Cascade Angels Fund
Cascade Angels Fund is a company.
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Financial History
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Leadership Team
Key people at Cascade Angels Fund.
Cascade Angels Fund is a company.
Key people at Cascade Angels Fund.
Cascade Angels Fund, now rebranded as Cascade Seed Fund since 2019, is an early-stage venture capital fund based in Bend, Oregon, focused on seed investments in technology and consumer products companies in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and Mountain West regions.[1][2][7] Its mission is to create opportunities for investors and businesses, driving economic growth, fostering prosperity, and supporting overlooked entrepreneurs such as market disruptors, minorities, and those in rural areas.[1][2][5][6] The fund employs a collaborative seed model with an Investment Committee of experts, targeting pre-seed and seed-stage companies with initial product and customer traction, typically investing $150,000–$250,000 per deal and planning 5–8 investments annually.[1][2] It fills the gap between individual angels and larger VCs, providing follow-on investments over three years while leveraging a network of exited entrepreneurs and institutions like the Oregon Community Foundation.[1][2]
Since 2014, Cascade Funds have raised over $12 million across multiple vehicles, investing in 30+ companies like Tali, Outdoor Project, and Rumpl, which collectively employ over 200 people, significantly bolstering the regional startup ecosystem.[1][2][7]
Founded in 2013–2014 as Cascade Angels Fund in Bend, Oregon, the group launched its first funds to support Central Oregon-connected launch-stage companies, evolving through five funds by 2018, including a $3M fifth fund that expanded scope beyond initial regional ties.[2][3][4][7] In 2019, it rebranded to Cascade Seed Fund, managed by 44North Ventures with leaders like Robert Pease and Julie Harrelson, shifting to a more traditional VC structure with three-year deployment, follow-ons, and an expert Investment Committee including figures like Jill Nelson of Ruby Receptionists.[1][7] This built on six years of seed investing, raising over $12M total by then, and closed a $10M Fund II around 2022 with initial investments announced that year.[1][2]
Cascade Seed Fund rides the wave of regional tech ecosystem growth in the Pacific Northwest, where proximity to Portland's talent and Bend's outdoor/consumer innovation hubs counters coastal VC dominance.[1][2][7] Its timing aligns with post-2019 shifts toward inclusive, rural-focused investing amid rising interest in sustainable, localized economies—evident in support for Oregon's entrepreneurial buildup since 2014.[1][5] Market forces like institutional participation (e.g., State of Oregon) and a flexible fund size enable it to nurture startups in underserved areas, influencing the ecosystem by creating jobs (200+ via portfolio) and bridging funding gaps to scale regional players like Rumpl into national contenders.[1][2]
With low recent activity since 2022 investments, Cascade Seed Fund may prioritize follow-ons from its $10M Fund II while scouting new deals in a maturing PNW scene.[2] Trends like AI-driven consumer tech and sustainable innovation could shape its path, amplifying influence through deeper institutional ties and rural inclusivity. As PNW hubs like Bend gain traction, expect evolved impact via larger funds, sustaining its role as a vital early backer for overlooked founders and tying back to its origins in fueling regional prosperity.[1][2][7]
Key people at Cascade Angels Fund.
