Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
In case you haven’t noticed, Portland has more than its fair share of interesting regional offices — often established through acquisition. There are the obvious ones. Like AWS (via Elemental). And ebay (via Critical Path). And Akamai (via Janrain).
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.
One of the challenges with the Portland startup community has always been achieving exits that generate capital and connections that can be reinvested into the next generation of companies in our community. So it’s always nice to see an exit. But it’s even nicer when that exit is a company founded by a Portland native who is interested in giving back to the community. That’s why I’m happy to announce that Portland startup Vault has been acquired by Acorns.
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.
Last week, I shared a post written by a Portland founder, recounting his experience while working to raise early stage capital, here in Portland. The post immediately sparked a conversation among Portland founders. And soon, Portland investors joined the conversation, as well. Read More
As Randy Fernando of Vault closed, “Let’s start a conversation.” No doubt, this is going to be a topic of conversation for weeks to come. From my vantage, it’s not an isolated story. And Randy’s post serves as an eloquent recounting of a personal experience—one that reflects numerous other fundraising stories circulating around Portland for early stage startups—and a plea for all of us to work to change it. Read More