In a guest post featured on the Silicon Florist blog hosted by Rick Turoczy of Portland Incubator Experiment, Principal Jason Powell shared his insights on the outlook of the Portland start-up landscape, noting year-over-year increases in venture investments and the shift from Bay Area dealmaking to investments in smaller markets like Portland. “I am extremely bullish on the Portland startup market, and I believe that as it emerges from the pandemic Portland will continue the trend of becoming a player for meaningful, valuable companies that are building products that are globally attractive,” he said. “I expect to see growth in tech, consumer product (including apparel) and food startups that will continue to result in an influx of talent and capital into the metro area.”
In addition to examining the hot Portland startup scene, Powell provided his guidance on the legal considerations every startup should consider, noting: “Launching a startup requires not only making important business decisions, but also the right legal ones in matters such as entity formation, financing agreements with outside investors, equity distribution among founders and employees, IP ownership, and corporate governance.” His recommendations include engaging proper legal counsel early, incorporating early, having proper IP assignments, properly issuing equity, putting agreements in writing, and complying with employment laws. He also expounds on the value of ESG considerations and the critical importance of raising investment funds correctly cautioning, “If a startup company intends to raise money from investors, even a small amount on initial rounds, it is in their interest to expend the time, financial resources, and effort into ensure that the capital raise is conducted in a manner that is in compliance with securities laws.”
To read the full article, please visit the Silicon Florist blog.
