Investors, Accelerators, Loans, and Grant List

Investors and Funds

Outdoor & Sports Focused Funds

• REI Path Ahead Ventures

• Oregon Sports Angels - Angel investment group

• NEXT Ventures

• Baselayer Ventures

• Digsbury Ventures - outdoor focus

• YETI Capital

• Tin Shed Ventures - Patagonia

• DSG Ventures - Dick’s Sporting Goods

DTC & CPG Venture Funds

• Bullish Capital - Investment firm / Branding agency

• Slow Ventures

• Forerunner Ventures

• Selva Ventures - Healthier living

• SKU’d Ventures - CPG & DTC

• Red Swan - DTC

• Sugar Capital

• True Beauty Ventures

• Imaginary

• AF Ventures - CPG

• Willow Growth

• Obvious - food & health

• CircleUp Growth Partners

• VTF Capital

• XRC Ventures

• Elizabeth Street VC

• The Chernin Group

• Maveron

• Closed Loop Partners - Circular economy

General Funds (Also Invests in DTC & CPG)

• General Catalyst

• Lightspeed

• Hustle Fund (pre-seed fund)

• Elevate Capital - companies led by women, minorities, and veterans

Regional Funds

• Pacific Northwest
• Cascade Seed Fund/Cascade Angels a regional early-stage investment fund that brings angel and institutional investors together to back great entrepreneurs and strengthen the regional economy. Creating opportunities for entrepreneurs in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Invest in both early stage technology and consumer product companies.
• Portland Seed Fund
• Oregon Venture Fund

• Michigan
• Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund

• Colorado
• Telluride Venture Network
• Great Colorado Venture Fund

• New Mexico
• CNM Ingenuity Fund

• Vermont
• Fresh Tracks Capital

• Maine
• Maine Venture Fund
• Maine Angels

Accelerators

Outdoor focused programs:

• Embark - virtual 3-month program for aspiring entrepreneurs with a $10k equity-free grant and guidance to turn early-stage ideas into viable business models. (Crafted by Founded Outdoors x REI Path Ahead Ventures)

• Navigate - empowers existing businesses with production, scaling, distribution, and publicity so you can grow and thrive. (REI Path Ahead Ventures)

• Bend Outdoor Worx Accelerator - Bend, Oregon (not region specific)

• Waypoint Accelerator - North Carolina

• GORP - Northwest Arkansas

• Stadia Ventures - sports and esports

• Wildwood Ventures (formerly VF Foundry)

• Dick’s Sport Goods Retail Innovation Program

Other non-outdoor focused programs:

• YCombinator

• Techstars

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business

• Target Accelerator has 2 programs: Forward Founders & Takeoff

• Sephora Accelerate - beauty

• Credo for Change - beauty

• Macy’s Accelerator - The Workshop

• HandsOn Twin Cities - pro bono program for BIPOC-owned small businesses. A Target program in partnership with HandsOn Twin Cities. Capability areas available (all are not listed): Finance, Legal, Technology, Food & Beverage, General Merchandising, etc.

• Make Good - providing Black, Indigenous, Latine and Asian businesses and non-profit organizations pro-bono digital experience, brand identity and campaign services.

• Comcast Rise - monetary grants, marketing consultations, media placements, and additional support.

• Fashion Incubator San Francisco

Grants

• Grants for Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x/e, Asian, and Founders of Color:
• Famous Amos
• Black Ambition Prize

• Grants for Women-Owned Businesses:
• Amber Grant
• Ladies Who Launch
• Cartier Women’s Initiative
• Tory Burch Foundation - Fellowship
• EmpowHer
• FedEx Small Business Grant

• Grants for LGBTQIA+ Small Businesses:
• Founder First

Loans and Alternative Funding

• Shopify - eCommerce Financing (loans)

• Wayflyer - eCommerce Financing (loans)

• Clearco - eCommerce Financing (loans)

• Pipe

• Settle financing

• Stripe Capital (loans)

• Quickbooks Capital (loans)

• Amazon Lending - for

• Invoice Factoring

• Kickfurther - Inventory financing

• 8fig - Inventory financing

• Meso - Alternative lending (Portland-based)

• C2FO - enables companies to work with their suppliers and customers to improve cash flow by determining the best time and terms for paying or getting paid

• Lighter Capital - largest provider of non-dilutive debt capital to start ups

• Revenue-based investing VC’s

• Bank Research from Brown Girls Climb - alternative banking options for your business

• SBA Loans

• Community Reinvestment Fund USA (CRF)

• Candide Group - Candide Group directs capital away from an extractive global economy towards investments dedicated to social justice and sustainability.

• Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI)

• Accion Opportunity Fund - a financial support system for small businesses that advances racial, gender, and economic justice for all

• Credit Card for small businesses: Amazon Business Prime AMEX card: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Business-American-Express-Card/dp/B07984JN3L

• Capital One has good traveling perks: https://www.capitalone.com/

• Peak Design Journal

• BGE’s Energizing Small Business Grants Program

• Bend Venture Conference

• SellersFi

• PaperStack

• Innovative Finance Playbook

• Daintree Capital

• Outdoor Innovation Funding Summit