---
title: 'Portland startup news for the week ending March 28, 2025'
date: '2025-03-28T08:25:07-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 930
char_count: 6617
tokens: 1209
categories:
  - Portland
---

# Portland startup news for the week ending March 28, 2025

This week in Portland startup news… why $300M in funding for Mercury matters to Portland, an event fail for the Portland startup community, a whole new Portland startup pitch event with a twist, a plant-based burger joint takes on McDonald’s, and more events and startup news. Let’s get into it… PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS

- Mercury raises $300M [https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stoc…](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1JPaF82TmRfU1JSRkFNU1RVTjJzMDhxbU1FZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsX0xYUkh1TmJTQzd5RDFjSFV1ejR6cnZfdjFpeDZSM3FoZzF4TDZyTmdMSWlQZ3JSaU5NLXprLWdjZUI4a0FVQUNQa3ZBYTlpMXhiUFpBQkszeUpadEgyS2ZNcmp3cHh6QzNWWGRDXzd0dU9NcGg5TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Flivecoverage%2Fstock-market-today-dow-nasdaq-sp500-03-26-2025%2Fcard%2Fexclusive-fintech-banking-startup-mercury-raises-300-million-at-a-3-5-billion-valuation-vXq9qru1qLFSwNB1yyMw&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Portland startup community gathering April 8 [https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-s…](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXRTdkhDX3hQNVY1NU9QdC14eGROVmhyYVlOUXxBQ3Jtc0trTm85bUF0ZlR3MFIzSE11OHhoZjYwY2ZoMGxGMzI0ZERvd3ZRSk9uMjFLT0Nkd3BScmFxTE1yU1RzYzdRWTVFSndUZkhLSll0Tmg4ZC1uYmRJWkJDV2trNDlaYjRGNWkycnZ2dkdoLXB4clhSdTlfWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meetup.com%2Fpie-portland-startup-community%2Fevents%2F305535888%2F&v=yoxReSenveA)
- A rant on pitch competitions [ • Pitch competition rant, $1M Seed – Po… ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9AwxrAYZhc&t=1270s)
- I Hope You Get Rich [https://www.asianamericantown.com/pit…](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGVnRVNHWERzQ2F3NUFFTGFCUWpuRDZCZ2p4UXxBQ3Jtc0trZHV4c1JHcXBhWXdHWUREMjZzSXVpc0twZW1rTXl3a1FMRlEya0oxNjlmeERuSTVkTU1aNDZ1VU5xTzFGUWRaU2Vvdk5UWDFjZGt1MDREeTZmcWNxVVFjU0h0bndhMzNzanB1YnZvZEZVSnVaUVpqNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.asianamericantown.com%2Fpitch-competition&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Portland Digital Corps [https://calagator.org/events/1250481853](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWR6S0l1MFllamJQRHo4Mkg2dkpMN29ubU1yUXxBQ3Jtc0tuMXhTUlNGdHgwdWdRcDJfTF95dHp0RTVEV2NCcVo1Y00yYVhNZzdXYkkyWVQ5X1o4TnRhV0xHdzc4dURQUFBhRjViSVA2UWlWUDc4WHlReWZncGdodDBRSEllZ3c3Slp5akdFNExGQ3dFZTdPS1dRdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalagator.org%2Fevents%2F1250481853&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Startup Open Coffee in the Couve [https://calagator.org/events/1250481428](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHJSUlRlcTZxZ0RxdFE0UklPbHE1dWM0d3BVd3xBQ3Jtc0ttRWI5amgwVkVYb0hkT3RpWlF4akx3eVp2NHlWczFwNzBLMC13WnhscU1DOGN4bm1rdTZIOVNYb2c0X0JrU0g5VmM5Yi1zV190d0J0UWNldXNRbGRzb3NibFJMcFhKb3Zaa3NoOTk3S082TWhjdEZvVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalagator.org%2Fevents%2F1250481428&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Rose City Techies Book Exchange [https://calagator.org/events/1250481784](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5JZDVFV3B5RXhlOXRUSV9UeDVzck5YMC1Cd3xBQ3Jtc0ttWlhTaTlaMlR0aUIybVJaWmljOGFaTVNuN0JCcmFOREt2WUhMSUY2Q2l4THdHdnVnbWxIbExPREh2RFM2TldIZkFkcXRjN1dsT1AxbWdpUFctcGl3S1p4akc4WTlPYVNFb3N0MXU1MkVPbUwwbVN3NA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalagator.org%2Fevents%2F1250481784&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Startup Cafe @ The Hub [https://calagator.org/events/1250481824](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa05QTGlGUXhEYkU3cW5PZmxXaDNuSUlGWHNSd3xBQ3Jtc0tua080ZnE5T3htT24zMk1OZGpMQU94X2RNSHRTMHZ1d1FhV2V0SDJkT3REdUpfREJ4U2cyb0FuVlRDZktGc2swem9jcmFPaGRYWVNKVlF4ckVNVHhMTUhSQmpMMDgtYkgzYTNNY01fMzBRUXFQX3NsSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalagator.org%2Fevents%2F1250481824&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Face Plant [https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/…](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm5CRVRsVHQzdG4xSFAxT1ZCblZIbWZ0bkJVUXxBQ3Jtc0trb2JHaHJ1WDdGc3ZoczBYTjAwbl9wU3Fabk5zLUJBVWRmTnlpLWJkTHRjWENHLVBkQWJHeUc2V2k0VE5TSnByMUNoZlZ5cXNWSUc5ZUV6NzlIekt4NHVrbWJZOGItUTV1Q3FKNGo1c2pIS0FUVFFnOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bizjournals.com%2Fportland%2Finno%2Fstories%2Fnews%2F2025%2F03%2F21%2Fface-plant-vegan-fast-food-lands-on-swan-island.html&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Chatham House Rule [https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us…](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjNwVFJPQUZJUlo3cFFYMm1QOTRqWnBEY2ttQXxBQ3Jtc0tuMXBGWEdtdVRJOFpHLVFWNWItSmY4QndZZnVUTWVPZk5xRTNyNTVYVjlFcklNNnZpa1hHNkFrbkVUcTktRDZOLWJSU05QTWdrNmlnS1BzWHl6bVpST19oUUUyblZBdnhRUnFmT0lUQjYwZGxYSTItMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chathamhouse.org%2Fabout-us%2Fchatham-house-rule&v=yoxReSenveA)
- Four takeaways from a startup gathering [https://siliconflorist.com/2025/03/26…](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHVkVGZSc0hvUl9CNEpVZ1g2VTlWaVhUMDhrZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuU0JaSXJMcEtnMThVUE1TX0VDOGV6U09naTB1MlpCQkZ6d1I1S1ZnLUZhblJFUG9BRjM1NGJKZ1ZEWk10ZmJCVHpIOFpCeHF6ak5OVHBhYzFoRjBqc1dNZmh3am1kam9leGQzdnBNVWdTZkxHekhZQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsiliconflorist.com%2F2025%2F03%2F26%2Ffour-takeaways-from-an-honest-and-open-startup-community-gathering%2F&v=yoxReSenveA)

Portland startup news chapters
------------------------------

- [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1) Portland startup news intro
- [01:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=110s) Mercury raises $300M – and has a Portland footprint
- [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=275s) Join us April 8 for a Portland startup community gathering
- [06:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=415s) Secret behind the scenes info or my own private Fyre Festival
- [11:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=660s) Already planning the July event, codenamed “Cookout”
- [12:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=745s) Reflecting on my rant about pitch competitions
- [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=870s) I Hope You Get Rich pitch event
- [16:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=993s) Upcoming events next week
- [19:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=1168s) Face Plant takes on McDonald’s
- [23:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxReSenveA&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd6m7AABeIWYP8G-df2-_0-Y&index=1&t=1430s) Takeaways from an intimate startup gathering