Portland, Oregon, startup news - Silicon Florist

This week, Nvidia invests in Intel, Intel alums garner investment, Ciara Pressler raises an important question about Oregon economic development and startup support, Tender Loving Empire launches a WeFunder, a new contact for Oregon Venture Fund, and more.OREGON STARTUP LINKSOregon needs an audit of orgs that help companies scale https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ciarapressler_oregon-needs-an-honest-audit-of-its-ability-activity-7374195213952741376-rfPzTender Loving Empire WeFunder https://wefunder.com/tenderlovingempire/Vooks https://www.youtube.com/@VooksStorybooksTechstars on startup community vs entrepreneurial ecosystems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYX8B0d-44oOvercommitted podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhB9LGLUpCk&t=454sVibes DIY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbwqffzC-nYOREGON STARTUP STORIES00:00 Oregon startup intro00:20 Nvidia invests in Intel02:00 Intel alums starting startups06:00 Ciara Pressler asks for receipts11:30 Tender Loving Empire launches WeFunder14:03 Deepthi Madhava is the new OVF contact16:30 Vooks reaches 1M subscribers19:45 Good YouTube content I found this week28:50 Secrets…

This week, a familiar Oregon Venture Fund face bids us farewell, Next Ventures closes a $60M fund, Bend Venture Conference reveals more startup semifinalists, and the Launch Oregon Summit gathers folks from around Oregon.OREGON STARTUP LINKS- Techmeme https://techmeme.com- Scott Hanselman and Tyler Bushnell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmCBpDw06wo- 4K4Community fun run https://www.4k4community.com/- Pre https://www.buildwithpre.com/- Curser https://curser.bubs.co/- Portland hell avatar https://rhythmic-mercury-8426.vibesdiy.app/- Hieronymus Bosch avatar https://bright-bridge-3457.vibesdiy.app/OREGON STARTUP STORIES00:00 Oregon startup news intro03:55 Jon Maroney moves on from Oregon Venture Fund07:00 Three pitch events in one day09:40 BVC early stage semifinalists15:13 Next Ventures closes $60M fund18:45 Launch Oregon Summit in Eugene21:04 Curser23:35 SecretsFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur

This week, Bend Venture Conference semifinalists have been announced, Built Oregon host Built Festival, get your SXSW Pitch applications submitted, and more.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- FashioNXT https://fashionxt.com/- Minimus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooz0l8LIQC0- Submit your profile https://sflo.me/oregonstartupfolks- Bend Venture Conference https://bendvc.com- Built Festival 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/built-festival-2025-tickets-1607373811339- SXSW Pitch https://sxsw.com/pitchPORTLAND STARTUP STORIES00:00 Portland startup stories intro01:20 Meet Shannon Smith, founder of Yak 03:30 Bend Venture Conference semifinalists09:08 Built Festival 202511:45 University of Oregon startup event12:36 SXSW Pitch16:12 Secrets FIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur

This week, coworking is having a Portland moment, Twistlock alums are building Minimus, TiE Women Global has a Portland participant, PIG Squad has a Portland Retro Gaming Expo opportunity. Oh. And did I mention it’s episode 100…? Let’s get into it.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Meet more folks https://sflo.me/oregonstartupfolks- PBJ on coworking https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2025/08/25/portland-coworking-market-second-quarter.html- FashioNXT https://fashionxt.com/- Kinship https://kinshippdx.com- It’s just a feeling https://itsjustafeeling.com/- Howl at the Spoon https://howlatthespoon.com/ - Yak https://yaktech.io/- Yuzi Care https://www.yuzicare.com/- Minimus https://www.minimus.io/- PIG Squad https://pigsquad.com/- Portland Retro Gaming Expo https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ - Dave Hersh https://www.davehersh.com/PORTLAND STARTUP STORIES00:00 Portland startup news intro00:20 Intel drama02:50 Meet Julie Scotland of Gravi AI03:50 Coworking renaissance in Portland07:41 Kinship coworking for the fashion industry10:45 It’s just a feeling third place14:50 TiE Women regional pitch competition19:00 Previous generation of Portland startups20:00 The quiet generation of Portland startups with aggressive humility20:57 Twistlock alums start Minimus23:42 Portland Indie Game Squad24:55 Portland Retro Gaming Expo30:27 Secrets37:20 This is episode 100FIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur #coworking

A new Vancouver Washington startup incubator, top VCs in the region, Angel Oregon winners, Pitch Black Showcase 2025 winners, and more startup news.OREGON STARTUP NEWS LINKS- Pitch Black https://pitchblack.org- Vancouver Innovation Center https://thevicwa.com/- PBJ on the VanWa incubator https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/news/2025/08/20/north-bank-innovations-vancouver-center.html- Founder First Fund https://youtu.be/iDSqNRsGwr0- Time best American VCs https://time.com/7309945/top-venture-capital-firms-usa-2025/OREGON STARTUP STORIES00:00 Oregon startup news into00:30 Pitch Black Showcase 2025 winners04:23 North Bank Innovations + Vancouver Innovation Center08:22  @OregonEntrepreneursNetwork  Angel Oregon Tech 2025 winners13:00  @oregonventurefund4684  and Portland Seed Fund recognized by  @TIME  14:50 SecretsFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur #vancouver

Get help with Y Combinator from a 3x alum, learn about the newest VC in Oregon, and hear how Oregon regional innovation hubs fare from state funding. Plus I go off on a rant of sorts 😂OREGON STARTUP LINKS- Paige Hendrix Buckner on the TechCrunch podcast https://megaphone.link/TCML8876599258- Oregon startup folks https://sflo.me/oregonstartupfolks- Portland Startup Events https://lu.ma/PortlandStartupEvents - Oregon innovation hubs https://siliconflorist.com/2025/08/12/business-oregon-continues-innovation-hub-investments-to-the-tune-of-3-8m/ - Founder First Fund https://siliconflorist.com/2025/08/13/founders-first-fund-sets-sights-on-bend-venture-conference-continues-to-build-out-team/ - Show up for small business https://www.eventbrite.com/e/show-up-for-small-business-tickets-1553440756119 - Pitch Black https://www.pitchblack.org/ - Coffee + Croissants + Content Clarity https://events.cnxct.online/public/cnxct/coffee-croissants-content-clarity - Steve “Pre” Prefontaine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Prefontaine - 3x YC alum’s Pre Y Combinator Accelerator https://pre.bubs.co/ OREGON STARTUP STORIES00:00 Oregon startup news intro00:30 Quick startup news stories03:00 Meet Dominic Kuklawood04:15 Oregon regional innovation hub funding09:49 Founder First Fund adds people13:45 Pre-Accelerator for Y Combinator18:24 Interesting upcoming startup events22:00 Secrets… and a rantFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur

This week in Portland startup news, a PDX startup returns to the limelight, deadlines for both Bend Venture Conference and SXSW, some new startups, and Silicon Florist is old enough to vote. Let's get into it.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- AI News https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7177357348489900032/- Oregon startup folks https://sflo.me/oregonstartupfolks- Tellagence https://www.tellagence.ai/- PBJ on Tellagence https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2025/08/06/tellagence-ai-context-youtube.html- BVC applications https://bendvc.com/apply- SXSW Pitch applications https://www.sxsw.com/pitch/- RallyCrew http://rallycrew.com/PORTLAND STARTUP STORIES00:00 Portland startup news intro00:20 OpenAI releases GPT 501:05 Meet Quang Truong of UrbanForm02:49 Tellagence re-emerges  ⁨@TellagenceInc⁩  05:43 Upcoming startup pitch applications at  ⁨@BendVC⁩  and  ⁨@SXSW⁩  09:30 RallyCrew10:45 Secrets12:35 Silicon Florist is 18 years oldFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur

Happy August, Portland startup folks — and others! This week, we talk about Accenture investing in a Portland startup, we meet another person from the Oregon startup community. your apps get a Limo, your sales could be hanging by a Thread, a bunch of events, and of course closing it out with some secrets… just between you and me. Let’s get into it.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKSAdd your profile https://sflo.me/oregonstartups-add PDX Code & Coffee https://www.meetup.com/portland-code-coffee/Limo https://limo.dev Thread https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mdsOkIdJ40 Nascent Startups https://lu.ma/g2qkstaa and https://lu.ma/mfqzpd4v Startup Couve Coffee https://lu.ma/NorthBankInnoOBI Accelerate Biotech Happy Hour https://www.otradi.org/event/accelerate-biotech-happy-hour-3/NedSpace news https://youtu.be/Az_Nc1kw1xMCode TV https://codetv.dev PORTLAND STARTUP STORIES00:00 Portland startup news intro00:58 Meet Brittany Ellich01:48 YearOne lands investment from Accenture05:53 Limo helps with DevOps08:39 Thread helps with sales 10:00 Upcoming events16:30 Secrets 

Next, on a very positive Portland, Oregon, episode of the weekly startup news, we discuss the longest running coworking space in Portland’s new home, an excuse to play tourist in Portland for Portlanders, an opportunity to show up for Portland small businesses, a positive Portland focused Bluesky feed, and more.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKSDowntown sees record sales https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8IMTxE4SPAPortland Staycation https://www.portlandstaycation.com/Show up for small business https://www.eventbrite.com/e/show-up-for-small-business-tickets-1458862750759Kate’s conversation with Landon the sign painter https://katebingamanburt.substack.com/p/yes-i-texted-the-number-on-the-signCabel Sasser https://cabel.com/Positive Portland feed on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social/feed/positively-pdxAktiv https://getaktiv.org/Oregon Startup Folks https://sflo.me/oregonstartupfolksPORTLAND STARTUP STORIES00:00 Portland startup news intro01:42 NedSpace has new space05:07 Portland Staycation07:57 Show up for small business09:32 Kate Bingaman-Burt12:14 Positive Portland Bluesky feed15:00 Aktiv 19:05 Meet Bobby Napiltonia 20:23 Secrets

This week in Portland startup news, a startup from Nike alums, big startup pitch events, Artificial Intelligence vs Human Intelligence, and an introduction to another member of the Oregon startup community — a technical founder who is looking for a cofounder. Let’s get into it.PORTLAND STARTUP COMMUNITY LINKS- How to connect with the Portland startup community https://siliconflorist.com/2025/07/08/how-to-connect-with-the-startup-community/- OEN Angel Oregon Tech 2025 https://oen.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/oen/event.jsp?event=170- TiE Women regional 2025 https://events.tie.org/Oregon/TiEWomenPitchCompetition2025PORTLAND STARTUP COMMUNITY STORIES00:00 Portland startup news intro01:57 Nike alums fiveonefour raises $10.8M03:07 Meet Justin Su from the Oregon startup community05:08 OEN Angel Oregon Tech 202506:01 TiE Oregon Women regional08:11 Demolicious July 202509:49 Human Intelligence Institute11:25 Livmor12:05 Portland Digital Corps winds down14:36 SecretsFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur