Venture funding is a critical catalyst to economic growth and job creation—it ignites a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Since Elevate Capital began in 2016, we have invested in 88 startups with $60M in AUM, which have created over 700 jobs. Women founders comprise 65% of Elevate’s investments, and 92% are founders who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or veterans.
Elevate’s first $10M 2016 vintage fund with 30 investments has had seven exits (63% women and 53% BIPOC founders) and has returned 18% average cash distributions annually to its limited partners with a 17.6% net IRR (internal rate of return).
Elevate Capital’s annual investor reception, held in downtown Portland on May 30, 2024, brought Elevate portfolio founders, investors, and local leaders together to foster connections and opportunities within the entrepreneurial community. It was a dynamic environment filled with vibrant discussions and the exchange of innovative ideas, all aimed at supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs and fostering collaboration among investors and founders.
Thank you to our sponsors, Merrill (a Bank of America Company), Tonkon Torp, Perkins Coie, and Stoel Rives, for hosting this inspiring event.
Watch the Elevate Capital 2024 Annual Reception Video
Forging Stronger Bonds and Building Generational Wealth
Our annual investor reception creates a space where founders help founders, investors advocate for startups, and community leaders come together—all with a common goal to build generational wealth.
Elevate Capital portfolio founders who attended the investor reception were inspired and shared their experiences and insights of their entrepreneurial journey.
“Being a founder is a wild ride. The journey has more lows than highs, and it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Only 2% of venture capital goes to women-owned businesses. It’s a shocking statistic, but change is on the horizon.” –Elizabeth Sheils, Co-Founder & CEO, Rock Paper Coin
“When we create startups here in the Pacific Northwest, each startup hires people, and then those people hire more people, and we all learn together. For me, the value is how we can provide an impact by being a bright light in the community to show that it’s possible.” –David Burchfield, Founder & CEO, BuildingLens
“Elevate Capital is genuine and authentic. Elevate means to bring forth, uplift, and raise, and those words embody the Elevate team.” –Ania Rodriguez, Founder & CEO, Journeytrack
“If we combine knowledge, we can commercialize faster by learning from each other. My favorite part of this event was the curation of talks and topics.” –Marcelino Alvarez, Co-Founder & CEO, Photon Marine
“My favorite part is always the people, hearing their wins and challenges. It’s about having places to be vulnerable, having tough conversations, and getting honest feedback. The support and resources from Elevate really help accelerate our AI projects.” –Derek Canton, Founder & CEO, Paerpay
“Getting everybody together and thinking about the next steps on how we can grow will instigate future growth.” –Connor Barth, Ph.D, Co-Founder & CEO, Trace Biosciences
“When I reached out to the Elevate team from Washington, DC, they were so willing to help us on our journey. Today was incredible because it brings together fellow founders to connect and build relationships.” –Obi Omile, Co-Founder & CEO, theCut
“Startups are hard, every dollar counts. We are turning the corner, and we’re cash flow positive.” –Andrew Baritz, Senior Vice President of Strategy + Revenue, Revry
“We need people like Elevate to help build the next Nike® that really comes to help define us as a city both culturally and in a business sense. Elevate fills that niche.” –Brennan Gantner, Ph.D, Co-Founder & CEO, Skip Technology
“Elevate is really interested in finding companies and founders who want to make an impact in the world. They stand behind their founders and enable them do to that.” –Johan Kers, Co-Founder & CEO, Birch Biosciences
“It’s good to have a venue like this with such a rich population of LPs and other companies. Seeing where other people are taking their companies and the kind of energy they bring is really cool.” –John Harkness, Ph.D, Founder & CEO, Rewrire AI
“If it were not for Elevate, we would have moved a long time ago. We plan to stay in Oregon and create jobs. Elevate has our backs, and they help us improve our ideas from early stages to the next steps of marketing.” –Omid Sadeghi, Founder & CEO, Phosio
“AI has been a buzzword for years. There is positive energy around us and an upward trend in accessing capital. This event was an intimate gathering of like-minded individuals who are contributing to the community and our ecosystem.” –Tushar Sharmar, Founder & CEO, Vivifi Medical
Generating Jobs, Creating the Future, Bringing Entrepreneurs Together
One of the most tangible outcomes of investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs is job creation and creating lasting, positive impacts on communities.
This year’s investor reception is a testament to what entrepreneurs achieve when people come together with a shared vision—not just for business success but also for building a brighter, more inclusive future and generational wealth.
Embrace the community. Share your story. Be authentic. Your journey might inspire the next big idea.
Nitin Rai
Founder & Managing Partner
Elevate Capital
