Month: October 2023

Speaking of AI, I just got introduced to someone at Flex Axion, a Battleground, WA, based startup that uses AI to help simplify financial services and asset management.

I don’t know what it was this year. But I was really into hyping Bend Venture Conference. Probably because I was in town for part of High Desert Innovation Week. And most likely because it was the 20th year of the event. Whatever the case, another BVC is now in the books. I hope folks who attended — and competed — enjoyed the event. And I hope the folks visiting Central Oregon for the first time had a memorable experience. Now, it’s time to close the loop until next year. The winners of BVC 2023 have been announced.

It’s nice to feel the energy coming back to the Portland startup community. New products. New people. New technologies — like AI. And one of the most promising Portland companies in that space — Sixty, a time management platform enhanced by AI, founded by Cloudability founder Mat Ellis — is adding to that energy today as a trending company on Product Hunt.

Portland got used to the The New York Times providing glowing reviews of our town. Prior to the pandemic, it was a regular occurrence. So much so that it became a bit of a trope. But that sort of coverage has been harder to come by, as of late. That’s why seeing Oregon’s exploration of a new startup space in the NYT caught my interest. That space? Psilocybin mushrooms.

Time flies. It seems like we were just talking about applications for Pitch Latino 2023 opening up. And now, the event is here. Pitch Latino 2023 takes place Tuesday night.

While gallons of digital ink are spilled on Venture Capital every day (I’m just as guilty), that form of financing goes to a very slim percentage of venture-scale startups out there. It’s far more likely that founders are bootstrapping their startups — using savings, debt, or revenue to fund the growth of their companies. That’s why I’m really happy to see this Meetup for Bootstrap Founders.

Venture Capital has had a rough year. For Black founders, it’s been even worse. Because despite the promises and handwaving only 0.13% of VC went to Black founded companies in the third quarter of 2023.

The Portland Business Journal highlights a letter from 25 Portland downtown business owners that lists a number of concerns and opportunities to help support existing businesses and revitalize the urban core. Among the requests are calls for more “business incubators” and coworking spaces to support startups and small businesses.

The US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) has revealed shared a list of “Tech Hub” related projects across the nation. Three in particular will impact Oregon including a Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub, a Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub, and a Pacific Northwest Smart Energy Strategy Development Consortium. Oregon State University will lead both Tech Hub programs with Portland State University leading the Smart Energy consortium.