Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
It was only a matter of time. Like cable and wifi access before, the utility of Amazon Alexa and other voice activated products are becoming, well, a utility. And that utility is now on the verge of getting baked into the next apartment you rent.
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Speaking of new venture capital funds in Portland… Granted everything is pretty grim right now. And energy is hard to come by. Let alone optimism. So when there is a glimmer of something hopeful in the Portland startup community, that seems like something to celebrate. Like Portland’s Black Founders Matter fund making its first investment. In a Black founded Portland startup. And then that news making it into TechCrunch.
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Remember a few weeks back when I mentioned that TechCrunch was compiling a list of venture capitalists that regularly wrote the first checks and led rounds for folks? Well, even if you don’t, the list is now available. It’s called The TechCrunch List. And it features nearly 400 investors, currently.
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“No one wants to be the first one in the pool” is a truism regularly bandied about the venture funded startup circles. That’s because — for companies that choose that equity based financing route — landing that first check can be the most critical component of fundraising. But which venture capital firm or Angel is truly the most likely to be that “first money in” for your company? That’s what TechCrunch is seeking to answer with The TechCrunch List.
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It’s not like you’re actively trying to procrastinate. It’s just that you’re a founder. And you’ve got a million things to do. And a bunch of fires burning. So I’m not asking you to do anything at the moment. But I did want to remind you of four rapidly approaching deadlines for programs that could be beneficial for your startup.
You’ve heard me talk about the growing prevalence of regional offices as a compelling and growing part of the Portland startup community. To date, many of these offices — which often rival or fully eclipse (Intel) full fledged Portland companies in size — have played the role of employers, event hosts, and sponsors for the community, as a whole. And that’s a trend that I hope to see continue.
Over the years, any number of Portland startups have taken the stage for TechCrunch Disrupts. CPUsage, Glider, and Vault, among others. (And oddly enough, two of those three got acquired.) So when TechCrunch comes knocking, looking for more Oregon startups, I’m always happy to help spread the word.
Unless you’ve been around the Portland startup community for a while, you may not remember Meridian. Even if you have been around a while, the name might not immediately ring a bell. But it should. Because from my perspective, it was one of the more successful startup exits in Portland. Not in total value, but definitely in multiples returned to investors and the speed at which that investment was returned.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: Get your product into your customers’ hands as soon as possible. Sometimes, those users help define product. Sometimes, they reveal significant flaws. And sometimes, they help you realize the product that customers actually want to use.
I always love when people launch new blogs. I really love it when they launch new tech blogs. And I especially love it when they launch tech blogs taking on a big topic. So I was really happy to hear that Portland’s Alex Williams—who has had stints as a writer at both ReadWrite and TechCrunch—has launched a new blog focused how technology is changing business. It’s called The New Stack. Read More