Month: June 2025

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Intel will shut down its automotive business, lay off most of the department’s employees – oregonlive.com

“Intel plans to wind down the Intel architecture automotive business,” the company told employees Tuesday morning in a message viewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The company said it will fulfill existing commitments to customers but will lay off “most” employees working in Intel’s automotive group. [Editor: I remember writing about Intel’s open source mobile and automotive pursuits way back when. And it’s Intel’s work in automotive that motivated Jaguar Land Rover to establish a presence here.]

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

2025 US Venture Capital Outlook: Midyear Update | PitchBook

As 2025 unfolds, the VC landscape is evolving in unexpected ways. While early-year optimism pointed to a rebound in liquidity and a revitalized IPO market, global tariff tensions have reshaped the narrative. IPO activity has slowed, but resilience is emerging in new forms.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the AIBiZ podcast to chat about startups and AI. Thought I’d share that conversation here in case you were interested.

Looking for an excuse to get out of the house or leave the office early…? There’s no better excuse than supporting local business. And the Portland Office of Small Business is happy to give you exactly that flavor of excuse. That’s right. It’s time for another Show Up for Small Business gathering. And this time, it’s happening up north. In St. Johns.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Portland Musician Amos Roddy Contributed Six New Songs to Minecraft’s Latest Update

Minecraft’s soundtrack is one of many aspects imbued in the memories of the generation the bestselling video game helped raise. Defined by soft, somewhat haunting pianos and echoing chimes and flutes, the ambient soundtrack is among modern gaming’s most recognizable. Minecraft’s latest update, released June 17, includes an expanded soundtrack with Portland musician Amos Roddy contributing six new tracks to the game.

Every Monday, I post a list of events to the Portland Startups Slack to help give folks some ideas of where they might want to be during the week. I’m pretty slow on the uptake. So it just dawned on me that it might be valuable to do that here, as well.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Why We Invested: Conveyor — Oregon Venture Fund

We’re particularly excited about their roadmap and believe Conveyor is poised to lead the evolution toward truly agentic, AI-driven B2B buying and selling workflows. The company is architecting a future where a buyer’s AI agent can query a vendor’s AI agent directly, vetting security posture and product fit in seconds. In that world, Conveyor becomes the neutral, always-up-to-date source of truth both sides rely on. We share that vision and are excited to help make it real.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Looking back: Juneteenth is a state holiday in Oregon • Oregon Capital Chronicle

On June 18, 2020, after almost a month of daily protests over police killings and systemic racism in Portland, Gov. Kate Brown proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth and announced that she would have the Legislature introduce a bill making it a state holiday in 2021.

Portland has seen its share of founder pitch events. Some practice runs. Some highly competitive. And some that seem to develop some momentum and then, for whatever reason, fade away. Founders Live Portland has been one of those fits-and-starts one over the years. But as I always say: it’s all about timing. Founders Live Portland is back.