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

It may seem like 2025 is still a ways off. But it will be here before you know it. As will the deadline for the Oregon UAS Accelerator program. So if you or someone you know is working on a drone startup — regardless of where they are on earth — I highly suggest you tell them to get to work on applying. Applications are due January 6, 2025.

Portland startup Genie — which marked a third time at Y Combinator for cofounder and CEO Darius Monsef — has officially had product in market long enough to gain a thorough understanding of user and buyer behavior. That’s the good news. The bad news…? There doesn’t appear to be a clear path forward without compromising the ethos of the company. So they’re shutting down the product — while seeking new opportunities for the team.

As long as I’ve been doing Silicon Florist-y type stuff — so 17 years or so — Dylan Boyd has consistently been one of the most helpful and willing connector of dots. And while my purview has been very inwardly Portland focused, Dylan’s efforts were bringing connections from everywhere else in the world to benefit the Portland community. But after a decade at R/GA Ventures, Dylan is ready for something new.

There’s definitive momentum in cleantech around these parts. And The Wings Conference was a great example of what happens when that community collaborates to raise visibility. Climate Curious is keeping that community momentum going with regular gatherings. But does the region have a clear and coherent identity in cleantech? That’s the question that this Prosper Portland survey is hoping to answer.

A championship belt wasn’t the only thing being given away last night at Demolicious, last night. UpStart Collective, the home and primary sponsor of Demolicious, also shared some news about their planned expansion in 2025. And it’s got a bit of collegiate bent.

The Portland startup community — as well as folks from Bend and a few other spots — packed into the McMenamins Mission Theater last night to watch eight companies take the stage. Each of those companies had one thing in common: a win at one of the monthly Demolicious events. But when the dust cleared and the crowd votes were tallied, one company was named the Champion of those champions for 2024: Airbuild.

As a startup founder, it’s rare to get the opportunity to pause. But the end of the year often presents an opportunity to do so. But what should you reflect upon exactly…? I found these 25 questions from First Round to be a pretty compelling starting point.