Month: May 2024

A $35 million Series B is impressive, no matter the economic conditions. But in a down economy and with local investor participation — like Oregon Venture Fund — that’s practically unheard of. And yet, Hydrolix just did exactly that.

You know me. I’m a huge fan of Portland. And an even huger fan when Portland folks embrace “ridiculous decisions” for our city. Because we need those folks. And we need to take advantage of their big thinking when it happens. I loved it when Portlanders did it for Tom McCall Waterfront Park. When they did it for Pioneer Courthouse Square. And when they did it for the Mt Hood Highway.

You may remember a project kicked off by the state of Oregon that was designed to fund a series of “Innovation Hubs” around the state. Establishing these hubs was proposed to be a way to further innovation and connectivity in specific regions around the state — like the Portland metro area — while creating a network of entities that could collaborate to ensure that all of Oregon was improving its innovation.

It’s been a minute since we’ve had an accelerator application open in town. But it’s that time of year for Built Oregon, the not-for-profit organization designed to support consumer product companies — from Nike and Tillamook through the newest farmers’ market stand — in the state of Oregon. Each year, Built selects a group of companies to receive mentorship and support through its accelerator program, all as part of their ongoing efforts to demystify the mythology of building a successful consumer products company in Oregon. So if that sounds interesting to you, you should apply.

It’s almost time for another Demolicious — the monthly competition that pits a whole new slate of startups against a current titleholder to see who the crowd finds most compelling. Current title holder FanWagn is, ahem, gearing up to take on the challengers, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at UpStart Collective.