Early stage venture capital, which has been scarce in the Eugene-Springfield area, may start becoming a bit more plentiful this summer because of a new fund that is trying to reach entrepreneurs in underserved areas in the Pacific Northwest.
In January, entrepreneur and investor Nitin Rai launched Elevate Capital, a Portland-based venture capital firm. The firm’s Elevate Capital Fund aims to raise $10 million from investors in the next 12 months. About $1 million of the $10 million will be raised from Willamette Valley investors, with plans to plow most of it back into the Willamette Valley, said Rai, Elevate Capital’s managing director.
