In case you haven’t been tracking, former Simple cofounder Shamir Karkal has been quietly building another fintech startup here in Portland. But after today, it might not be “quietly” much longer. You see, that company, Sila, just raised $13 million.
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Guest post: The Portland startup community is failing. Good.
Editor: Darius Monsef is a serial founder who has wrestled with the challenges of the Portland startup community, off and on, for nearing two decades. His first company, COLOURlovers, went through Y Combinator and merged with Creative Market before being acquired by Autodesk. He cofounded Sightbox which went on to be acquired by Johnson & Johnson. His latest pursuit is Brave Care, another Y Combinator alum that is rethinking the delivery of pediatric care.
Read MoreLoss (of a) leader: Startup community builder Joe Maruschak is leaving Eugene and Oregon
For some folks, this may come as a shock. For many of us in similar roles, we’re like “Yep. It was only a matter of time.” Joe Maruschak, who has been instrumental in mentoring, advising, and investing in startups in the Eugene, Oregon, and Lane County region, is leaving because the role he’s been serving is not effectively supported from a financial standpoint.
Read MoreIt’s never too early to get students started with startups
Through programs like Invent Oregon, we’ve seen the power and innovation of college age entrepreneurs. But what about folks who start solving problems in high school? Well, that’s why there’s the TIE Young Entrepreneurs Start Your Startup summer camp.
Read MoreWhat is the one thing holding your startup back…?
Being a founder is hard. Really hard. And there are any number of impediments and obstacles to overcome. But for every single startup founder out there, there is one single thing that is top of mind. That one thing that is keeping them up at night. What’s your single most perplexing or paralyzing issue at the moment?
Read MoreNeed more startup pitches? Invent Oregon Finals 2021 are June 25, 2021
While startup pitch competitions differ slightly from demo days, they still have a lot of the same vibe. Cool concepts, compelling founders, creative solutions. And when it comes to an event like Invent Oregon, there’s one other compelling facet: these Oregon college students will make you question what you were doing at their age — or at your current age, for that matter.
Read MoreNeed more than a DM? Subfund adds full length newsletters to its offering
Portland startup Subfund is helping creators manage direct messages, allowing them to efficiently send DMs to folks in their communities who opt in to receive those messages. But sometimes, those creators have a little more to say than a DM. And that’s why Subfund has expanded their offering to allow for full length newsletters, as well.
Read MorePortland startup Gabbi raises $1 million for AI that assists with early cancer risks
We’re seeing more and more startups leveraging the assumed potential of Artificial Intelligence for truly practical — and potentially life saving — applications. Which is very much inline with Portland startup Gabbi, a startup that uses a unique combination of assessments and AI to help with the early detection of potential health issues.
Read MoreLooking to connect with the Portland startup community?
For all the difficulties of the pandemic, finding ways to connect with other humans — especially if you’ve recently relocated — has been among the most difficult. What’s more, for folks who are juggling jobs, family, and other areas of responsibility, evening networking events can be all but inaccessible — whether it’s a pandemic or not. That’s why I’ve been actively working to reboot Portland Lunch 2.0, a simple community networking event that occurs during the lunch hour.
Read MoreREMINDER: Portland Lunch 2.0 is Tuesday, May 25
Portland was always a little light on the general networking events. And the pandemic only made that more pronounced. Which is why I’m hoping that a little resurgence of Portland Lunch 2.0 — the long running lunchtime networking event for the Portland startup community — can help make connections as we work toward recovery. And the next one is happening tomorrow, Tuesday, May 25, 2021.
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