CEI Ventures

CEI Ventures, Inc. is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Brunswick, Maine, and serves as the investment arm of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Established in 1994, the firm focuses on seed, early-stage, and mid-venture investments, as well as recapitalizations and growth capital. CEI Ventures aims to support emerging and transforming companies, particularly in underserved markets throughout the Northeastern United States, with a strong preference for investments in Maine. The firm typically invests between $250,000 and $1 million and often engages in multiple financing rounds. CEI Ventures seeks to exit its investments within five to seven years and generally aims to take a board seat in its portfolio companies. Its investment focus spans various sectors, including biotechnology, consumer products, media, healthcare, and information technology services.

Jones, Chandler

Managing Director

22 past transactions

Galatea Bio

Venture Round in 2025
Galatea Bio is a biotechnology company based in the United States, founded by Carlos Bustamante, Nicholas Katsanis, and Alexander Ioannidis. The company focuses on improving diagnostic testing and accelerating drug discovery, particularly in underserved populations that have been historically underrepresented in genetics research. Galatea Bio operates a biobank that serves as a biosample-to-bioinformatics platform, utilizing advanced algorithms and innovative analyses to enhance genomic discovery. By identifying patients at risk for severe multi-inflammatory syndromes and infections, Galatea Bio aims to develop new tests, treatments, and cures that can significantly improve healthcare outcomes for diverse populations.

HighByte

Convertible Note in 2023
HighByte, Inc. specializes in developing DataOps software tailored for industrial enterprises to address data architecture and integration challenges. Founded in 2018 and based in Portland, Maine, the company offers the HighByte Intelligence Hub, a solution that seamlessly combines real-time, transactional, and time-series data into a single payload for applications. This enables manufacturers to securely collect, model, and transfer valuable industrial data without the need for coding or extensive maintenance. By facilitating rapid system integration and leveraging contextualized data for analytics and artificial intelligence, HighByte helps businesses govern data standards across their operations, enhancing overall efficiency and data utilization.

Defendify

Series A in 2022
Defendify is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform tailored for small businesses facing increasing security challenges. It provides an All-In-One Cybersecurity® solution that integrates various protective measures, including detection and response, policy development, training, and assessments, into a single subscription service. The platform delivers essential information such as health grades, alerts, and reports, while also offering automated program management to help organizations identify areas for improvement. This user-friendly approach enables businesses without dedicated security teams to effectively safeguard their data and navigate the complexities of the cybersecurity landscape, ensuring robust defense against evolving threats.

HighByte

Seed Round in 2021
HighByte, Inc. specializes in developing DataOps software tailored for industrial enterprises to address data architecture and integration challenges. Founded in 2018 and based in Portland, Maine, the company offers the HighByte Intelligence Hub, a solution that seamlessly combines real-time, transactional, and time-series data into a single payload for applications. This enables manufacturers to securely collect, model, and transfer valuable industrial data without the need for coding or extensive maintenance. By facilitating rapid system integration and leveraging contextualized data for analytics and artificial intelligence, HighByte helps businesses govern data standards across their operations, enhancing overall efficiency and data utilization.

Culture Fresh Foods

Series A in 2019
Culture Fresh Foods, Inc. is a producer of non-dairy and plant-based food products, including yogurt, sour cream, spoonable smoothies, pudding, soft cheeses, plant-based butters, and desserts. Founded in 2019, the company is headquartered in Naugatuck, Connecticut, and operates with a network of local, national, and global suppliers. By utilizing healthful ingredients such as oats, nuts, coconuts, beans, and seeds, Culture Fresh Foods aims to create innovative formulations that cater to a diverse consumer audience seeking healthy, convenient, and flavorful food options.

CourseStorm

Seed Round in 2019
CourseStorm, Inc. is a company that specializes in developing an online class registration software tailored for local programs. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Orono, Maine, CourseStorm provides a comprehensive platform that simplifies the class registration process for various community programs, including education, kids’ camps, health, arts, music, and recreational activities. The platform manages class registration, publishing, marketing, and credit card transactions, thereby alleviating the challenges associated with manually recruiting students and processing registrations. By enabling community education and college programs to publish their catalogs online, CourseStorm facilitates a seamless experience for students seeking to find and enroll in their preferred classes.

Dream Local Digital

Series A in 2019
Dream Local Digital is a digital marketing agency based in Rockland, Maine, specializing in providing comprehensive marketing services to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as non-profit organizations across the United States. Founded in 2009, the company offers a range of services including online marketing strategy development, social media management, email marketing, reputation management, and SEO analysis. In addition to its core offerings, Dream Local Digital collaborates with partners to provide services such as search engine marketing, website design and management, and business intelligence reporting. The agency has built a reputation for working closely with newspapers, media companies, and advertising agencies to enhance their online presence and marketing effectiveness. Dream Local Digital is recognized as a Google Partner and a certified Facebook Blueprint company, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality digital marketing solutions.

Mobile Price Card

Series A in 2018
Mobile Price Card, Inc. is a company based in Bangor, Maine, that specializes in developing a mobile application for wireless retailers. Founded in 2017, the company offers digital price cards that can be quickly updated through a user-friendly web-based dashboard. This application allows retailers to display dynamic content on in-store display devices, enhancing their advertising efforts by presenting targeted consumer messages at the point of purchase. By utilizing existing display devices, Mobile Price Card helps consumer electronics retailers save time and money while improving sales effectiveness. The platform aims to streamline the process of content management, enabling retailers to respond swiftly to market changes and customer needs.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear

Venture Round in 2018
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Inc. specializes in designing and manufacturing ultralight outdoor products tailored for adventure enthusiasts. Founded in 2010 and based in Biddeford, Maine, the company offers a range of items including backpacks, tents, shelters, tarps, and accessories, all crafted from durable Cuben Fiber material. Their products are designed to enhance the outdoor experience by improving weight, durability, and versatility, thereby enabling users to hike, backpack, climb, pack-raft, kayak, or cycle with greater efficiency and enjoyment. Hyperlite Mountain Gear markets its offerings online, providing a variety of backpack sizes and component tent systems to meet the diverse needs of adventurers.

NBT Solutions

Seed Round in 2017
NBT's designs and delivers unique software that unlocks value in data through geographic analysis, presentation, and visualization.

Genicon

Venture Round in 2016
Genicon is recognized as an emerging leader in the design, production, and distribution of patented surgical instrumentation focused exclusively on laparoscopic surgery. Genicon is a privately held firm in which several of their shareholders are surgeons who utilize their products. Genicon remains today as it originated: a company driven to meet the needs of modern-day healthcare through the harmonization of clinical needs and the economic demands of a global healthcare system.

Maine Craft Distilling

Venture Round in 2016
Maine Craft Distilling is a farm to flask distillery producing small-batch spirits in Portland Maine. It works in close collaboration with local farmers to carefully select agricultural products and then bring together centuries-old distilling methods, a good dose of innovation, and a whole lot of Yankee ingenuity. It was founded in 2012.

Pika Energy

Venture Round in 2016
Pika Energy, Inc., based in Westbrook, Maine, specializes in the development, manufacture, and sale of small wind turbines and related electronic components tailored for the residential market. Founded in 2010 by engineers from MIT, the company produces a range of products including the T701 home wind turbine, the S2001 PV Link solar add-on, battery converters for energy storage systems, and hybrid inverters that connect renewable energy setups to the utility grid. Pika Energy's innovative platform utilizes a patented REbus DC Nanogrid, which enables efficient power transmission and control among solar arrays, smart batteries, and the grid. The company serves homeowners and small businesses across North America and beyond, selling its products through a trained network of dealers and installers. All products are designed and manufactured in the United States, highlighting a commitment to domestic materials and production. Pika Energy operates as a subsidiary of Generac Holdings Inc.

Ektron

Series C in 2013
Ektron, Inc. is a provider of Software-as-a-Service enterprise web content and digital experience management solutions, headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire. Founded in 1998, the company simplifies the creation, management, and delivery of multi-channel customer experiences for global organizations. Ektron's platform includes features such as persona management, marketing optimization, and a digital experience hub, which facilitates the automation of web content and assets from development through production. Additionally, the company offers responsive web design and inbound website solutions. It provides professional services, including consulting, training, implementation, and post-launch support. Ektron serves a diverse clientele, including well-known organizations, and operates internationally with offices in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. As of early 2015, Ektron operates as a subsidiary of EPiServer AB.

Isis for Women

Seed Round in 2007
At Isis for Women, we want the same thing you do in clothing: something that fits, looks good, gives us confidence, and enables us to live an active life. We understand that fit is more than just a number on a size chart. That’s why we design clothes to fit the bodies and lives of real women. And because we want to more spend time doing what we care about, our clothes are easy to care for, soft-to-touch.

Innov-X Systems

Venture Round in 2007
Innov-X Systems is a manufacturer of portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analytical instruments, specializing in providing real-time, non-destructive analysis for various industries. The company develops and sells a range of products, including XRF analyzers, lubricant analyzers, and scrap sorters. Their instruments are designed for use in remote locations and demanding applications that require continuous uptime, with thousands of units currently in operation around the world. Innov-X Systems is committed to delivering reliable analytical solutions that meet the needs of its diverse clientele.

Stillwater Scientific Instruments

Venture Round in 2005
Stillwater Scientific Instruments (SSI) is developing a device that dramatically decreases the time it takes to analyze chemical compounds in the laboratory. This device, a component of mass spectrometers will be sold to laboratory equipment manufacturers. Mass spectrometers are sold primarily in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as environmental fields in which complex chemical mixtures must be accurately identified. This device was developed through research at the University of Maine, and Stillwater Scientific Instruments was founded to commercialize this technology. The project has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Maine Technology Institute.

HB Home Bistro

Series A in 2003
HB is a cozy storefront bistro nestled amidst the bustling nightlife of Boystown. Executive Chef, Victor Morenz, and Sous Chef, Corey Bowers are dishing up inventive New American fare; familiar flavors executed in unfamiliar ways. At HB you’ll feel like you are having your own private dinner party; you bring the champagne, thay all bring the food!
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.