Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
While being a dubious moniker on any number of fronts, I keep hoping the year 2020 has at least one bright spot for you. And maybe this is it. Your startup could be Startup of the Year 2020. But you have to apply to make that happen.
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Everyone thinks their startup is the best startup. But how about you get some outside validation to prove that? I mean, that could only help, right? And that’s the opportunity with the Startup of the Year competition.
As every startup knows, entering startups competitions can be a dubious concept. But when you manage to win, all that dubiousness tends to fade away. So one would figure that Portland startup Tali is feeling pretty good about entering the Clio Launch//Code competition. Which landed them the $100,000 prize from the legal billing software provider.
A panel of four judges chose Tali for its functionality and impact, innovation and user experience. The app allows lawyers to use voice commands to automatically keep track of billable time. Launched in 2017, Tali also works with Amazon Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices, as well as Cortana and Google Assistant.
For more, see “Voice-activated time-tracking assistant Tali wins $100k in Clio’s Launch//Code competition.”
Every October, any number of investors descend upon Bend to take part in the largest cash prize startup competition in the Pacific Northwest, the Bend Venture Conference. It’s arguably the most valuable investor gathering in the state. But you know what? It’s only truly valuable if there are awesome startups there. That’s where you come in.
Look. I get it. You’re busy. Doing startups is hard. And time consuming and stressful. But no matter how awesome your product is it won’t go anywhere if no one knows about it. So you’ve got to take time to put yourself out there. And get on stage from time to time. And here’s a great opportunity: the 1776 Challenge Cup Portland.
Dearest Portland startups, As much as I understand and sympathize with the rampant aggressive humility around here, I also recognize that you’re working on some incredibly cool stuff. And like it or not, you’re going to have find the wherewithal to tell other people about the amazing stuff you’re doing.
Last time Portland hosted the 1776 Challenge Cup, local startup NoAppFee.com won here in town, which led to a win at the regional competition in the Bay Area, and culminated in the company being named the People’s Choice at the global finale.
For startups, finding the most cost-effective means of building and distributing your product can be the difference between life and death. That’s why using the Web has been such a benefit to small startups. As have Web services—like Amazon Web Services (AWS)—that allow those startups to get big time functionality for a fraction of the cost of maintaining their own infrastructure.
But no matter how efficient the startup, a little extra cash can always help. So if you’ve built something interesting on AWS, consider throwing your hat in the ring to win the Amazon Web Services Start-up Challenge. Read More
It’s getting to be that time of year again. The time when the competitions heat up for startups looking to impress venture capitalists. Okay. Maybe that’s actually all year.
Whatever the case, it’s time for the Bend Venture Conference where startups will be vying for $175,000 in funding. Read More
A zillion is shooting a bit high anyway, don’t you think? How about we start with something smaller then? Like about $50,000. That’s the prize money you could take home after pitching the ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum.
Ah, what I wouldn’t do with a zillion dollars. Why I could fund any number of cool startup ideas.
What’s that? What do you mean “zillion” isn’t a real number?
Well, never mind that. A zillion is shooting a bit high anyway, don’t you think? How about we start with something smaller then? Like about $50,000.
Good. Because that’s the prize money you could take home after pitching the ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum. Read More