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

Way way back in the day. Like last century and turn of the century. I used to be a marketing guy. Often brand management fell to me. As did repositioning and rebranding. I used to speak on these topics on a regular basis. And when I did, I always tried to emphasize that 1) It’s not easy work, and 2) Brand touches every part of the business.

Events and RSVPs, even today, continue to be a space ripe for innovation. And sometimes, that innovation is around the underlying business model. That’s the thinking behind Lemonvite. Rather than plastering ads all over the site, it provides a simple, straightforward, and uncluttered invite platform for promoting and managing events.

Always searching for signs of a rebound. From reputable sources. So I was happy to see this little listicle pop up on LinkedIn. As I was scrolling, I was immediately like “Oh. THAT Portland.” But then I kept scrolling. Hopeful. And lo and behold, we were the second place Portland. But still interesting to see this list from LinkedIn.

Back to the whole “what exactly is a Portland — or Oregon — startup these days…?” question. But since they’re a distributed team and Embrace‘s President & Chief Product Officer and VP of engineering live here, I’m going to go ahead and cover this. Palo Alto Networks is acquiring Embrace.

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

(2010) Jive Software lands an additional $30 million, bringing more Kleiner Perkins money to Portland

So when Jive announces that they’ve secured another $30 million in funding, I’m going to cover it. Because some of that cash is going to come through the Portland office. And because the investor—juggernaut Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers—just happens to be the firm that just dropped $5 million in Puppet Labs’ proverbial pockets.

That plant at the local garden store is calling your name. But is it potentially poison to the furry friend you already have at home…? That’s the idea behind Rami, an app that helps you learn more about plants inspired by their potential impacts on household pets.

We’ve all been there. Suddenly a tune comes on at a location. You don’t notice it at first. But then it starts seeping into your psyche. Wait a second, you say. Is that yacht rock…? In simpler times, you would find yourself arguing with yourself — or the people around you — to actually define the song as part of that genre or not. But now, technology to the rescue. With Is it yacht rock?

We’re still a ways out from the event itself. But there’s no time like the present to get your ticket to DevOps Days Portland, September 8–10, 2026. And if you use the discount code “SILICONFLORIST,” you’ll get 20% off.

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

Why a Startup Ecosystem AUDIT is Where to Start (Not with another Accelerator)

This AUDIT reframes ecosystem development the way a competent internist reframes that patient consult; you don’t cut open until you assess, you don’t prescribe until you diagnose, and you don’t diagnose until you actually look. AUDIT stands for Awareness, Understanding, Diagnosis, Insight, and Transformation, and it’s a sequence, not a menu. Skip a step in your startup ecosystem assessment and the rest of the framework collapses, the same way a construction crew can’t pour a foundation without first knowing the soil composition, the water table, and whether the parcel next door is about to become a landfill.