OEN Member NewsTop 12 OEN Member News Stories of 2017
From crushing crowdfunding goals to launching TV shows to raising over 100 million dollars, OEN members made some impressive strides in 2017! Explore our top 12 member news stories from last year and tell us what we missed!
Portland-based camping, outdoors lover-aimed startup, Outdoor Project, snagged $2M
The Outdoor Project, which is building an online resource and community for campers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, has secured $2 million led by the Oregon Angel Fund. Bend’s Cascade Angels also participated in the round along with other individual angel investors.
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Madorra won OEN’s Angel Oregon and PitchFestNW
Not only did Madorra win a $200,000 investment at OEN’s 2017 Angel Oregon, it was also selected from 74 startups who pitched their high-tech wares at PitchFestNW. Madorra is a Portland-based startup that uses ultrasound to ease vaginal dryness during menopause.
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Wildwood hit crowdfunding goal, launched line of wardrobe accessories
Wildwood & Co. has crowdfunded $20,000 to create a line of wardrobe accessories, including collar stays, cufflinks and sweater boxes. The company offers a curated collection of products from local craftspeople such as hand-made leather goods and shoes.
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GO Box chosen as one of six winners of the national Eileen Fisher women-owned business grant program
GO Box received a 2016 EILEEN FISHER Women-Owned Business Grant, which supports innovative, women-owned companies that are ready to expand their potential for positive social and environmental impact. GO Box takes the waste out of take-out, supplying 80 Portland restaurant and food cart vendors with reusable containers.
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Tender Loving Empire gets a high-flying new location
Tender Loving Empire’s empire, as it were, has become larger, if not a bit more tender loving. The Portland retailer-record label opened its fourth spot in Portland International Airport’s D Concourse. The locale carries the array of handmade gifts, apparel and music that’s fueled TLE during its 10 years of doing business.
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Wildish exceeded Kickstarter goal for M.C. Hammie, the world’s most versatile hammock
Wildish co-founders Rick Lee and Adam Allen have reimagined something that’s already good — a hammock! — and made it even better. The pair debuted the M.C. Hammie on Kickstarter, exceeding their $15,000 goal.
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Grand PooBox featured on “Steve Harvey’s Funderdome”
Courtney Karsted, founder of Grand PooBox, walked away with $25,000 after going head-to-head to win over a live studio audience on the seed-funding competition reality series “Steve Harvey’s FUNDERDOME.”
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Pensole’s D’Wayne Edwards hit the airwaves with his sneaker design TV show
Pensole Academy founder D’Wayne Edwards made his TV debut with a Project Runway-esque reality TV show that highlights sneaker design. The eight-episode series “Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge” began airing on YouTube’s subscription streaming service, YouTube Red, starting on Sept. 13.
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Vacasa landed $103.5M from investors, will vastly expand its national reach
Portland-based Vacasa LLC has secured $103.5 million from investors—an almost unheard-of amount for a single round in a Rose City tech company. The money will help aggressively expand Vacasa’s vacation property management product into new markets.
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Freeland spirits crushed its crowdfunding goal on Indiegogo
Freeland, a woman-owned company that creates grain-to-glass spirits, started an Indiegogo campaign to help get their distillery of the ground. It reached its $25,000 goal on the first day and ended the campaign with nearly $55,000.
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Portland-based ‘Sound Huggle’ exceeded crowdfundging goal
Founders Jason Yeh and Samantha Tran exceeded their $10,000 crowdfunding goal on Indiegogo for these micro-thermal headphone-earmuffs engineered for comfort, warmth and premium sound quality caught.
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Ruby Receptionists named one of eight fastest-growing female-led companies in Portland
Led by Jill Nelson, this virtual receptionist company made $28.3 million in 2016 and has grown 151% since 2013. The company has been a part of the Inc. 5000 every year since 2012. Inc 5000 rank: No. 2,393.
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