Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
The greatest risk of AI in higher education isn’t cheating – it’s the erosion of learning itself
As these technologies become better at producing knowledge work – designing classes, writing papers, suggesting experiments and summarizing difficult texts – they don’t just make universities more productive. They risk hollowing out the ecosystem of learning and mentorship upon which these institutions are built, and on which they depend.
Prompt Caching 201
What it is, why it matters, how to measure it, and how to improve your cache hit rate.
Crunchbase Data: The AI Boom Has Drastically Changed Who’s Funding The Hottest Companies In 2025 Vs. 2021
As global venture funding in 2025 ratcheted up to the third-highest total on record after the peak years of 2021 and 2022, capital also concentrated further, with the number of companies raising rounds of $50 million or more drastically shrinking roughly by half to a cohort of just 1,440.
The Mythical Agent-Month – Wes McKinney
But Brooks’s “No Silver Bullet” argument predicts exactly the problem I’m experiencing in my agentic engineering: the accidental complexity is no problem at all anymore, but what’s left is the essential complexity which was always the hard part. Agents can’t reliably tell the difference.
The software industrial revolution
Welcome to the beginning of the Software Industrial Revolution. Just like the first Industrial Revolution, this will change the world in profound and unexpected ways. But unlike the first Industrial Revolution, this one won’t take decades. It might not even take years.
Agility Robotics Announces Commercial Agreement with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
Agility Robotics, creator of the general-purpose humanoid robot DigitⓇ, today announced that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) has signed a commercial agreement with the company. After a successful pilot, TMMC plans to deploy Agility’s robot, Digit, in its facilities to support employees with manufacturing, supply chain and logistics operations.
Intel layoffs drive Oregon tech job losses in 2025 – Portland Business Journal
Oregon’s tech sector shed over 4,000 jobs in 2025 as Intel and other hardware makers contracted, though some software segments grew.
🍻 Happy Hour with AI Portland · Luma
Join AI Portland for a relaxed evening of conversation and connection at our Happy Hour!
PageMaker pioneer Paul Brainerd, 1947-2026: Aldus founder devoted his second chapter to the planet – GeekWire
They stopped at the Oregon State University library in Corvallis, rented a room, and started digging into books on the history of publishing. Brainerd found a chapter on Aldus Manutius, a 15th-century Venetian printer who had standardized typefaces, invented the small-book format, and brought the cost of publishing down far enough to reach ordinary people.
(Portland) founder.coffee @ Cup of Joe in Big Pink, Tue, Mar 10, 2026, 9:00 AM | Meetup
Cup of Joe Coffee Roasters and The Vault Bookstore is a great place to relax with a good book and a cup of coffee. With hundreds of books across all genres, and delicious coffee with specialty roasts and delectable flavors, this is the perfect spot to unwind in the Big Pink lobby.
Oregon startup news
