Elevate Capital

09/01/2026

Scaling a business often feels like a series of educated guesses. Recently, Elevate Capital evolved its mentorship approach to address the specific, difficult gap between the daily grind of running a business and the high-level strategy required to scale a company.

Our latest blog outlines why mentorship and networking, especially through programs like Elevate Edge, are the single most effective growth strategy for founders and early-stage scaling.

While mentorship programs like Elevate Edge provide the framework for growth, founders’ experiences best illustrate the results. A few of our portfolio founders share how this hands-on partnership has shaped their fundraising, strategy and decision-making.

➡️ Read the full blog here: https://elevate.vc/mentorship-growth-strategy-entrepreneurs/

08/27/2026

Investors make decisions quickly and often under intense time pressure. If your pitch doesn’t immediately convey credibility, you’re already at a disadvantage before you’ve had the chance to say anything meaningful.

Here are a few insights from Elevate Capital portfolio founders on how to make a lasting impression.

💡“It’s never an investor’s job to understand your business. Your job as a founder is to paint the narrative so they can see the bigger picture. You have to get exceptionally good at telling your story. Once you bridge that gap, you’re not just convincing investors, but also early employees and customers.” –Obi Omile, Co-founder and CEO, theCut

💡“You must keep your pitch decks current. The goal isn’t to tell someone everything. Instead, give investors an exciting nugget about what you’re up to that makes them want to lean in and know even more. Simple is memorable and repeatable when you want to spread your mission and message.” –Marcelino Alvarez, Co-founder and CEO, Photon Marine

💡“Build with courage, not comparison. Your superpower lies in your unique lived experience and how it informs the problems you choose to solve. The world doesn’t need more of the same; it needs more of the bold, different, and deeply personal.” –Tanya Van Court, Founder and CEO, Goalsetter

➡️ From pitch structure and data storytelling to anticipating tough questions, read our guide to walking into an investor meeting with confidence: https://elevate.vc/how-prepare-investor-meetings-when-dont-fit-pattern/

08/25/2026

Patricia Buehler, MD, Co-founder and CEO of Osheru, is not your typical medical device founder. With 25+ years of experience in ophthalmology and a specialization in eyelid surgery, Dr. Buehler has performed thousands of procedures and trained surgeons across the United States and abroad.

That depth of clinical experience gave Dr. Buehler something most medical device developers don’t have: a frontline view of exactly where the standard of care fell short.

“My entrepreneurial journey has taught me that surgery and entrepreneurship have a lot in common. Both require you to stay calm under pressure and solve problems creatively. You need to care about people and their experiences. Medicine trains you to have answers. Entrepreneurship teaches you to keep moving even when you don’t have all the answers." –Patricia Buehler, MD

➡️ Read Dr. Buehler's story here: https://elevate.vc/ziplyft-by-osheru-minimally-invasive-lid-rejuvenation/

08/21/2026

Happy World Entrepreneurs' Day from Elevate Capital!

Entrepreneurship is about courage, resilience, and a commitment to making a difference. We are proud to partner with those who dare to dream bigger and build a more inclusive future.

08/20/2026

Most founders focus on how they built their company. Authentic stories help you attract customers, inspire your team, and earn investor trust.

➥ Your story is not a polished version for the press, but your real journey.

➥ When customers hear the "why" behind your company, they do more than understand the product; they connect with your mission.

➥ When investors hear about the "struggle" that led you to start your company, they stop seeing you as just another founder and begin to relate to your journey. A powerful story helps turn strangers into believers.

🔗 Ready to uncover your authentic story? Read our guide here: https://elevate.vc/authentic-storytelling-entrepreneurs-stand-out-win-trust-grow-business/

08/17/2026

What would you tell other founders considering taking the leap into a niche hard-tech market? Victoria Price-Doucet, Co-founder and CEO of StrateSea Technology, says:

"Never underestimate the value of your lived experience, domain expertise, or unconventional path. Stay close to customers, keep learning, and find people who respect both the problem you are solving and the expertise you bring to it."

➡️ Read Victoria's story here: https://elevate.vc/stratesea-technology-intelligent-brain-for-autonomous-subsea-operations/

08/17/2026

Healers Pet Care

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐆’𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝟒𝟎% 𝐎𝐅𝐅. 🐾
​
New from Healers Petcare: 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫® 𝐫𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬. 👀
​
Built for city streets, wild trails, and every adventure in between.
​

08/12/2026

New month, new newsletter from Elevate Capital, and this one's packed with inspiring stories and so much more. https://mailchi.mp/1e6f83e4cb8f/elevate-capital-august-2026-newsletter

WHAT'S INSIDE:

✅ Portfolio Spotlight: How Overwatch Imaging is using "superhuman vision" to automate mission-critical decisions for wildfire and defense operations.

✅ Straight From Seattle Tech Week: Elevate Capital Partner Ben Nahir shares why AI has become a core business tool and why he's optimistic about the future of deep tech.

✅ A Win Worth Celebrating: Huge congratulations to TiE Oregon for being named the 2026 Best Angel Program by TiE Global!

✅ Careers With Impact: Portfolio companies are hiring across a range of functions and experience levels.

✅ Portfolio News & Events: Catch up on the latest news from our portfolio companies and upcoming entrepreneur events.

08/07/2026

Congratulations to Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine, on his unanimous reappointment to the Prosper Portland Board of Commissioners.

Marcelino's visionary leadership and innovative expertise will continue to drive growth and sustainability in the marine industry, where he is building the world’s most powerful electric marine fleet.

08/06/2026

Seattle Tech Week 2026 Delivers a Week of Optimism! Last week, Seattle was transformed into a vibrant, open-source conference, bringing together founders, operators, VCs, and community leaders across nearly 200 events.

Elevate Capital Partner Ben Nahir, PhD. joined a panel (pictured), “What Ready to Raise Really Means,” alongside Dana Sather Robinson, Andrew Johnstron, and Keith Laepple, discussing what investors look for in today’s fundraising environment.

Ben’s Takeaways from :

✅ “AI has moved beyond hype into a core business tool and foundational part of company strategy. Deep tech, especially medical, climate, and space, continues to gain momentum, reflecting long-term ambition across the ecosystem.”

✅ “What stood out most was the pace and depth of innovation. AI is enabling founders to build and iterate faster than ever, while both founders and investors are increasingly focused on long-term value creation. They are thinking in 5-, 10-, even 15-year horizons.”

✅ “Seattle Tech Week left attendees optimistic: transformative companies are being built right now, making this an exciting time to invest.”