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

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

New tech employment report shows growth in Portland metro – Portland Business Journal

Portland ranks No. 6 for metros where the tech industry makes up the largest percentage of the local economy at 14%. The top three are San Jose, at 51%, Seattle at 31% and San Francisco at 20%.

Oregon has always been at the forefront of exploring electrification of vehicles. From Arcimoto to Photon Marine, we’re no strangers to figuring out cleaner ways to get around. Bend’s Dust Moto is no different. Well, a little different — especially given that their vehicles have two wheels and are made for offroad. And now, they’ve got more resources with which to work. They were just acquired by LiveWire.

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

Series A is the new Series C

A candid look at why early-stage funding now demands late-stage traction — and what founders (and community builders) should do instead: stop iterating in private and start selling in public. A view from the other side of the table.

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

The old world of tech is dying and the new cannot be born

From an individual perspective, switching your worldview or mental model on a problem or topic can feel revelatory. “This changes everything!” But the world hasn’t changed. All that changed is how you understand it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it. But luckily, Deepthi shared a recap.

The inaugural Startup World Cup Portland Regional ran yesterday afternoon at UpStart Collective. If you recall, this event was to choose a regional winner to advance to the Startup World Cup global finale in San Francisco, November 18–20, 2026, with a $1 million investment on the line. So who is making the trip south to compete in the big show…? Autonomous robotic greenhouse startup Canopii.

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

“AI-Powered” Isn’t a Position

A playbook for building a distinctive brand when too many AI products sound the same, look the same and have the same positioning.

Lots of chatter during this year’s Oregon Innovation Showcase. Lots of it definitely fall in the category of “tough love.” I don’t want to steal any of the thunder from Malia Spencer at the Portland Business Journal, who provides a lengthy dive into the voices at the event. But I did want to tease it a bit, with some insights from Diane Fraiman of Voyager Capital.

The Technology Association of Oregon held its 42nd annual Oregon Tech Awards on Tuesday, May 5, at the Hilton Downtown Portland — and the winners across eight categories cover a pretty wide swath of what’s happening in Oregon technology right now.