Portland Oregon Startup and Tech News
One of the challenges of the Portland startup community has always been momentum. We sometimes have great—at times even fantastic—startup news, like an exit or a major announcement. But more often than not, that happens as a solitary instance. And then it’s some time before the next major announcement. So it’s rare to have a day like today where both Torch 3D and Vacasa have major news.
Not so long ago, banks were a viable means of financing business. But as the terms of that financing became more inaccessible and onerous, we saw new models arise. One of those models was venture capital. Now—thanks in part to efforts like the Zebra movement—the VC model is beginning to show its own imperfections, inadequacies, and inaccessibility. So it only makes sense that folks would start thinking about new models for financing. One of those folks is Portland’s Luke Kanies, founder and former CEO of Puppet.
While raising capital is never easy, it’s a lot more difficult when you don’t have any local resources on which to lean. That’s what a couple of Eugene entrepreneurs are hoping to fix with the Coast to Crest Fund, a new $3 million seed fund focused on Lane County startups.
The Portland startup scene wouldn’t be much of scene without the capital to fuel its growth. And over the years, it’s been nice to watch that investment community come together, connect, and collaborate to enable some of our most promising young companies gain the initial footing they need to succeed. That said, it’s been a few years since Portland has seen a new investor enter the fray—Rogue Venture Partners and Seven Peak Ventures are among the most recent. Until now. Meet Elevate Capital. Read More
Yesterday was a big day for Urban Airship. And for Foundry Group which invested in both UA and SimpleGeo.
So it seemed like the perfect time to remind you that Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson of Foundry Group will be chatting with folks tonight about their book, Venture Deals, over at Urban Airship. Read More
Well get ready to be happy. That’s the idea behind Pitch Club, a new Portland gathering open only to folks who are ready to pitch.
So you’re in the midst of founding a startup. Or you’ve got the idea for a startup. Or you’re working for a startup. Whatever the case, you’ve got to be able to pitch your story. To investors. To potential customers. To people on the street. And while practicing the pitch in the mirror is fun and all, you could use some critical feedback. From your peers. Other folks who are pitching too.
Well get ready to be happy. That’s the idea behind Pitch Club, a new Portland gathering open only to folks who are ready to pitch. Read More
Even as Portland startups continue to make waves and land capital, we’ve still got a lot to do to step up to the big leagues. So what does Portland need to do to step up and be among the premier cities for startups?
One thing is for sure. Being attractive to venture capitalists can only help the cause. And ensure that Portland startups have the capital they need to succeed. But how? Well, why not ask a VC? That’s what happened on TechCrunch’s “Ask a VC” last week. Read More
So when Jive announces that they’ve secured another $30 million in funding, I’m going to cover it. Because some of that cash is going to come through the Portland office. And because the investor—juggernaut Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers—just happens to be the firm that just dropped $5 million in Puppet Labs’ proverbial pockets.
[HTML3]Yes, yes. There has been much discussion about Jive Software and their decision to move Jive corporate headquarters from Portland, Oregon, to those more southern climes near that bay thing. But fact of the matter is, Jive spent a good deal of time as a startup headquartered right here. And they continue to be part of our community.
So when Jive announces that they’ve secured another $30 million in funding, I’m going to cover it. Because some of that cash is going to come through the Portland office. And because the investor—juggernaut Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers—just happens to be the firm that just dropped $5 million in Puppet Labs’ proverbial pockets. Read More
Both Funding Universe a good first-pitch opportunity where you’ll be trying to woo the crowd and True Ventures an opportunity to woo true investors, pun intended will be holding pitch sessions
Remember that common complaint about startups not having access to investors in Portland? Well, I don’t want to hear anything about that. Not on April 22, at least.
Why? Because it just so happens that on that day, both Funding Universe—a good first-pitch where you’ll be trying to woo the crowd—and True Ventures—an opportunity to woo true investors, pun intended—will be holding sessions that will give you the opportunity to either practice your pitch or to try it out for real. Read More
This week, Second Porch announced that they have secured $1 million in investment led by the Oregon Angel Fund.
During a SXSW panel on startups in smaller metropolitan areas, I spent some time talking about how venture capital was a bit more difficult to come by in towns like Portland. But I’ll be darned if some awesome Portland startups—like Urban Airship, ShopIgniter, and ActiveTrak—aren’t working to prove me wrong. And now? Another Portland startup has joined the list.
This week, Second Porch announced that they have secured $1 million in investment led by the Oregon Angel Fund. Read More
