Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Reclaim.ai From Dropbox Launches AI Calendar App Support for Microsoft Outlook Calendar
Reclaim.ai from Dropbox, an AI calendar app that optimizes individual and team schedules for better productivity, collaboration, and work-life balance, announced its availability on Microsoft Outlook Calendar. Now, Outlook users and teams can automatically protect uninterrupted focus time, optimize their meetings, manage multiple calendars, and solve their most complex scheduling challenges with AI.
Orca Security Acquires Opus to Pioneer Agentic AI-Powered Cloud Security Remediation and Prevention
Orca Security, the leading innovator in agentless cloud security, today announced the acquisition of Opus, a cutting-edge, rapidly growing startup specializing in agentic AI-driven automation and orchestration. This strategic acquisition brings to Orca a world-class team and foundational technology to lead the company’s next phase: evolving from observation and prioritization to agentic AI-based remediation and prevention.
New USMNT, USWNT kits feature classic looks with a nod to an iconic throwback
Moore had made his name years earlier at Nike, as the designer of the first Air Jordan sneaker and the iconic “Jumpman” logo. He’d helped grow the sportswear and shoe brand from a tiny Oregon startup to a global titan before leaving for Adidas in the early 90s. There, he’d continued knocking almost every design out of the park. By the time Moore stood at the copy machine, most of the world’s soccer jerseys bore the ascending three stripes of the modern Adidas logo that he’d designed.
CascadiaJS 2025 | Sept 18 – 19 | Seattle, WA
CascadiaJS 2025 is coming BACK to Seattle, WA and will run from Sept 17 – 20. We’ll host a Welcome Reception on Sept 17, have 2 days of talks on Sept 18 and 19 and get out and about the Seattle area for a day of activities on Sept 20!
Who will buy the Blazers? Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s estate plans to sell NBA franchise – GeekWire
The estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced Tuesday morning that it has begun the process of selling the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, which would be a major milestone in fulfilling Allen’s directive to sell his sports holdings and direct the proceeds to philanthropy.
Airbnb expands into services and experiences, plans more social and AI features | TechCrunch
As part of a broader app update, Airbnb on Tuesday introduced a new feature that allows travelers to book services and experiences, like getting a massage, haircut, or chef-prepared meal, or taking part in some activity. These new offerings can be added to your stay, but they can also be booked independently, Airbnb says.
Intel has limited customer commitments for latest chip manufacturing tech, CFO says | Reuters
Committed volumes, or the amount of external customers’ chips set to be produced by Intel using upcoming manufacturing tech, is presently not significant, Zinsner said at J.P. Morgan’s Global Technology, Media and Communications conference being held in Boston, Massachusetts.
May dMob @ Company Wine Bar Tickets, Wed, May 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
dMob is a free, open-invitation, monthly social event. Our usual suspects include students, laid-back design professionals, and PDX creatives of every flavor.How does it work? Just show up, get a cool AIGA sticker, and start chatting!
Y Combinator says Google is a ‘monopolist’ that has ‘stunted’ the startup ecosystem | TechCrunch
YC’s brief says it’s currently seeking to fund startups developing question-based and agentic AI tools that could transform how people interact with information on the internet. But YC says there’s a “clear risk” that Google will use its monopoly power to slow down the future of those markets.
CitizenPortal.ai – Portland Solutions leaders urge caution against excessive bureaucracy in startup operations
One councilor emphasized the importance of maintaining the startup culture within Portland Solutions, warning against over-bureaucratization that could lead to its decline. “If we overbureaucratize Portland Solutions, we might as well rename it Portland dissolution,” they cautioned, highlighting the need to preserve the agility and creativity that initially drove the initiative.
Sierra Ventures On The 5 Layers Of AI Startup Investment
We recently spoke with Tim Guleri, a managing partner for 24 years at Sierra Ventures, about what that investment thesis looks like and its five-layer “layered cake” framework for AI investments. The San Mateo, California-based firm is investing from its $265 million 13th fund, announced in September 2023.
Conversational Interfaces: the Good, the Ugly & the Billion-Dollar Opportunity
Alas, the conversational interface is also where AI design innovation is stuck today. Let us deconstruct and examine closely its strengths and weaknesses.
Meet Hedy AI: Mobile App Development & AI Wrapper’s Momentum 10 | HackerNoon
After 20 years of running a digital product agency and helping countless SaaS companies build their products, I noticed a fascinating opportunity at the intersection of real-time speech recognition and frontier AI models. The technology had finally evolved to a point where we could provide genuinely intelligent, real-time conversation support right on your phone.
Points of Friction
I am drawn to focus on a different question: in a world of dramatically reduced friction in the production of software, where does friction remain? My conviction is that value is created where friction exists.
More Portland startup news
