I may have mentioned a time or ten that my first experience in Portland startups was with a digital healthcare company that was building some wacky new thing called Electronic Medical Records for physicians near the end of the last century. And while it’s been a couple of decades since I was active in that realm, I still think that digital health startups have potential around here.
Read MoreMonth: July 2022
Early play to earn NFT based videogame Alchemon raises $1 million
While the frothiness of the NFT world has subsided a bit due to larger dynamics within the industry, there are still any number of folks who are bullish on the concept and continuing to explore the potential of tokens in rethinking how we’ve done things in the past. One of those companies is Portland based Alchemon, which was an early player in the NFT based videogame space. And they’re not the only ones with optimism. They just raised $1 million from a group of investors, according to Fortune.
Read MoreEugene game studio Pipeworks acquired by Jagex of RuneScape fame
Anyone familiar with Eugene knows that it’s a significant hub in terms of game development. And one of the primary players in that community has been Pipeworks, a studio founded at the turn of the century that boasts titles like Madden NFL and the update to Terraria among their work. Now, they’ve become the first acquisition of Jagex, which is perhaps best known for RuneScape.
Read MoreAccessibility-focused Assistiv Labs raises $1 million in pre-seed
A local company with an experienced founding team and customers that include the UK government has garnered financial support to foster their work ensuring that the software that’s being built is accessible. Assitiv Labs has raised a $1 million pre-seed round.
Read MorePortland startup Workfrom launches Virtual Cafes on Product Hunt
The pandemic has inspired any number of new features and products — and sometimes whole new companies. One of those pivots hit really close to home as a hometown favorite for finding and researching alternative workspaces, Workfrom, suddenly had an entire user base working from home. But from that pain came inspiration. In the form of Virtual Cafes.
Read MoreAn exceedingly appropriate time for a Kermit gif: A Kids Company About partners with The Jim Henson Company
Portland media startup A Kids Company About started with books. And then expanded into podcasts and educational content. Heck, they’ve even done stuff with LeVar Burton. Now, they’re partnering with one of the biggest names in youth entertainment to produce TV shows about the same types of tough issues they’ve tackled in other media.
Read MoreIf you’re working in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, how much data do you need?
It’s a common question. How much data is necessary to get value out of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence…? Well, Portland startup Synaptiq posed that question at a recent event. And Dr. Tim Oates provided a response.
[UPDATED] Looking to connect in person IRL again? Coffee w/ Co-Founders could be it
It’s been a series of fits and starts with getting back together in person. But it’s starting to happen. So if you’re a founder who has been looking to get the chance to connect with others beyond the typical virtual call, Coffee w/ Co-Founders is here to help.
Read MoreLooking for low-cost space for your early stage startup…?
Even with the ravaging effects of the pandemic and the sputtering economy, Portland still boasts a number of resources for non-traditional office space, be they coworking spaces like CENTRL Office or on-demand solutions like Radious. But those solutions still require capital — which can always be in short supply for early stage startups. That’s why some community members are considering pursuing a lower-cost offering for founders.
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