Creating Opportunity, Building Legacy
Highlights from the 2025 Elevate Capital Annual Investor Events
Venture funding is more than just capital—it’s a catalyst for innovation, equity, and generational wealth. Since 2016, Elevate Capital has invested in 88 startups with $60M in assets under management (AUM), supporting the creation of more than 700 jobs. Of those investments, 65% are in women-led companies, and 92% are in founders who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or veterans.
In early June, we brought our community together in Portland, Oregon for two cornerstone events: our Annual Investor Reception and the 2025 Investor Meeting. Over the course of two days, we celebrated milestones, heard directly from founders, and shared our vision for what’s next. What emerged was more than a recap—it was a reminder of what’s possible when belief meets bold action.
Watch the Elevate Capital 20225 Annual Reception Video
June 3: Annual Investor Reception – A Celebration of Purpose
Our reception brought together founders, LPs, and ecosystem leaders in downtown Portland for an evening of connection and storytelling. What stood out wasn’t just the scale of impact—it was the deeply personal stories of resilience, partnership, and community. A few voices from the night:
“Elevate is different because they look deeper into overlooked companies, take the extra minute to understand underrepresented founders, and make impactful investments.”
— Elizabeth Sheils, Co-Founder & CEO, Rock Paper Coin
“Their legacy? Staying with founders through hard times and supporting them when it matters most.”
— Josh Johnston, Founder & CEO, TrayAway
“There’s never been hidden agendas. It feels like a true partnership—casual, straightforward, and deeply trustworthy.”
— Morgan West & Eric Jen, Founders of Ren
“When Shark Tank came to town looking for diverse founders, they only called one VC: Elevate. Within 24 hours, I was pitching.”
— Lily Yeo, Founder & CEO, Gome
“Elevate’s legacy is creating opportunity for people who deserve it—and delivering strong outcomes for investors and society.”
— Nat Parker, CEO of Clean House & Elevate LP
“They’re building generational wealth in communities that haven’t historically had that opportunity.”
— David Smith, Elevate LP
“Their legacy? Giving back. Elevate builds a community where successful founders help elevate the next generation.”
— Kanth Gopalpur, Investor & Entrepreneur
June 4: Annual Investor Meeting – Innovation in Action, Impact in Focus
The following day, we hosted our private Investor Meeting—offering a deeper look at fund performance, strategic direction, and founder-led innovation. Founder & Managing Partner Nitin Rai opened with powerful highlights:
- 88 total investments
- $60M in AUM across Elevate funds
- Fund I: 30 companies, 7 exits, 63% women founders, 53% BIPOC
- Fund I IRR: 17.6% net with 18% average annual cash distributions
- Funds II + III scaling in sectors like AI, healthtech, and fintech
Nitin also spotlighted Elevate’s distinctive model of “mentorship capital”—a hands-on, high-conviction approach that puts trust and relationship at the center of every investment.
Founder Spotlights: Innovation Fueled by Inclusion
Throughout the day, founders took the stage to share how Elevate’s early support helped them scale, pivot, and lead.
TrovaTrip
Nick Poggi (CEO) & Lauren Schneider (CCO)
Helping niche communities find each other—anywhere in the world. Over 1,500 group trips and 27,000 travelers later, their AI-driven platform now automates 30% of interactions.
“Elevate was one of the first to believe in us—and they’ve stayed in the trenches ever since.” – Lauren Schneider
Truelark
Rajan Raghavan (President)
Conversational AI for small business front desks. Their recent acquisition by Weave was a breakout moment.
“COVID showed us we were building something essential. Elevate helped us get there.” – Rajan Raghavan
Josh Johnston (CEO)
Solving the overlooked but costly problem of uncollected food trays in hospitals—now scaling nationally.
“We’re turning overlooked problems into scalable wins. Elevate helped us find the signal in the noise.” – Josh Johnston
Brandlive
Eli Ackerman (Head of Product)
High-end virtual event production for major brands like Nike and Meta—delivering polish, speed, and security.
“Elevate backed us when we needed belief more than anything. That belief turned into momentum.” – Eli Ackerman
Minnow
Andy Troxel (CEO)
Smart food pickup stations that solve the “last 100 feet” of delivery in high-traffic buildings.
“We went from prototype to real-world impact—because Elevate helped us think like builders, not just dreamers.” – Andy Troxel
Looking Ahead: The Future Is Founder-Led
These two days made one thing clear: Elevate’s founders are not just solving problems—they’re reimagining industries. For our investor community, the signal is strong: mentorship-driven, early-stage capital deployed with intentionality delivers outsized impact and strong returns.
Let’s Keep Building—Together
We’re proud of the ecosystem we’ve built—and even more excited about where it’s heading.
Want to be part of the movement? Learn more about Elevate Capital’s impact or connect with our team.
