Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Current Techstars accelerator applications open
Learn more about our 3-month accelerators where founders gain funding, mentorship, and access to the Techstars network. The following accelerator programs are currently accepting applications…
‘Big One’ coupled with rising ocean could leave many in Northwest living in flood zones, study finds • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The findings from researchers at Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina, the University of Oregon and scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey were published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They found that if The Big One were to occur in 2100, when waters along the Pacific coastline might be three feet higher than today as global ice sheets melt, it’s likely 6.6 feet of Northwest coast would subside into the sea.
AI has opened a new era in venture capital, according to Forerunner founder Kirsten Green | TechCrunch
Forerunner has seen a number of high-profile successes, showing an ability to get ahead of consumer trends with investments in Oura, Chime, the Farmer’s Dog, and beyond in non-B2C companies. To get a sense of how that happened, and what’s next for Forerunner in the AI era, TechCrunch Editor in Chief Connie Loizos spoke with founder and Managing Partner Kirsten Green during a StrictlyVC event in San Francisco.
Global Venture Funding Slowed In April, Despite Strong AI Showing
Global venture funding totaled $23 billion in April 2025, flat year over year and down significantly month over month from $68 billion invested in March, Crunchbase data shows. April’s funding total marks one of the slowest months in the past year.
Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman explains why your company priorities are wrong
“I found out early on that if you can whittle things down to just one thing, you become unstoppable. Unfortunately, people resist whittling things down to one thing because it’s really hard to decide what that one thing is.”
The Forecasting Mistake That Costs You Funding
Forecasting isn’t about projecting what could happen in a perfect world. It’s about showing what will likely happen, based on actual strategy and resource assumptions. That’s where the bottom-up approach wins every time.
Trump’s Border Crackdown Spooks International Founders & VCs
With the Trump administration targeting students and blocking tourists from entering the US, startup founders with temporary visas and green cards are increasingly worried that they need to play it safe or risk the ability to run their companies from the US.
Jason T. Andrew | I exited at $92 Million. What Now? · Luma
From the outside, that’s the dream. But what came after—burnout, personal loss, and a complete redefinition of success—wasn’t in the pitch deck. In this talk, I’ll share what it really takes to build something big, what nearly dying on Mt. Shasta taught me about leadership, and why the emotional and mental toll of this work needs to be talked about.
More Portland startup news
