# James Duncan

> James Duncan is a seed investor at Pacific Western Bank (Raleigh) backing Nutrition and Blockchain. See 2 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: Angel Investor
- Fund: [Pacific Western Bank](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/pacific-western-bank)
- Location: Raleigh, United States
- Total investments: 2
- Last investment: Nov 2022
- Lead investor: 50%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-duncan-556303/

James Duncan is a seed investor at Pacific Western Bank in Raleigh focused on Nutrition and Blockchain. Seasoned professional, with over 20 years’ experience tailoring creative debt solutions to fit the unique circumstances of many of the nation’s largest institutionally backed technology companies. My process starts by developing an understanding of the goals of the company, moves through an analysis of the company’s opportunities and requirements,and then through close collaboration with C-Suite executives and board members, mapping out the optimum financing solution.At SQ1 we are “entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs”.Square 1 Bank is a full service commercial bank dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and their investors in unprecedented ways. Structured Finance is a national business unit within Square 1 focusing specifically on the needs of later-stage Venture Capital and Growth Equity technology companies having institutional backing that are looking for a non-dilutive source of capital to finance their continued growth.Over the years, I have helped many of the Bank’s largest customers find creative solutions to their senior venture debt needs. Additionally, I maintain relationships within the entrepreneurial community, including within many of the Countries larger Venture Capital and Private Equity firms.Square 1 Bank is a division of Pacific Western Bank, a Los Angeles-based commercial bank with over $25 billion in total assets. (NASDAQ:PACW).

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nutrition | 1 | 50% |
| Blockchain | 1 | 50% |
| Health Care | 1 | 50% |
| Smart Contracts | 1 | 50% |
| Virtual Currency | 1 | 50% |

7 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seed | 1 | 50% |
| Debt Financing | 1 | 50% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NiftyApes | NiftyApes is a smart contract that offers mortgages, loans, borrowing, and lending of NFTs with permissionless refinancing. | $4.2M | Seed | Nov 01, 2022 |  |
| Kate Farms | Kate Farms offers nutritionally advanced, plant-based tube feeding, and enteral formulas that are well-tolerated by patients. Free of common allergens, including soy, dairy, and corn, clinicians report patients have experienced decreased symptoms of GI intolerance, improved weight or linear growth, and overall improved nutritional status. KateFarms is now the #1 plant-based enteral formula on the market. They’re gaining a better understanding of the role nutrition has on health, both in the management of care and direct therapeutic impact. Ingredients matter and our formulas are designed to deliver outcomes that matter. They pair leading-edge science and technologies with ingredients from nature in unique formulations that work with the bodies. This combination offers the potential for significant improvements to health and to the practice of healthcare. Today doctors, dietitians, parents, caregivers, and those with medical and dietary needs are empowered with the choice of a new formula. It’s the nourishment that makes them feel good because everyone deserves nothing less. | $30M | Debt Financing | Jun 15, 2021 |  |

2 of 2 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Coinbase Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/coinbase-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [DC Investor](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/dc-investor) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [FinTech Collective](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/fintech-collective) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Flamingo DAO](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/flamingo-dao) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [P2 Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/polygon-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Robot Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/robot-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## About Pacific Western Bank

VC Fund · Beverly Hills, United States

At Pacific Western Bank, relationship banking is not the exception, but the rule. For more than two decades, Pacific Western Bank has helped to grow minded and established companies succeed by listening, asking thoughtful questions, and responding with tailored solutions.Pacific Western Bank is a commercial bank with over $26 billion in assets.Pacific Western provides commercial banking services, including real estate, construction, and commercial loans, to small and medium-sized businesses. The Bank has 74 full-service branches located throughout the state of California and one branch in Durham, North Carolina.Pacific Western Bank's Community Banking group provides lending and comprehensive deposit and treasury management services to small and medium-sized businesses conducted primarily through our California-based branch offices.Pacific Western Bank offers additional products and services through its National Lending and Venture Banking groups.National Lending provides asset-based, equipment, real estate, and security cash flow loans and treasury management services to established middle-market businesses on a national basis.Venture Banking offers a comprehensive suite of financial services focused on entrepreneurial businesses and their venture capital and private equity investors, with offices located in key innovative hubs across the United States.

5 contacts available at Pacific Western Bank.

| Name | Title | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| James Duncan | Managing Director | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/james-duncan-2cef |
| Jay McNeil | Managing Director | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/jay-mcneil |
| Kay Parry | Managing Director | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/kay-parry |
| Audrey Yen | SVP \| Fund Finance | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/audrey-yen |
| Bryce Bewley | VP- Venture Banking | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/bryce-bewley |

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### Similar stage
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- [Alumni Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/alumni-ventures-group) — VC Fund
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## FAQ

### What does James Duncan invest in?

James Duncan invests primarily in Nutrition, Blockchain and Health Care startups, most often at Seed and Debt Financing stage. Most of the 2 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did James Duncan last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for James Duncan closed in Nov 2022. Shizune tracks 2 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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