CEI Ventures

CEI Ventures, Inc. is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Brunswick, Maine, and operates as the investment arm of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Established in 1994, the firm focuses on seed/start-up, early stage, mid venture investments, recapitalizations, and growth capital investments. CEI Ventures targets emerging, growing, or 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, often through multiple rounds of financing, and aims to exit its investments within five to seven years. CEI Ventures seeks active involvement in its portfolio companies, often taking a board seat. The firm's investment interests span various sectors, including technology, healthcare, consumer products, and environmental services.

Nat Henshaw

Managing Director

Chandler Jones

Managing Director

Past deals in Maine

HighByte

Convertible Note in 2023
HighByte, Inc., founded in 2018 and based in Portland, Maine, develops the HighByte Intelligence Hub, a software solution designed to address data integration and security challenges faced by industrial companies. This platform enables users to securely connect, model, and flow valuable operational data throughout their enterprises, facilitating the seamless integration of real-time, transactional, and time-series data. By providing a DataOps solution specifically tailored to the unique requirements of industrial assets and processes, HighByte aims to enhance the speed of system integration and enable the effective use of contextualized data for analytics and machine learning applications. The company emphasizes the importance of standardized data for the broader adoption of Industry 4.0, allowing manufacturers to manage their data without the need for extensive coding or maintenance.

HighByte

Seed Round in 2021
HighByte, Inc., founded in 2018 and based in Portland, Maine, develops the HighByte Intelligence Hub, a software solution designed to address data integration and security challenges faced by industrial companies. This platform enables users to securely connect, model, and flow valuable operational data throughout their enterprises, facilitating the seamless integration of real-time, transactional, and time-series data. By providing a DataOps solution specifically tailored to the unique requirements of industrial assets and processes, HighByte aims to enhance the speed of system integration and enable the effective use of contextualized data for analytics and machine learning applications. The company emphasizes the importance of standardized data for the broader adoption of Industry 4.0, allowing manufacturers to manage their data without the need for extensive coding or maintenance.

CourseStorm

Seed Round in 2019
CourseStorm, Inc. is a software company that specializes in online class registration solutions for various local programs, including community education, kids' camps, health and art centers, and recreational activities. Founded in 2011 and based in Orono, Maine, CourseStorm provides organizations with an easy-to-use platform that allows them to create an online catalog, upload courses, and manage registrations efficiently. Its system simplifies the entire registration process by handling class publishing, marketing, and payment transactions, thus alleviating the difficulties associated with manual registration and student recruitment. This enables educational institutions and community programs to effectively reach potential participants, allowing students to easily browse, search, and sign up for classes that interest them.

Dream Local Digital

Series A in 2019
Dream Local Digital, based in Rockland, Maine, is a digital marketing agency that offers a range of services to small and medium-sized businesses and non-profits across the United States. Founded in 2009, the company specializes in online marketing strategies, including website development, content strategy, social media management, search engine optimization, reputation management, and email marketing. Dream Local Digital collaborates with various partners to provide additional services such as pay-per-click management and business intelligence reporting. Recognized as a Google Partner and a certified Facebook Blueprint company, Dream Local Digital aims to enhance its clients' online presence and marketing effectiveness.

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 designed to enhance sales for wireless retailers. Founded in 2017, the company's application allows retailers to display dynamic content on in-store display devices, facilitating instant updates through an intuitive web-based dashboard. By utilizing smartphones, Mobile Price Card provides digital price cards that enable retailers to efficiently manage and modify their advertising content. This approach helps consumer electronics retailers save time and resources while improving sales by delivering targeted consumer advertising at the point of purchase, making it a more effective medium compared to traditional advertising methods.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear

Venture Round in 2018
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Inc. specializes in designing and manufacturing ultralight outdoor gear, focusing on high-performance products made from durable materials like Cuben Fiber. Founded in 2010 and based in Biddeford, Maine, the company offers a diverse range of equipment for various outdoor activities, including hiking, backpacking, climbing, pack-rafting, kayaking, and cycling. Its product lineup includes a wide selection of backpacks, shelters, tarps, tents, sacks, and accessories, catering to different needs with capacities ranging from 1,600 cubic inches to 4,400 cubic inches. Hyperlite Mountain Gear primarily markets and sells its products online, aiming to enhance outdoor experiences by providing lightweight solutions that improve speed and efficiency.

Tilson

Series D in 2017
Tilson Technology Management, Inc., based in Portland, Maine, is an independent provider of network deployment and information technology professional services. Founded in 1996, the company serves clients in the telecom, construction, utility, and government sectors. Tilson specializes in various services, including network design, development, and deployment, as well as IT project management, software development, and information security consulting. The company also offers expertise in wireless site acquisition, small cell and Distributed Antenna System (DAS) construction, and technology capital project turnaround. With a dedicated team of approximately 100 professionals, Tilson maintains a global practice and operates additional offices in Syracuse, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Foley, Alabama.

NBT Solutions

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

Pika Energy

Venture Round in 2016
Pika Energy, Inc. is a Westbrook, Maine-based manufacturer of direct current (DC) power electronics. Our nanogrid technology is installed throughout the United States and Canada and in several overseas markets. All Pika Energy products are designed, tested, and manufactured in the United States, using domestic materials. Founded in 2010 by MIT-educated engineers, Pika Energy manufactures high-efficiency, bidirectional inverters and charge controllers, small wind turbines, and substring solar optimizers.

Maine Craft Distilling

Venture Round in 2016
Maine Craft Distilling, LLC is a craft distillery based in Portland, Maine, specializing in the production of small-batch spirits, including gin, rum, and whiskey. Founded in 2012 and originally known as Davidson & Farber, LLC, the company emphasizes a farm-to-flask approach by collaborating closely with local farmers to source high-quality agricultural products. Maine Craft Distilling combines traditional distilling methods with innovative techniques to create unique spirits that reflect the region's character. The distillery's commitment to using local ingredients not only supports the community but also enhances the flavor profiles of its products, making them distinctive in the craft spirit market.

Pika Energy

Venture Round in 2016
Pika Energy, Inc. is a Westbrook, Maine-based manufacturer of direct current (DC) power electronics. Our nanogrid technology is installed throughout the United States and Canada and in several overseas markets. All Pika Energy products are designed, tested, and manufactured in the United States, using domestic materials. Founded in 2010 by MIT-educated engineers, Pika Energy manufactures high-efficiency, bidirectional inverters and charge controllers, small wind turbines, and substring solar optimizers.

Tilson

Series B in 2015
Tilson Technology Management, Inc., based in Portland, Maine, is an independent provider of network deployment and information technology professional services. Founded in 1996, the company serves clients in the telecom, construction, utility, and government sectors. Tilson specializes in various services, including network design, development, and deployment, as well as IT project management, software development, and information security consulting. The company also offers expertise in wireless site acquisition, small cell and Distributed Antenna System (DAS) construction, and technology capital project turnaround. With a dedicated team of approximately 100 professionals, Tilson maintains a global practice and operates additional offices in Syracuse, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Foley, Alabama.

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.
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