Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
New legislative caucus hopes to tap into Oregon’s trade potential • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Unlike the U.S. as a whole, Oregon has a trade surplus, meaning it sends more goods abroad than it receives. It has the sixth highest rate of exports per capita — largely because of its location along the Pacific Ocean. In 2024, it exported $34 billion worth of products, mostly computers and electronics, transportation equipment, machinery, chemicals and agricultural products.
Portland Office of Small Business: July is Disability Pride Month!
Portland’s summer is in full swing! Whether you’re out enjoying the city as an eventgoer or gearing up as a business owner to make the most of the season, check out the list below to see what’s happening around town. It’s a great time to shop local—or prepare special promotions to welcome the crowd.
Merkley Running — Oregon Journalism Project
“It was a difficult decision,” Merkley says. “I see folks who stay too long and assume they are the only ones who can make an effective case for their constituents.” But in the end, Merkley says, he and his wife, Mary Sorteberg, came to the conclusion that he should continue for one primary reason: the desire to help counterbalance President Donald Trump and his influence on all branches of government.
‘Coding is dead’: UW computer science program rethinks curriculum for the AI era
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace has academic institutions wrestling with the question of how best to prepare the next generation of graduates for tech jobs, helping them land entry-level roles and bolstering them against the bots.
RealSense spins out of Intel to scale its stereoscopic imaging technology | TechCrunch
After 14 years of developing inside of semiconductor giant Intel, RealSense is striking out on its own.
Stitch raises $3 million
Founded in 2024, the Oregon-based startup allows companies to automate workflows across underwriting, claims, and operations. The startup claims that its platform was built from the ground up to address the specific needs of the insurance industry. The investment will accelerate Stitch’s go-to-market efforts, deepen its insurance-specific AI capabilities, and expand adoption of its AI Studio platform among carriers, brokers, and managing general agents
Why this Portland neighborhood has become the ice cream capital of Oregon – Here is Oregon – hereisoregon.com
Officially known as the Richmond neighborhood, this stretch of Division between Southeast 50th and Southeast 29th avenues has five of the best loved ice cream shops in town. A sixth is found just blocks away. For anyone looking to sample Portland’s frozen treat renaissance, this ice cream corridor is not only convenient, it’s vital.
Coinbase Sues Oregon Governor for Cryptocurrency Records
The core of the dispute revolves around Coinbase’s attempts to acquire documents that outline the decision-making process and the factors that influenced the enactment of specific regulatory measures. The exchange asserts that these records are indispensable for evaluating the impact of the regulations on the cryptocurrency industry and for advocating for policies that encourage innovation and growth. Coinbase’s legal representatives have underscored the significance of public access to government records, asserting that transparency is fundamental to democratic governance and that the public has a right to understand how regulatory decisions are formulated.
Big Story: Trade uncertainty revived amid new threats, moving deadlines
The Trump administration’s erratic trade moves are once again inviting trade barriers that will make it harder for startups to scale globally. While the rollout of reciprocal tariffs proposed in April has been delayed again, the administration’s moves—including letters to trading partners and threats to use national security authority to impose sectoral tariffs—underscore the continued lack of clarity and coordination in its trade policy.
The only SaaS feature you should be building
Headless AI is coming. But this is the bridge we have to build first.
My response to AI 2027
The AI 2027 scenario implicitly assumes that the capabilities of the leading AI (Agent-5 and then Consensus-1), rapidly increase, to the point of gaining godlike economic and destructive powers, while everyone else’s (economic and defensive) capabilities stay in roughly the same place. This is incompatible with the scenario’s own admission (in the infographic) that even in the pessimistic world, we should expect to see cancer and even aging cured, and mind uploading available, by 2029.
How To Turn Your Daily Work Frustrations Into A Fast-Growing Startup
Each of these healthcare founders started not with a business plan but with a clear understanding of the frustrations and inefficiencies inherent in their daily work. Rather than accepting systemic failures, they leveraged their unique insights to build scalable solutions. Their successes underscore a fundamental entrepreneurial truth: your most persistent daily annoyances might just signal your best business opportunity.
More Oregon startup news
