Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
How to actually raise your round
So let’s talk about what it takes to raise a round. Not because it’s secret. Because it’s messy and non-linear and involves way more psychology than Excel, and admitting that feels like admitting you’re doing it wrong.
Portland Open Build: Windsurf x AIC · Luma
Open Build — a hands-on event where AI-native developers, indie hackers, and curious tinkerers come together to experiment, create, and connect using Windsurf, the AI-powered coding environment that’s redefining how builders work.
Why Tim Berners-Lee still believes in the web | The Verge
The inventor of the World Wide Web on why he’s still optimistic about the future of the internet.
Intel’s CTO and AI chief leaves for OpenAI after just seven months in role — follows another AI data center exec out the door, Lip Bu-Tan to take up the slack | Tom’s Hardware
Intel’s Chief Technology Officer and head of AI, Sachin Katti, has left the longtime chip manufacturer and joined OpenAI instead, as reported by Reuters. He’ll be taking over the role of building out OpenAI’s compute infrastructure. Back at Intel, CEO Lip Bu-Tan will take on the role of head of AI and Advanced Technologies himself, “working closely with the team.”
Every AI app will be crushed by foundational model providers
My AI investment thesis is that every AI application startup is likely to be crushed by rapid expansion of the foundational model providers.
Exclusive: Altman And Masa Back a 27-Year-Old’s Plan to Build a New Bell Labs Ultra
Based in San Francisco, Episteme is an effort to create a modern-day Bell Labs or Xerox PARC in that it hopes to attract the world’s top scientists and have them work on a wide range of potential breakthrough products.
Work, After Work: Notes From an Unemployed New Grad Watching the Job Market Break |
I have been applying around as a new grad, sending out the same careful batch of CVs and cover letters that older friends used a few years ago to land solid jobs. What I meet instead is a job market that people now casually call broken.
Semiconductors: The most important sector in the world
The most comprehensive analysis of the semiconductor sector: what are chips, how are they made, who are the companies, fabless vs foundries, the rise of China, US reshoring and investments
I Reverse-Engineered 200 AI Startups. 73% Are Lying | Towards AI
Last month, I went down a rabbit hole that started with a simple question and ended with me questioning everything I thought I knew about the AI startup ecosystem.
Ecosystem is the next big growth channel – by Emily Kramer
So in this new competitive, AI-driven landscape, how do you get your great product noticed? The answer is ecosystem. Instead of going directly to your prospects, go through intermediaries who already have access and trust with your audience.
Introducing The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups of 2025
Investor euphoria around artificial intelligence has shown little sign of wearing off this year, especially as ex-employees of AI developers such as OpenAI, Google and Palantir raised capital for their own AI startups. That made it more difficult than ever to identify promising but relatively …
Portland-based Convergence Networks acquires Clear Concepts – Portland Business Journal
Portland-based IT services provider Convergence Networks is expanding with a Canadian acquisition.
(Portland) founder.coffee @ Heretic Coffee Co (SE Portland) » Calagator: Portland’s Tech Calendar
This month in the spirit of our strong Portland community we’re holding our founder.coffee at Heretic Coffee Co, which recently raised money for many of our neighbors losing Snap benefits.
Seattle entrepreneur shares startup lessons from her experience making an indie film – GeekWire
At first glance one might think a tech startup and a feature film are worlds apart. Yet, as it happens, bootstrapping and building a tech company and producing an independent feature film are surprisingly similar. This was something that surprised me as I pivoted from startup CEO to movie producer.
Align Ambition with Startup Idea – David Cummings on Startups
If your goal is a great lifestyle, there are countless opportunities to build a business that supports that. If your goal is to create something transformative with a major impact on your city or industry, the idea needs to be correspondingly more ambitious and scalable.
Why the CEIC Urges Council to Vote “No” on the Proposed $4.3 Million Cut to the Impact Reduction Program — Central Eastside Industrial Council
From our experience in the Central Eastside, we have seen firsthand how the City of Portland’s Impact Reduction Program (IRP) provides a crucial balance between compassion, public health, and livability. IRP is a structured, legally required system designed to ensure humane treatment of individuals experiencing homelessness while keeping streets safe and accessible for workers, businesses, and residents.
Introduction to Agents
This new frontier is built around AI agents. An agent is not simply an AI model in a static workflow; it’s a complete application, making plans and taking actions to achieve goals. It combines a Language Model’s (LM) ability to reason with the practical ability to act, allowing it to handle complex, multi-step tasks that a model alone cannot. The critical capability is that agents can work on their own, figuring out the next steps needed to reach a goal without a person guiding them at every turn.
Vertical Integration is the Only Thing That Matters @ rebecca®
When I say “vertical integration”, I am referring to tight integration between different tools in a stack.
Portland startup stories
