Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Portland Staycation
Book a stay at a downtown hotel. Dine out. Show up. This is a weekend designed to activate the city from within—by Portlanders, for Portlanders.
Filings: AI2 Incubator raises third fund to back more early stage startups – GeekWire
The new fund would be a sizable jump from AI2 Incubator’s $30 million second fund that it raised in 2023, and its $10 million first fund in 2020.
From Fallout to Future: Hillsboro 3.0 – The People’s Era – Needs To Begin Before Intel Falls – The Hillsboro Herald
These layoffs and firings of our friends and neighbors are not just losses. They’re potential startups, teacher hires, retrained welders, solar engineers, software freelancers, and biotech technicians waiting to happen. Cities like Austin and Pittsburgh turned their downturns into renaissances by investing in people, not just payrolls. We can do the same. And we are late to the party in doing so.
‘It blocks out the sky’: Data center’s big plans rile neighbors in small-town Forest Grove – oregonlive.com
Data centers are running out of room in nearby Hillsboro, though, where they have already consumed more than 300 acres of that city’s scarce industrial land. So tech companies are scouting other locations around the metro area for new locations, including in small cities like Forest Grove.
Underwriting Superintelligence
We’re navigating a tightrope as Superintelligence nears. If the West slows down unilaterally, China could dominate the 21st century. If we accelerate recklessly, accidents will halt progress, as with nuclear power. Insurance, standards, and audits together create skin in the game for quantifying, communicating, and reducing AI risks so we can balance this tightrope. We call this the “Incentive Flywheel.”
Tech hiring trends: Corporate layoffs create opportunity for well-positioned startups – GeekWire
It’s not easy to assess the current state of the tech hiring market. But some trends emerged in our conversations with company leaders at a GeekWire event Tuesday on our office deck overlooking the Ship Canal in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.
How the “Big Beautiful Bill” boosts QSBS benefits for startup employees and founders | Stacker
The new GOP budget legislation includes a massive win for startup employees and founders: dramatically expanded Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) benefits that could save qualifying investors from paying 28% capital gains taxes on millions of dollars in returns. The changes increase the maximum tax exclusion from $10 million to $15 million while allowing partial benefits after just three years instead of the current five-year minimum.
How Republicans Supersized Silicon Valley’s Favorite Tax Break
Tucked into the huge set of tax cuts that Republicans passed into law this month was an expansion of the unusually valuable tax break. The generosity of the change came as a surprise to even some in Silicon Valley, where the tax measure is popular.
Build vs. Buy: The Smart Marketer’s Guide to Earned Media Distribution
In 2025, the question isn’t whether your content is good enough. It’s whether you can get it in front of the right people at the right time.
Why Startup Founders Struggle With Adaptability (And How To Overcome The Challenge)
So why, even within this inherently flexible group of humans, do so many of them struggle with adaptability? This is where personality data really gives us insights. When we combine founders’ personality assessments (their own opinions of their needs, behavioral tendencies, emotional reactions, cognitive approach, social style, and general identity) with their behavioral 360 ratings, some clear patterns begin to emerge.
Commodore 64 Ultimate: BASIC Beige | Commodore
The first official Commodore 64 in over 30 years is here – a faithful recreation of the original motherboard on FPGA hardware.
Ecommerce NW
Our mission is to elevate our shared business community by fueling growth across digital commerce, amplifying the voices of local leaders, and creating connections to share hard-won knowledge.
The Epicenter: Women’s Global Sports Summit
A series of events that unites industry leaders and top athletes in Portland to create lasting impact and growth through innovation and investment in women’s sports to further cement the region as the “Global Epicenter of Women’s Sports.”
More Oregon startup news
