WORLD!

As the most active fund in the region, we chat with 100's of startups every year. We'd love to hear what you're working on regardless of stage or sector. Reach out to Jon or Deepthi to learn more.

PORTFOLIO NEWS

Sila, ACHNow and Xuno Join Forces for Cross-Border Payments

Sila, the leading financial technology company known for its instant ACH rails processing platform ACHNow, announced a strategic partnership with Xuno, a pioneering cross-border neo-bank offering unparalleled access, speed and security through equitable cross-border payment and banking solutions. Through this collaboration, Xuno customers will benefit from instant ACH payouts. Details here.

How Gutsy Supports Cyber Governance

Gutsy is a new way to do security governance. It applies process mining to information security for the first time, connecting existing tools, collecting data from them, and automatically correlating it into processes, enabling governance that consistently delivers better security outcomes. It's complicated but impactful stuff. Check out this short Gutsy video where Gutsy co-founder and CTO, John Morello, breaks it all down. You can also learn more about OVF's investment in Gutsy on our perspectives page.

Salt & Straw Founder Finalist for Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Kim Malek, Salt & Straw founder & CEO, has been named a 2024 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist for the Mountain West. This recognition is well deserved for such an inspirational leader. And, if you're screaming for some ice cream, Salt & Straw is celebrating its 13th birthday by bringing their seven-layer ice cream cake to a scoop shop near you. Check out their website for details.

JOBS

Looking for your next gig? Know someone who is? Below are a few of the open positions at some of our portfolio companies. Please check them out and pass them along. Thanks!

Chief of Staff - Customer.io

Head of Finance - Hydrolix

Director of Sales - Qualtik

Account Executive - International - Wayfinder

Check out the OVF job board for the complete, up-to-date list of all 114+ openings at a number of our portfolio companies.

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 info@oregonventurefund.com

Since its founding, OVF and its investors have invested $180M in 78 companies that have created over 5,500 jobs. 36% of our portfolio companies are founded or led by a woman and 22% by an entrepreneur of color.

Pitchbook places OVF in the top 25% of all global venture funds (2023).

OVF is humbled by the generosity of our corporate partners:

Disclosure: This newsletter is intended to provide general information regarding OVFs investments and impact and not for the purpose of soliciting investors for any fund. Under no circumstances should the information provided be considered an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy, any security. Such offer or solicitation may only be made to accredited investors and qualified purchasers pursuant to the current offering documents of the relevant OVF Fund. The information provided may not be reproduced or disseminated to any third parties without the written consent of OVF. The past performance of previous OVF Funds and portfolio companies is not necessarily indicative of future results. Investors in OVF Funds may lose investment capital. There can be no assurance that any future OVF Funds or portfolio companies will achieve comparable results.