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Month: October 2014

Okay, it just got weird: Jason Bateman to direct, star as Portland's Mike Merrill, the publicly traded man

We like our weird in Portland. It’s true. We’re so weird, in fact, that we stole our “Keep Portland Weird” slogan from Austin, Texas. That’s how weird we are. So when a guy decides to sell shares in himself and allow shareholders to decide his fate, we’re like “Yeah. That happened.” But when Jason Bateman enters the picture, we have to take pause. Because, yeah. Shit just got weird. Read More

Want to show your startup off at SXSW? It's not too late to apply for the SXSW Accelerator

With the return of typical damp and gloomy Portland weather, I wouldn’t be surprised if your thoughts were turning to more sunny and warm climes. Well, buck up. You’ve got the chance to get out of here in March and head down to Austin. Where it won’t be any drier, but it will be warmer. That’s right. It’s time to apply to the SXSW Accelerator for 2015. Read More

Miss PIE Demo Day 2014? No worries. Here's all of the awesomeness without all of the chit chat.

While we always try to make PIE Demo Day an event for the community, it’s not always easy to break away from work to watch startup pitches. We get it. That’s why we livestream the whole thing. And one of the benefits of livestreaming is the fact that we can record all of the content at the same time. So if you thought you missed the event this year, you didn’t. Here are all of the pitches from PIE Demo Day 2014. Read More

Whatcha doing this weekend? That's right. Hacking at Product Hunt Hackathon Portland.

Portland loves its hackathons. Hack hack hackity hack. So it’s always nice to see new ones springing up to provide a great excuse to get together and get creative with your peers. That’s why I’m happy to share that Portland folks will be hosting a hackathon this weekend to coincide with other Product Hunt—the new hotness for finding interesting new products—hackathons happening all over. Read More

Doubling down: Existing Urban Airship investors True Ventures, Foundry Group, and August Capital participate in $12.1 million Series D

It was nearly a $20 million day for investments in Portland startups. Earlier in the day, Lytics announced a $7 million Series A led by Comcast Ventures. And soon thereafter, Urban Airship announced that they had closed a $12 million Series D, with participation by existing investors True Ventures, Foundry Group, and August Capital. Read More

Funding is only one of the impressive things about the Lytics announcement today

If you haven’t caught the news, Lytics announced that they have raised a $7 million Series A led by Comcast Ventures, bringing their total funding to over $9 million. And while that’s headline worthy, there are a number of other things about this announcement that pique my interest—probably even more so than the cash. Read More

Be a Lush: iOS app for drink making helps folks feel more informed with cocktail selections

I don’t think it’s any secret that Portland knows its beverages. With a thriving brewing and distilling scene, we’re lucky to have a wealth of knowledge within arms reach. And any number of bartenders and mixologist who are willing to help us with those decisions. But sometimes, you could use a little help. Like Lush, the drink making app. Read More

PIE Demo Day 2014 livestream: If you can't join us in person, please join us from the comfort of your laptop or mobile device

Like any startup accelerator, PIE likes to make its demo days as accessible as it possibly can. We always host it in a big theater. But that sold out quickly, this year. So we added a simulcast venue thanks to our friends at eBay Portland. But now both of those venues are standing room only. So in order to make sure that everyone has a chance to experience the event, we’re going to be livestreaming PIE Demo Day again. Read More

Recurring billing with Bitcoin: Paydici partners with BitPay to simplify Bitcoin payments for businesses

Portland likes its Bitcoin. There’s little doubt. With any number of folks in town exploring Bitcoin—in typical Portland hobbyist fashion. And now a number of those efforts are translating into mature solutions. With interesting business potential. Portland’s Paydici revealed one such experiment today with recurring Bitcoin payments. Read More