CEI Ventures manages socially responsible venture capital funds. The company was founded in 1994 to mobilize private capital markets while advancing social goals. To date, we have raised four venture capital funds and have made over $31 million of direct investments in 60 companies.
We manage balanced equity portfolios, diversified by geography, industry, stage of business development and social benefits. Often staged through multiple financing, target investments in companies will generally range from $250,000 to $1 million.
Our investments help to create quality employment opportunities, especially for those with low to moderate incomes; promote progressive management practices; support socially beneficial products and services; enrich distressed communities; and foster environmental sustainability.
By investing in innovative companies exhibiting rapid growth and dynamic transformation or emergence, we build partnerships with passionate entrepreneurs and quality management teams with relevant experience, visionary leadership, and deep commitment. Our portfolio companies secure competitive advantages through proprietary technology, intellectual property, and distributions systems, while providing broad reaching social benefits.
Social Agreement
We identify entrepreneurs committed to good corporate citizenship and environmental stewardship, and each new portfolio company agrees to advance our broad ranging social goals by entering into a Social Agreement. With each investment, we bring our knowledge of socially responsible management practices, working together with CEI to introduce workforce development specialists along with environmental, technical assistance, and consulting relationships.
Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI) was founded in 1977 as a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Development Corporation (CDC) and is certified by the US Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, CEI envisions a world in which communities are economically and environmentally healthy, enabling all people, especially those with low incomes, to reach their full potential. CEI organized CEI Ventures as a separate for-profit subsidiary to further this important goal. With a history of accomplishments spanning more than 40 years, CEI integrates financing, business and industry expertise, and policy solutions to help grow good jobs, environmentally sustainable enterprises, and shared prosperity in Maine and other rural regions.
CEI’s Workforce Solutions team serves as an intermediary, linking CEI’s lending and investment functions to the employment and training needs of people with low-to-moderate incomes.
Our Portfolio
- Coastal Ventures IV LP
$10.145 Million Venture Capital Fund
Vintage 2015Managed by CEI Ventures Inc.
Brunswick, Maine - Coastal Ventures III LP
$10.135 Million Venture Capital Fund
Vintage 2011Managed by CEI Ventures Inc.
Brunswick, Maine - Coastal Ventures II LLC
$20 Million Venture Capital Fund
Vintage 2001Managed by CEI Ventures Inc.
Brunswick, Maine - Coastal Ventures Limited Partnership
$5.54 Million Venture Capital Fund
Vintage 1996Managed by CEI Ventures Inc.
Brunswick, Maine
Coastal Ventures IV LP
CourseStorm Inc
Orono, Maine - https://www.coursestorm.com/CourseStorm was founded in 2012, a web development firm with deep ties to educational organizations, municipalities, and non-profits. CourseStorm is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for local education providers, helping them take registrations, process payments, and market classes online. CourseStorm charges small fees to both the provider and student when a registration is placed online.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Culture Fresh Foods Inc.
Naugatuck, CT - http://www.culturefreshfoods.com/Culture Fresh Foods Inc. produces plant-based milks, yogurts, and creamers.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Dream Local Digital
Rockland, Maine - https://dreamlocal.com/Founded in 2009, Dream Local Digital is a growing digital advertising agency with a strong focus on social media. Dream Local delivers innovative social marketing at scale to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) and has successfully served thousands of businesses throughout North America with online marketing campaigns focused on social media. The business is built to scale through its ResultsBuilder™ platform that combines process and technology to cost-effectively bring best of breed solutions at affordable prices.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Genicon Inc.
Winter Park, FL - http://geniconendo.com/Genicon (“the company”) is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of disposable medical instruments used in Laparoscopic, or minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Junora LTD
Biddeford, Maine - http://www.junoraltd.com/Junora is a new start up company involved in the manufacturing of high purity and specialty alloy sputtering targets used in various markets that utilize thin film coatings applied via vacuum deposition.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Maine Craft Distilling
Portland, ME - http://www.mainecraftdistilling.com/
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Mobile Price Card
Bangor, Maine - http://www.mobilepricecard.com/Mobile Price Card (MPC) is a mobile application that displays prices on the screens of smartphones and tablets already on display in wireless retail stores. This alone solves many operational problems, such as eliminating the waste and inaccuracies of traditional paper price cards. The company earns revenue through essentially a SAAS model, which can be advertising supported.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
NBT Solutions
Portland, ME - https://www.vetrofibermap.com/NBT Solutions is a Maine based Software as a Service (SaaS) provider of GIS mapping software for the internet service provider (ISP) marketplace. The company’s premier product, VETRO FiberMap™, is a comprehensive network mapping and fiber management solution for small and midsized ISP’s.
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Ogee Inc.
Bulington, Vermont - https://ogee.com/Ogee Inc. is a luxury, certified-organic skincare brand. The company uses premier ingredients and the latest scientific technologies to formulate organic products which appeal to the health-conscious consumer.
ExitedCoastal Ventures IV LP
Pika Energy Inc.
Westbrook, Maine - http://www.pika-energy.com/Build revolutionary products to capture and manage clean power
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Research Enhanced Design + Development, Inc
Brunswick, Maine - https://www.reddbar.com/R.e.d.d. develops and sells plant-based superfood energy bars
Coastal Ventures IV LP
Coastal Ventures III LP
Tilson Technology Management
Portland, ME - https://tilsontech.com/Tilson’s network deployment group designs and builds fiber and wireless networks for wireless and wireline carriers, utilities, and government agencies. Tilson specializes in ultra-dense networks like 5G small cells, with a unique capability to design, permit and build both front haul fiber and small cells on utility poles in the right of way. The company also builds and maintains tower infrastructure and leverages its technical expertise to provide due diligence and public policy consulting to investors and state and local governments.