Brian Smiley

Cascade Seed Fund is a venture capital firm based in Bend, Oregon, dedicated to supporting early-stage startups, particularly in the software sector. The fund typically makes initial investments averaging $200,000 and reserves capital for follow-on financing rounds.

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Ryan Kalisky, Ben Toulch, and RAHUL B.(Bains) led WareMatch secured $2M seed funding led by F.I.T. Ventures, with participation of Esanjo Capital and Farfill https://lnkd.in/gk7xFeqw

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Trish Spurlin: Investments Director: Babson College, shares how a VC investor clarifies that decisions should be made case-by-case. They share the importance of playing the long game to give a 10x return, rather than taking chips off the table early. Venture capital is about the long-term vision. #venturecapital #investing #finance #longterm #returns

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Small business M&A has never been more critical—and never more constrained by outdated systems. Millions of owners are preparing to exit. Buyers and executives are pouring into acquisition entrepreneurship. Lending capacity continues to expand. Private investors want exposure to real cash-flowing assets. Yet the process of finding a business for sale, relying on a business broker, or securing a business acquisition loan remains slow, fragmented, and opaque. Clearly Acquired was built to solve these problems—through technology, underwriting intelligence, and a fully integrated acquisition platform. https://lnkd.in/gB3a_Twh

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🚨 South Florida just became a top 10 VC hub in the United States. The region raised $2.7 billion in venture capital in 2024 alone. This is the result of years of ecosystem building, an influx of founders, and increased capital flowing into markets that think globally by default. 🌎 For cross-border founders, especially those bridging LatAm and the U.S., this moment matters. South Florida offers access to capital, talent, and international markets, all in one place. HTwenty was built for this. And we’re just getting started. #VentureCapital #LatAmStartups #CrossBorderInnovation

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A $5 bn+ PE firm needed support to build a JV strategy for entering the pet foods industry.   Through targeted partner screening, strategic planning, financial modelling, and a comprehensive JV deck, the client achieved an 8% IRR uplift, stronger partner alignment, and smoother regulatory navigation.   Explore the full case study. Download here: https://lnkd.in/dehAxCdR Suprabha A D I Maninder (Mandy) Singh I Abhik Pal I Amit Vora I Tom Butler I George Goldman I Nishant Mittal I Subhangi Saraf I Akshat Ruia I Pradeep Rajwani I Sheetal Aggarwal #CrisilIntegralIQ #CaseStudy #PrivateEquity #GlobalExpansion #ConsumerSector

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💡 New data from Colibri Institute show that funds with women general partners deliver a 1.6 percent IRR advantage on average, despite structural fundraising barriers. In its latest white paper on venture capital performance and institutional portfolio construction, Colibri Institute analyzes fund performance data, portfolio construction, and risk behavior across thousands of venture funds — offering a data-driven lens on how capital is actually performing. ➡️ Read even more insights by downloading the white paper: https://lnkd.in/gfx6QfuR

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Elevation Capital introduces Elevation Holdings, a $400M fund targeting late-stage companies nearing public markets. This complements their $670M Fund VIII for early-stage startups. With investments ranging $20-50M, the fund focuses on consumer and financial services with a tech emphasis. Mridul Arora highlights their long-term investment horizon. Spinny is the first investment. Elevation’s portfolio includes FirstCry, Ixigo, MakeMyTrip, Paytm, Swiggy, Meesho, and Urban Company. Recent partial exits from Ixigo showcase their active portfolio management. The fund aims for companies within three years of IPO, prioritizing profitability. #VentureCapital #LateStageFunding #ElevationCapital #DeccanFounders

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