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

Bend Venture Conference is just around the corner. And until today, the last spots on the main stage were still up for grabs. Not anymore. EDCO has announced the Growth Stage finalists for BVC 2026. They join the Early Stage finalists revealed on September 28. And the whole bunch will take the Tower Theatre stage in downtown Bend on October 15 and 16, 2026.

The Launch Oregon team at the University of Oregon has partnered with January Ventures to provide a fellowship program for aspiring VCs. Applications will be accepted from current Ducks until October 9, 2026. (Fun fact: Alline Akintore who is now with Oregon Venture Fund went through the fellowship program)

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

Humanoid robot company Agility Robotics names 3 new board members – Portland Business Journal

“Merline, Derek and Pierre have helped lead some of the world’s most consequential technology businesses and institutions,” said Johnson in a written statement about the new board. “Their collective experience, together with Damion’s deep understanding of Agility, will be instrumental as we move into our next chapter and work to make humanoid robotics an integral part of the global workforce.”

If you’re looking for an event or two to attend this week, we’ve got a few options for you. Hoping to run into you out in the community, this week.

Most Friday evenings, a few of us wind up sitting in a chat window together while the weekly recap premieres. No audio. No camera. No pressure. You don’t even have to type anything if you’d rather just lurk. But this time there’s an added wrinkle: I’m giving away a copy or three of Anika Horn’s It Takes a Valley — but you have to be present to win.

I never assume you have the time to keep up with every single thing I post around here. I barely do. So consider this your Q3 2026 cheat sheet. These are the most read Silicon Florist stories from July, August, and September. As decided by you, the readers. Not me. That way none of us has to pretend we caught every last one of them the first time around. And I get a refresher, too.

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

Startup Coffee Meetups, Thu, Oct 8, 2026, 9:00 AM | Meetup

Join us for fresh coffee, fresh connections, and the kind of conversations that can spark your next big idea. No pitches, no pressure, and no need to have everything figured out. Just bring your questions, your curiosity, and your entrepreneurial energy. 📅 Second Thursday of every month

Last night, Oregon gubernatorial candidates Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan participated in a debate at the University of Oregon. Sixty seconds an answer. Thirty for a rebuttal. Nothing shared in advance. KVAL News, the Oregon Journalism Project, Lookout Eugene Springfield, and the UO School of Journalism and Communication put it together. With Kendall Bartley moderating and Ben Botkin, Bela Orton, and Nigel Jaquiss asking. Did either candidate say anything new…? Ish. I ran a diff on previous recap content and didn’t get much.