Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
While the term unicorn has lost a bit of its luster as of late, it’s still an impressive milestone for any company to achieve a $1 billion valuation, but especially for a northwest company to do so. That’s why it was interesting to see Portland Seed Fund portfolio company Auth0 announce its Series E raise, which officially gives it the unicorn moniker.
Lately, it seems there’s been an uptick in sizable funding rounds and private equity investments in the state. With 2018 being a record setting and landmark year, in that regard. But in order to get to those multimillion dollar rounds — or liquidity events — companies have to first get out of the gates. And if they’re seeking seed funding in Oregon, that doesn’t seem to be happening at a rate on par with other states. According to Crunchbase.
While raising capital is never easy, it’s a lot more difficult when you don’t have any local resources on which to lean. That’s what a couple of Eugene entrepreneurs are hoping to fix with the Coast to Crest Fund, a new $3 million seed fund focused on Lane County startups.
Ask any Portland founder what their biggest challenge is and I will bet you that—nine times out of ten—the response will be “talent.” But if you ask them what else—besides talent—is keeping them up at night, the answer will be the same answer it has been since, well, since startups. “Money.” And that’s why it’s nice to see the funding environment here in Oregon continuing to mature. Read More
It’s funny. These days, folks seem to look forward to holidays and breaks so that they can do more work. Focused work. Without interruption. And like it or not, I’ve got something awesome like that for your winter break task list. The Portland Seed Fund has successfully closed their second fund. And as such, they’ve opened applications for their next class. Read More
Portland just got a little cloudier. Orchestrate—a startup that has a new take on how to distribute resources for cloud computing—has landed a $3 million seed round, led by True Ventures. Read More
It’s that time of year. The sun is out. Birds are singing. Blues musicians are playing on the waterfront. And you? You don’t get to see any of that. Because you have to finish your Portland Seed Fund application, procrastinator pants. Read More
After you’re through shooting off fireworks, we’ve got an opportunity for you to shoot off your entrepreneurial mouth. Portland Seed Fund is hosting a Pitch Happy Hour as the deadline for their applications approaches. Read More
Well well well. It’s time for the next Portland Seed Fund (PSF) Demo Day. And if you’re familiar with Demo Days, they sort of tend to be secretive affairs. With few attendees. But lots of accredited investors. And not much of an opportunity for the larger community to engage. Read More