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It’s easily the largest startup stage pitch competition in the Pacific Northwest. And when you hold that sort of title — despite any pandemic — the show must go on. In some way or another. That’s why Bend Venture Conference has opened applications for BVC 2020.
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If you’re working on a startup and you feel like you could use more help, connections, and mentorship, then I have a little homework assignment for you, this weekend. Because it might be time for you to apply to PIE or PIE Shop with your startup idea.
I get it. You’re busy. You’re building your company. And you meant to get those startup accelerator applications done last weekend. But time just got away from you. Well, you better carve out some time this weekend, or you’re going to miss out altogether.
I’ve been working in, on, and around venture funded startups for the past two decades and then some. And yet, I’ve never quite seen anyone manage to take the traditional myopia of venture capital head on. And win. But then there’s Arlan Hamilton. Who’s doing just that.
If you’re a startup that’s looking for some support, there are a couple of opportunities to apply for that sort of assistance. Cascade Angels is currently accepting applications for early stage startups seeking funding. And XXcelerate Fund is accepting applications for the next round of its XXcelerator program for women founded companies.
Think your startup belongs on a global stage? Of course you do. But it’s highly likely that other folks do as well. That’s why it makes sense to apply to competitions that let you take the stage and share your story. With that in mind, I’d like to remind you that the deadline for SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event applications is rapidly approaching.
There once was a time when Portland was home to a bevy of incubators and accelerators. And during those times, it seemed that there was always some deadline or another looming. Now that there are fewer organizations looking for startup applications, however, it can be easy to forget those deadlines. It’s okay. I’ll remind you.
It’s the largest angel conference and the biggest prize purse of any startup pitch competition in the Pacific Northwest. So it’s little wonder that getting on stage to compete in the Bend Venture Conference can be a bit of a challenge. But you know what makes it even more difficult?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: Everyone in Portland has a side project or three. So I know there are a bunch of you out there who have been mucking around with LED lights or 3D printing or Raspberry Pi. Truth be told, it’s likely you’ve formulated some Frankensteinian concoction of all of the above. Well, now it’s time for you to show that creation off.
Every once in a while, there is a moment. Where something strikes a chord. When it taps into an unspoken need. Crystallizes a not-yet-codified opinion. Becomes a rallying cry. And rarely—but magnificently—sometimes that moment gains momentum of its own. And becomes a movement.