Bend Venture Conference finalizes Growth Stage slate for 2026

Bend Venture Conference is just around the corner. And until today, the last spots on the main stage were still up for grabs. Not anymore. EDCO has announced the Growth Stage finalists for BVC 2026. They join the Early Stage finalists revealed on September 28. And the whole bunch will take the Tower Theatre stage in downtown Bend on October 15 and 16, 2026.

In just a few days, these exceptional finalists will take to the main stage. The Growth Industries and Growth Tech Stage competitions at BVC highlight companies that have demonstrated significant traction and are poised for rapid expansion. Following considerable due diligence, companies in these categories have historically been awarded funding ranging from $100,000 to $2.5 million from the BVC LLC and partner venture capital (VC) funds.

So who made it…? Eight companies. Four in each track.

Growth industries

• Aquagga (Tacoma, WA) – Destroys deadly forever chemicals (PFAS) from industrial waste streams and groundwater.
• Looptworks (Gresham, OR) – The only operational U.S. textile-to-textile recycling platform to help brands/states with policy compliance and circularity with certified recycled fiber.
• Osheru, Inc. (Bend, OR) – Opening eyes beautifully! Crafts innovative medical devices for surgeons to delight patients with outstanding outcomes as they grow their practices.
• Penderia Technologies (Eugene, OR) – Believes data from sensors improves clinical care and have developed implantable sensors from University of Oregon research for use in orthopedic procedures.

Tech

• Caravel Bio (Portland, OR) – The world’s best protein engineering platform.
• CleanHaus (Portland, OR) – Coordinates short-term rental cleaning and maintenance operations end-to-end: dispatching and confirming cleaners and contractors, solving any issue.
• Permeta (Lake Oswego, OR) – Uses proprietary AI to transform permitting and regulatory operations for the energy industry.
• Zing Drone Solutions (Pendleton, OR) – Specializes in drone threat detection and remote ID compliance solutions.

“What stands out about this year’s Growth Stage finalists is the progress they’ve already made and the scale of the opportunity in front of them,” said Jon Stark, CEO of EDCO. “These are founders who have moved beyond proving the concept and are now focused on building durable, growing companies. We’re excited to give them a platform to connect with the capital and expertise to support that growth.”

To see them pitch, grab your ticket at Bend Venture Conference.