Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
If you’re a startup that’s looking for some support, there are a couple of opportunities to apply for that sort of assistance. Cascade Angels is currently accepting applications for early stage startups seeking funding. And XXcelerate Fund is accepting applications for the next round of its XXcelerator program for women founded companies.
Remember when I said it was feeling a bit like a Portland startup accelerator renaissance? Well, today upped the ante. Because Portland had two new accelerator announcements. R/GA announced the first Portland version of their series of brand-powered accelerators—like ones they’ve done with LA Dodgers and Snap—and Uncorked Studios announced a startup accelerator in collaboration with Autodesk and PIE.
Like many amazing Portland companies, Starve Ups keeps a relatively low profile that belies its impact—and its success. Now the oldest—and arguably the most successful—accelerator in the Portland area has announced its latest class of startups.
There was a time, not so long ago, when Portland had an embarrassment of riches on the startup incubator and accelerator front. But as the pendulum swung from early stage to growth stage—and as regional offices and bigger players promised increasingly attractive wages and benefits—the once crowded incubator and accelerator community thinned. But all of that may be changing in 2018.
You know I love startups. And you know I love startups that help startups. But what you may not know is that I’m a huge fan of folks who are doing that work in a variety of industries—not just tech. That’s why I wanted to be sure that all of you outdoor gear types knew that the application for the Bend Outdoor Worx accelerator is due on December 29, 2017.
If you’re just getting started or at a concept stage for your company, there are any number of resources available to help your startup. But what if you’re further along and challenges like ramping up marketing and sales have a higher priority than pitching your concept? That’s where a new growth stage accelerator from XXcelerate Fund hopes to help. Meet XXcelerator.
It’s no secret that corporations and startups have a lot to learn from one another. Even when those corporations are just beyond being startups themselves. That’s why I was super interested to see Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, get into the accelerator game. And today, I was even more pleased. Because I heard that Portland startup Lytics would be taking part in it.
While slaughtering the English language is among my chief hobbies, I’m busy most days running PIE, an ongoing experiment to figure out how startups and established corporations and organization can collaborate for mutual benefit. Over the past eight years, it’s been a coworking space, an early stage startup accelerator, and a consultancy that has helped other accelerator programs.
Sometimes—not often, mind you, but sometimes—I write stuff other places. I mean, it’s not any better than the stuff I write here. And honestly, it would be difficult for it to be grammatically worse than the stuff I write here. But in any case, sometimes I write stuff on other platforms that could still be valuable to you. So I wanted you to know about it.
Ah summer. The best time of year to be in Portland. But startups have to be opportunistic. And do whatever they can to succeed. Even if that means leaving the Rose City during the best time to be here. And that’s exactly what Portland startups Brightwork and Chroma are doing. Read More