Startup and tech news, jobs, and events in Portland and Oregon
In a case of interesting timing, as Portland’s history with Google Fiber heads toward its denouement, news of Alphabet’s — Google’s parent company — Sidewalk Labs is just starting to build.
As every startup knows, entering startups competitions can be a dubious concept. But when you manage to win, all that dubiousness tends to fade away. So one would figure that Portland startup Tali is feeling pretty good about entering the Clio Launch//Code competition. Which landed them the $100,000 prize from the legal billing software provider.
A panel of four judges chose Tali for its functionality and impact, innovation and user experience. The app allows lawyers to use voice commands to automatically keep track of billable time. Launched in 2017, Tali also works with Amazon Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices, as well as Cortana and Google Assistant.
For more, see “Voice-activated time-tracking assistant Tali wins $100k in Clio’s Launch//Code competition.”
Well, at least we’re consistent. We never managed to get Google Fiber. Even though we submitted an RFP, we weren’t even really in the running for Amazon HQ2. And now, we just missed being the fourth location for the Backstage Capital Accelerator.
It’s OSCON week in Portland. Which means our usually jam-packed meetup schedule is even more jam-packed than usual. There are any number of events happening around town to showcase Portland to the visiting open source types. And if you’re looking for something to do tonight, Portland startup Stackery has you covered. They’re hosting a fireside chat on serverless with Kelsey Hightower of Google Cloud.
Many folks are lucky to get to work in awe inspiring environments. Here in Portland, there’s no shortage of amazing office spaces—and more are joining the fray every day. But lest we forget, a lot of those amazing environments are the result of hours of creative work by folks behind the scenes. Read More
Portland’s never-ending dance with Google around Google Fiber continues with no end—positive or negative—in sight. But that’s not stopping Google from applying needed resources to the Portland community. Like their Google Fiber Digital Inclusion Fellowship. Read More
We’ve all been there. You keep hearing about this new restaurant that is supposedly the new hotness. Or, worse yet, an old restaurant that is suddenly in vogue again. And full of fear of missing out and losing your hipster cred, you rush to the Web to check them out. And then crickets. Read More
The last time I wrote about Google Doodles, it was for ReadWrite. When Google launched the program. There just hasn’t been much cause to cover it from a Portland perspective. Until now. You see, a student from Forest Park Elementary School is in the running to be the next Google Doodle—and a hefty scholarship—thanks to the Doodle 4 Google program. Read More
Maybe you’ve heard about the Google for Entrepreneurs powered event Startup Grind. Maybe you’ve heard about our over 80 chapters in more than 25 different countries. Maybe you’ve heard about our ability to consistently bring in legendary speakers from communities around the world. Or maybe you’ve just heard about our laid-back but rewarding atmosphere and are eager to learn more. Read More
I know, I know. Four years ago, in breathless anticipation, we waited for Google to reveal the city they had selected to be part of their fledgling Google Fiber program. We had wooed them. We had brewed a namesake beer—Gigabit IPA. Surely Portland would be the leading contender for the service. Read More