FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
RAIN Angel Investment 2014
Roseburg, Oregon June 18, 2014
HIGHLIGHTS
The second RAIN (Roseburg area Angel Investment Network) conference will be accepting applicants for both an investment for a “launch” stage company and a prize package for a “concept” stage company through September.
The Partnership for Economic Development in Roseburg is hosting a tour of local early stage companies in the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25. Participants will visit the Umpqua Business Center, Bravado Outdoor Products, OnCarrot.com, and Paul O’Brien winery.
UPDATE ON 2013 CONFERENCE
The RAIN investors (mostly private investors with an additional investment from the Oregon Growth Account, i.e. the State of Oregon) completed negotiations on terms with the winner of the November 2013 conference, Homeschool Technical Apparel, in early 2014. The final investment made by the RAIN 2013 LLC was $230,000.
Homeschool Technical Apparel Daniel Clancey, Founder & CEO;danny@homeschoolsnowboarding.com; 503.953.2032
2014 CONFERENCE
The 2014 Conference will be held at Danny Lang Center on November 19, 2014. Winners of both the RAIN “launch stage” investment and the “concept stage” business competition will be announced.
The deadline for applications will be in mid-September. The conference sponsors are exploring a partnership with Palo Alto Software, publishers of LivePlan, to host the application process.
The “launch stage” investment is anticipated to be between $125,000 and $175,000. The prize package for the “concept stage” competition will include cash and services totaling more than $5,000. Interested companies should contact Alex Campbell at The Partnership. Updates will be available through www.rainangel.org.
JUNE 24 INDUSTRY TOUR
The Partnership’s spring 2014 industry tour will focus on new & emerging companies in the Roseburg area. Participants will visit: Bravado Outdoor Products, Carrot, and Paul O’Brien Winery. Bravado Outdoor Products was a finalist for the 2013 RAIN launch stage investment. http://www.uedpartnership.org/events/
BACKGROUND
The Partnership for Economic Development in Douglas County, in cooperation with the Umpqua Business Center, is organizing the conference and supporting the RAIN investor LLC.
The Partnership for Economic Development in Douglas County, formerly known as the Umpqua Economic Development Partnership, was established in 2001 to be the lead collaborative economic development organization in the region. The Founding Partners were: the City of Roseburg, Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County Industrial Development Board, and CCD Business Development Corporation. www.uedpartnership.org.
The Umpqua Business Center (UBC) is an integral part of a comprehensive economic development plan for Douglas County, accelerating the development of start-up businesses in a business incubation setting. Developing local, homegrown businesses complements regional efforts to encourage expansion, retention and attraction of companies. The long-range goal is to create new, stable and successful businesses that contribute to the general economic health of the area, increase employment opportunities and add to the variety of products and services available to its citizens. umpquabusiness.com.
RAIN is an effort to foster a better environment for entrepreneurship in Douglas County. The primary vehicle is a private company (an LLC), through which local investors are coming together to invest in one early stage company.
(See: http://www.rainangel.org/ .)
The larger effort, being organized by The Partnership for Economic Development in Douglas County and the Umpqua Business Center, includes a business plan competition, a series of training events, and the conference. The primary goals are:
- Increase seed capital availability for regional early stage companies.
- Build awareness and knowledge of local entrepreneurs and investors about direct equity investment.
RAIN is a community effort of investors and local resources. Entrepreneurs will receive hands-on experience in developing a business plan, pitching an equity investor, and understanding deal structure. Our local investor community will be trained on how to evaluate potential direct equity investments and how to structure such investments.
For additional information:
Alex Campbell, Executive Director
The Partnership for Economic Development in Douglas County
alexc@uedpartnership.org (541) 492-2820 ; (541) 974-8066 (cell)
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