Portland Oregon startups, tech, news, events, jobs, and community

I’ve been trying to do a better job of tracking the companies around here. I mean, I always love to write up all of the awesome things people are building. But I’m equally enamoured of companies that are growing in the region. And the GeekWire 200 always provides a glimpse into how those companies are doing among Pacific Northwest startups.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Expensify + Claude for Small Business Webinar

See what it looks like when a small business owner asks Claude to run their books — cash flow, month-end close, and tax prep, done live, directly inside Claude for Small Business with Expensify connected.

Nondilutive funding doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as it should. Especially given that it’s far more attainable and friendly than Venture Capital. That’s why I was happy to see that Prelude Early Learning — the company formerly known as Finnegan the Dragon — has been awarded a $2 million SBIR Phase II grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Anyone who has spent any time in our community has encountered the “too much good stuff” issue of having to decide among multiple events that often conflict. There are only so many days in the week, afterall. But, if you happen to be one of the folks who are trying to decide between attending Pitch Latino Portland and having Clarence Bethea tell you things VCs won’t say, get ready to be happy. You can do both.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Nimbus Aerospace tests quarter-scale prototype in Oregon as hybrid-electric race ramps up – GeekWire

In June and August, the startup conducted two test flights of its NX1 prototype at the Pendleton Airport UAS Range in Oregon. The aircraft, which has a 15-foot wingspan and weighs 200 pounds, flew for 3 minutes 42 seconds in the first flight and 6 minutes in the second.

Last week, we gained two valuable insights into the platforms for Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan, the two candidates for governor of Oregon. And a rematch of the Oregon governor’s race the last time around. I know you’re busy. So I wanted to be sure that I provided some insights on each candidate from a startup perspective, based on their published plans and a recent forum where each candidate spoke.

Sometimes, the most promising opportunity is in a space that appears to be overcrowded and dominated by major brands. Like selling handmade goods. With Etsy and ebay and any number of other competitors, that may seem like a solved problem. But, then again, Google wasn’t the first search engine. It just entered a cluttered market and did the job better.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

The Sports Bra deserves our support – Portland Business Journal

As most readers know, The Bra, as it’s known to fans, is a women’s sports bar launched in 2022 by Portland native Jenny Nguyen. As many of you may also know, the establishment has recently been targeted by anti-trans rights protesters.