Portland Oregon startups, tech, news, events, jobs, and community

It’s always nice to wake up to a Portland startup trending on Product Hunt. And that was the case this morning with Hedy — which just released Hedy 2.0 for MacOS. While the product has been a hit on iOS and Android, this release marks its launch on the Mac desktop environment.

Got next Monday figured out…? Good. Let’s move on to Tuesday. It is Portland Startup WEEK after all. And like Monday, next Tuesday has a whole bunch of startuppy goodness from which to choose. All. Day. Long. Let’s see what’s on the docket.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

How We Shape AI, And How It Shapes Us

AI’s wide (and fast-growing) footprint in people’s lives means that every tweak to a model has the potential for outsized influence. Evaluations and benchmarks guide that influence.

While I’m not a fan of folks announcing things on Fridays, I will always be happy to share news about more investment capital being made accessible to startup founders in the Pacific Northwest. A week ago, it was Fortson. Last Friday, it was Martin Tobias launching Incisive Ventures.

The list of events for Portland Startup Week 2025 continues to grow. But with a wealth of options, what events should you be attending…? Well, that’s up to you. But if you’d like to plan ahead, here’s what’s on the docket for Monday, May 12, 2025.

I’m always a proponent for more people learning more about the Venture Capital industry. And there’s no better way to gain that knowledge — firsthand — than being in the thick of the VC experience as an investor. That’s why I always like to highlight when Rogue Women gives folks the opportunity to participate in a fellowship that gives folks exactly that type of experience.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Current Techstars accelerator applications open

Learn more about our 3-month accelerators where founders gain funding, mentorship, and access to the Techstars network. The following accelerator programs are currently accepting applications…

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Tomasz Tunguz: Secondaries as the new IPO is no passing fad—it’s a VC evolution | Fortune

This evolution in the venture capital market parallels private equity’s history, and VC could benefit from taking a page out of PE’s book—or risk shrinking the asset class. Private equity was a cottage industry in the 1970s, during KKR’s initial leveraged buyout years. It remained so for about a decade until Michael Milken’s junk bond bonanza catapulted the market to considering even larger buyouts.