Not to date myself, but for the first decade or so I worked in startups, my commute — and the commute of the vast majority of my peers — consisted of heading out to Beaverton and Hillsboro. Because at a time when startups needed a room full of servers and room full of engineers, Washington County had both the floor plates and the cost per square foot to make it manageable.
But then, with open source and object oriented program and cloud infrastructure, that amount of real estate became less of a necessity. And the startup community momentum shifted to the city core.
Now, however, there’s been a bit of renaissance with Washington County startups with companies like Bigleaf Networks, GrowthPlug, RFPIO, and a multitude of others growing successfully beyond the West Hills. So it only stands to reason to celebrate that. And to highlight the next generation of startups being built in Washington County.
That’s the idea behind the Westside Pitch competition.
Westside Pitch is a startup competition for Washington County entrepreneurs seeking to showcase their early-stage businesses. Competitors will have the chance to pitch their business venture to a panel of local investors. In preparation for the event, participating businesses will receive personalized coaching by Venture Catalyst, Laura Kubisiak.
Eligible competitors include early-stage business ventures that currently operate or plan to operate within Washington County, Oregon. Selected businesses will have developed or be in the process of developing a unique product or service solution to solve a big industry problem. Not ready to compete but wish to attend anyway? Spectators are welcome!
Applications are currently open for eligible startups. They close on February 4, 2022. Selected companies will pitch on March 10, 2022.
For more information or to apply, visit TiE Oregon. For more on the people behind the event, read the write up in the Portland Inno.
