Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
VC investment in Portland metro nearly doubles in Q2 – Portland Business Journal
For the first half of 2025, investors have pumped $438.2 million into companies across 62 deals in the Portland metro. This data includes investment in Southwest Washington companies. That’s compared to $205.6 million invested in the first half of last year, also across 62 deals.
Women founders CHASM Grant Application
This grant is designed to support women entrepreneurs and those building businesses that advance equity for women and girls.
The Impact of Antitrust Enforcement on Startup Exits -Vanderbilt Law School | Vanderbilt University
Start-up founders and their backers traditionally plan for an “exit”—either through an Initial Public Offering or a sale to a strategic buyer—because that is how early investors and employees convert paper wealth into cash. But in recent years, the startup exit playbook has changed.
SaaS 2.0
But another way to describe Salesforce is as a playbook. Selling stuff to people—especially big stuff; especially if you’re selling it to large companies; especially if many people are involved in closing a deal—is a complex operation that requires a lot of coordination and collaboration.
Intel CEO says it’s “too late” for them to catch up with AI competition — reportedly claims Intel has fallen out of the “top 10 semiconductor companies” as the firm lays off thousands across the world | Tom’s Hardware
Talking to employees around the world in a Q&A session, Intel’s CEO allegedly shared these bleak words: “Twenty, 30 years ago, we were really the leader. Now I think the world has changed. We are not in the top 10 semiconductor companies.”
US AI startups see funding surge while more VC funds struggle to raise, data shows | Reuters
U.S. startup funding surged 75.6% in the first half of 2025, thanks to the continued AI boom, putting it on track for its second-best year ever, even as venture capital firms struggled to raise money, a report from PitchBook on Tuesday showed.
☕ + 🏓 = Summer Socials with AI Portland
Summer’s in full swing, and we’re keeping things casual and connected.
OBI’s Accelerate Biotech Happy Hour » Calagator: Portland’s Tech Calendar
Come mix and mingle with innovators, entrepreneurs, and bioscience professionals at our August Accelerate Happy Hour! Whether you’re building a startup, supporting the ecosystem, or just curious about what’s next in biotech and digital health, you’re in the right place.
Intel’s retreat is unlike anything it’s done before in Oregon – oregonlive.com
Intel has embarked on an unprecedented and sustained campaign to shrink its business in response to a series of technical and financial crises. And Oregon is bearing the brunt of the pain, with Intel making the deepest cuts to its local workforce ever.
Accelerators See Downturn – Los Angeles Business Journal
“We’re not abandoning our commitment to the startup ecosystem,” Alderton said. “We are just moving it over from a physical incubator to doing it through the law firm and the law firm infrastructure.”
It Was Bittersweet For The Bitter Housewife
“It truly is bittersweet,”says Brazelton. “My gut says that people are changing the way they drink and the way they spend money on drinks. While there is a rise in (non-alcoholic beverages) and they may be drinking less, there is a shift, as people are more intentional on how they spend their money on alcohol, and a really discretionary product like bitters isn’t on their list.”
More Oregon startup news
