Coastal Enterprises
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersBrunswick, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Coastal Enterprises firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coastal Enterprises
- Legal name
- Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
- Website
- https://ceimaine.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Coastal Enterprises is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brunswick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Coastal Enterprises business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Loan Interest Income: CEI provides various loan products including small business loans, solar/energy efficiency loans, real estate financing, and venture capital/equity investments. Revenue is generated through interest on loans and returns on equity investments.
- Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 01-0347504), CEI receives grant funding from foundations and individual donations to support operations and programs.
- CEI Investment Notes: Fixed income product available to accredited investors, with capital used to support CEI lending and investing activity for micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Wicked Fast Microloan - loans $30,000 and under |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Coastal Enterprises product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a Maine-based community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides flexible financing (small business loans, microloans, solar/climate resilience loans, real estate loans, and venture capital/equity investments) paired with free business advising to underserved small businesses, women, immigrants, child care providers, farms, fisheries, and food producers in Maine and the Northeast. The organization operates 13 office locations, four financing subsidiaries (CEI Ventures, CEI Capital Management, CEI Boulos Capital Management, and 30FSI), and serves as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development platform.
Product overview
Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a Maine-based community development financial institution (CDFI) that operates as a platform-plus-modules organization offering financing products, business advising services, and investment programs. The core offerings include Small Business Loans (featuring the Wicked Fast Microloan), Solar/Climate Resilience Funding, Real Estate Financing, and Venture Capital/Equity Investment, complemented by grant resources. CEI delivers specialized advising through sub-brands including the Women's Business Center, Child Care Business Lab, StartSmart (immigrant entrepreneurs), and Tastemakers Initiative (food/beverage accelerator). The organization also manages four subsidiaries—CEI Ventures, CEI Capital Management, CEI Boulos Capital Management, and 30FSI—each targeting specific investment niches from venture capital to historic tax credits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Small Business Loans
Quantifiable outcome
- 80+ member businesses supported through Fork Food Lab generating $18.6M in sales and 246 jobs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Coastal Enterprises
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Coastal Enterprises technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coastal Enterprises partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Darling Fork LLCcoreInvestor group including Justin Alfond, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, and John Wasileski, with CEI support, purchased Fork Food Lab property to prevent foreclosure and ensure continuity for 80+ member businesses.
- 30FSIcoreCEI subsidiary providing Maine Historic Tax Credit financing for restoration and rehabilitation of historic properties.
- CEI Boulos Capital ManagementcoreNational real estate investment subsidiary combining community-driven impact and competitive financial returns; specializes in Opportunity Zones and Community Reinvestment Act.
- CEI Capital ManagementcoreNational New Markets Tax Credit investment subsidiary financing manufacturing businesses that create good jobs for rural residents.
- CEI VenturescoreSocially responsible venture capital for growth-oriented businesses in rural towns and small gateway cities across the Northeast.
- WabanminorSocial services provider in Sanford that helps individuals with disabilities get and keep jobs; partnered with CEI workforce solutions to place workers at Mousam Valley Mushrooms.
- FocusMainecorePartnership to develop Maine's food economy and grow jobs through the Tastemakers Initiative, providing capital and technical assistance to agriculture and aquaculture businesses.
- Maine Farmland TrustminorHolds farmland conservation easement on properties supported by CEI financing; collaborated on farm relocation projects.
- Island InstituteminorPartnered with CEI fisheries program to create curriculum for lobstermen interested in aquaculture and kelp farming.
- Candid GuidestarminorCEI's profile available on Candid's Guidestar for transparency and donor trust; EIN 01-0347504
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Coastal Enterprises competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- MaineStream Finance: Maine-based CDFI providing loans, financial coaching, and IDA savings programs to Maine small businesses and low-income residents. Direct geographic overlap and overlapping customer segments with CEI.
- Vermont Community Loan Fund: Vermont-based CDFI providing loans, advising, and matched savings programs to small businesses, nonprofits, and homeowners in neighboring New England. Strong geographic and operational overlap with CEI's mission and structure.
Broad incumbents
- Opportunity Finance Network: National CDFI trade association providing capital, capacity-building, and policy advocacy to the CDFI industry. Not a direct competitor but a broader ecosystem incumbent that shapes the operating environment CEI operates in.
Direct peers
- Self-Help Credit Union: One of the largest CDFIs in the U.S., Self-Help provides mission-driven lending, deposits, and venture capital to underserved communities. Directly comparable to CEI as a multi-subsidiary CDFI serving rural and low-income borrowers.
- Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing loans, investments, and capacity-building support to under-resourced communities. Similar multi-subsidiary structure with comparable community development lending products.
- Reinvestment Fund: CDFI financing healthy food access, housing, education, and economic development. Comparable community development lending model with national reach and policy advocacy.
- Calvert Impact Capital: Impact investing intermediary that pools capital from individuals and institutions and deploys it to CDFIs and mission-driven enterprises globally. Directly comparable to CEI's investment note and impact investing activities.
- RSF Social Finance: Impact-focused financial services organization offering donor-advised funds, social enterprise loans, and integrated capital. Comparable model combining lending with donor and impact investment products.
- Kiva: Global nonprofit microlending platform that crowdfunds zero-interest loans to underserved entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to CEI's Wicked Fast Microloan and microfinance offerings, though delivered via a digital platform rather than branch network.
- Grameen America: U.S. microfinance nonprofit providing small loans and support to women entrepreneurs living in poverty. Highly comparable microfinance focus and target demographic of underserved women business owners.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Coastal Enterprises social profiles
Digital presenceCoastal Enterprises financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coastal Enterprises leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Coastal Enterprises subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Coastal Enterprises funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds12 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coastal Enterprises M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments7 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coastal Enterprises
What does Coastal Enterprises do?
Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a Maine-based community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides flexible financing (small business loans, microloans, solar/climate resilience loans, real estate loans, and venture capital/equity investments) paired with free business advising to underserved small businesses, women, immigrants, child care providers, farms, fisheries, and food producers in Maine and the Northeast. The organization operates 13 office locations, four financing subsidiaries (CEI Ventures, CEI Capital Management, CEI Boulos Capital Management, and 30FSI), and serves as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development platform.
Is Coastal Enterprises a public or private company?
Coastal Enterprises is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coastal Enterprises founded?
Coastal Enterprises was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Coastal Enterprises based?
Coastal Enterprises is headquartered in Brunswick, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coastal Enterprises make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Loan Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are grants and Donations and CEI Investment Notes.
Who are Coastal Enterprises's main competitors?
Regional players on record are MaineStream Finance and Vermont Community Loan Fund. Opportunity Finance Network is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Self-Help Credit Union, Capital Impact Partners, Reinvestment Fund, Calvert Impact Capital, RSF Social Finance, Kiva and Grameen America.
Does Coastal Enterprises have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coastal Enterprises.