# VertueLab

> VertueLab is a Portland-based nonprofit supporting early-stage climate technology entrepreneurs, primarily in Oregon and Washington. It combines catalytic investment, mentoring, commercialization assistance, online learning, and partnerships to help founders prove technologies and reach customers, with an emphasis on communities underserved by traditional venture capital.

- **Founded:** 2007
- **Headquarters:** Portland, United States
- **Products:** Climate Impact Fund I, Bedrock Mentoring, BizLite Online Learning, Seattle Climate Innovation Hub, Opalene Climate Challenge
- **Notable:** Organization reports $9.5M+ invested, 80+ companies funded, $600M+ in follow-on funding, and 690+ jobs created across its history. These are self-reported cumulative measures, not causal estimates., Climate Impact Fund page reports 16 startups, $80M+ in follow-on funding, and 100+ jobs generated., Programs page reports 100+ companies assisted and $21M+ secured in federal grants.

## Products & services

- **Climate Impact Fund I** — Catalytic early-stage investments supporting emissions reduction, carbon capture, and carbon utilization; the current fund page reports 16 companies and more than $80 million in follow-on funding.
- **Bedrock Mentoring** — Individual mentoring focused on the next entrepreneurial milestone, including customer discovery, grant funding, and venture readiness.
- **BizLite Online Learning** — Free self-paced entrepreneurship education covering business models, customer segments, marketing, and commercialization.
- **Seattle Climate Innovation Hub** — Shared climate innovation space and collaboration with Seattle OED, UW CoMotion Labs, and 9Zero.
- **Opalene Climate Challenge** — Philanthropically backed investment initiative for early-stage Washington climate companies; six 2026 recipients shared $375,000 in investments.
- **TerraForge** — Announced for launch in 2027 to support Oregon mass-timber micro supply-chain entrepreneurs and amplify BIPOC leadership.
- **Federal funding assistance** — Historic and reported assistance navigating SBIR/STTR and other grants; the programs page reports over 100 companies assisted and over $21 million secured. Current availability should be checked directly.
- **Cascadia Cleantech Accelerator** — Regional accelerator developed with CleanTech Alliance; documented in prior impact reports and portfolio accounts.

## Achievements

- Organization reports $9.5M+ invested, 80+ companies funded, $600M+ in follow-on funding, and 690+ jobs created across its history. These are self-reported cumulative measures, not causal estimates.
- Climate Impact Fund page reports 16 startups, $80M+ in follow-on funding, and 100+ jobs generated.
- Programs page reports 100+ companies assisted and $21M+ secured in federal grants.
- Opalene selected six companies from nearly 40 applicants in 2026, with $375,000 in combined catalytic investments and a separate $5,000 Airbuild audience award.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — October 16 update named Opalene recipients Airbuild, Azotera, Climate Solutions International, Emerald Battery Labs, Ocean, and ZILA BioWorks; combined investment totaled $375,000 plus a separate $5,000 audience award for Airbuild.
- **2026-08** — Published an entrepreneur interview with Solarcycle founder Isaac Porras.
- **2026-07** — Reported on the Portland Urban Mobility Innovation Summit held with Prosper Portland.

## Links

- Website: https://www.vertuelab.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vertuelab/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vertuelab
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vertuelab/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vertuelab/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vertuelab
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24