Portland, Oregon, startup news - Silicon Florist

Three VC funding rounds announced this week and whole bunch of Portland startup events to cover from AI in Bend to incubators in Vancouver Washington and everything in between. Let's get into it.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Travel Oregon ads - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doVV1a7XgyQ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIC-XmyEfhI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi4fGPPPmGA- Speaker Skills https://speakerskillsacademy.com/creative-lab- AI in the West https://aiwestconf.com/- Portland Startup Week 2025 https://lu.ma/pdxstartupweek- Dayo launch party https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dayo-launch-party-90s-dance-jam-tickets-1295003964719- Beeminder https://www.beeminder.com/PORTLAND STARTUP NEWS00:00 Portland startup news intro01:16 Thanks so much for the comments!01:43 Hydrolix raises $80 million04:45 OpenAI imagery reminded me of Travel Oregon ads from  @wiedenkennedy  06:10 Sturdy.ai raises $6 million08:40 Prophetic raises Seed round10:39 TEDxPortland adjacent speaker coaching workshop14:08 AI in the West 16:00 Portland Startup Week20:15 Portland startup community gathering25:45 Vancouver Washington Startup IncubatorFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- 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… why does $300M in funding for Mercury matter to Portland, an event fail and recovery, a whole new Portland startup pitch event with a twist, and more events and startup news. Let's get into it…PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Mercury raises $300M https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-nasdaq-sp500-03-26-2025/card/exclusive-fintech-banking-startup-mercury-raises-300-million-at-a-3-5-billion-valuation-vXq9qru1qLFSwNB1yyMw- Portland startup community gathering April 8 https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305535888/- A rant on pitch competitions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9AwxrAYZhc&t=1270s- I Hope You Get Rich https://www.asianamericantown.com/pitch-competition- Portland Digital Corps https://calagator.org/events/1250481853- Startup Open Coffee in the Couve https://calagator.org/events/1250481428- Rose City Techies Book Exchange https://calagator.org/events/1250481784- Startup Cafe @ The Hub https://calagator.org/events/1250481824- Face Plant https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/news/2025/03/21/face-plant-vegan-fast-food-lands-on-swan-island.html- Chatham House Rule https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/chatham-house-rule- Four takeaways from a startup gathering https://siliconflorist.com/2025/03/26/four-takeaways-from-an-honest-and-open-startup-community-gathering/PORTLAND OREGON STARTUP NEWS00:00 Portland startup news intro01:50 Mercury raises $300M - and has a Portland footprint04:35 Join us April 8 for a Portland startup community gathering06:55 Secret behind the scenes info11:00 Already planning the July event, codenamed "Cookout"12:25 Reflecting on my rant about pitch competitions14:30 I Hope You Get Rich pitch event16:33 Upcoming events next week19:28 Face Plant takes on McDonald's23:50 Takeaways from an intimate startup gatheringFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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 #entrepreneurTRS-80 photo credit https://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/2444864984Lloyd Center Mall credit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snSiCRR1vXo

This week in Portland startup news, Ampere eyes a big exit, GeekWire considers an award for Jama's big exit, and the shuttering of 18F creates a positive tech movement in Portland. Let's get into it…PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Ampere acquired by SoftBank https://amperecomputing.com/press/softbank-group-to-acquire-ampere-computing- Vote for Portland's Jama in the GeekWire Awards https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2025AwardsVoting- TiE Oregon Westside Pitch https://www.tieoregon.org/pitch-oregon/westside-pitch- 18F https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18F- Portland Digital Corps https://digitalcorpspdx.org/- Vancouver Washington startup incubator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5R4PY7lRWU- Goodbye Genie, Hello Rides https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-built-ai-companion-kids-entertained-thousands-every-monsef-8kg1c/PORTLAND OREGON STARTUP NEWS00:00 Portland Oregon startup news00:15 Build Week with Vanport Studio and Instrument01:45 Ampere Computing acquired for $6.5 billion05:50 Jama exit up for GeekWire Awards09:45 TiE Oregon Westside Pitch12:15 18F shuttering creates Portland win18:20 A startup incubator in Vancouver Washington19:50 Darius Monsef launches new startupFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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 Pi Day! This week in Portland startup news, I might have gone on a rant about pitch competitions. But I also cover Oregon Venture Fund's AI demo night, Disputed raising money, our Women's History Month event, and more. Let's get into it…PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Women's History Month event https://youtu.be/u36R4987hLo- April 8 Portland startup gathering https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305535888/- Disputed.ai raises $1.1M https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/fundings/2025/03/13/seatgeek-alums-ai-startup-chargebacks.html- Pitch Black podcast with Ian Williams https://www.pitchblack.org/podcast/ian-williamsPORTLAND STARTUP NEWS00:00 Happy Pi Day!01:30 Women's History Month event10:55 Portland startup gathering April 817:55 Disputed.ai lands funding 20:50 Oregon Venture Fund PDX AI Demo Night21:10 A rant on pitch competitions28:20 Pitch Black podcast with Ian Williams31:15 Working on a new interview seriesFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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

Built Oregon is new. (And I may be all up in my feels about it 🥹) Pitch Black is new. A new event is new. New stuff is new. New new new. That's kind of the thing in Portland startup news — or "new is" — this week. Let's get into it…PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Roundup of Built Oregon news https://mailchi.mp/builtoregon/new-executive-director- Pitch Black https://pitchblack.org- Startup founders: Where are they now? https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/306123862/- BOI reporting https://fincen.gov/boi- I could use your feedback https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3kn9tUJ4uPnLfsudMlX4w/community?lb=UgkxGKEHr-e7NjcvTlcvhQXrt0QNljweq0_FPORTLAND STARTUP NEWS00:00 A history of Built Oregon07:30 And the new Built Oregon executive director is…13:08 Pitch Black has a whole bunch of new stuff18:30 Fireside chats with women startup founders23:04 BOI reporting is due… but there are no penalties26:05 Built Oregon redux: My personal perspective as a startup founder29:22 I could use your feedbackFIND ME ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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

The big focus this week was Pitch Black Food, an event that sold out in less than a workday and created a new paradigm — Can I say "paradigm" on here? — for Portland culinary events. But there's a bunch of other news, as well. From  @OregonUASAccelerator  companies to a new  @Expensify  offering, there's plenty of other stuff to cover. Let's get into it…PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Black History Month 2025 recap https://siliconflorist.com/2025/02/28/black-history-month-2025-recap-28-amazing-black-led-consumer-product-companies/- BHM Startup Founders: Where are they now…? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOS9vfvPblc- WHM Startup Founders: Where are they now…? https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/306123862/- Oregon UAS Accelerator new cohort https://siliconflorist.com/2025/02/25/oregon-uas-accelerator-announces-next-cohort-of-startups/- $100K Oregon UAS Competition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjsvcKlMFFo- Startup Cafe @ The Hub https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-cafe-the-hub-tickets-1256030564229PORTLAND OREGON STARTUP NEWS00:00 Portland startup news intro01:20 Pitch Black Food03:30 More Pitch Black news next week04:30 Continuing the Black History Month tradition 08:25 Women's History Month: Where are they now…?10:48 Oregon UAS Accelerator cohort12:45 Startup Cafe @ The Hub14:22 Trivial knowledge for the week15:07 New feature for ExpensifyFIND ME ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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

$24M VC raised by two startups, $100k prize for a new Oregon UAS "counter drone" competition, Portland Business Journal coverage, a bunch of free events coming up, and more. PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Portland Business Journal: Where are they now…? https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/news/2025/02/20/pitch-black-where-are-they-now.html- March: Where are they now…? https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/306123862/- April community event https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305535888/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events-  @OregonUASAccelerator  $100k competition https://oregonuas.org/pages/proven-in-pendleton-cuas-challenge- Shotsy https://shotsyapp.com/- Beneficial Ownership Information https://fincen.gov/boi- Please vote https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3kn9tUJ4uPnLfsudMlX4w/community?lb=UgkxEjhw3hKTzAT6eBuz_ES133uHWAyKVAxwPORTLAND STARTUP NEWS00:00 Portland startup news intro00:26 Portland Business Journal covers startup founders2:04 Upcoming events4:50 Oregon UAS counter drone challenge 9:45 Perceived boundaries in Portland cultural12:00 Intel spin out raises capital14:00 Shotsy raises capital18:35 Beneficial Ownership Information is due March 21, 202521:12 I could use your inputFIND ME ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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, the theme — as always — is founders. The new OEN hire is a founder, sold out events with founders, and founders with blogs. Plus a whole bunch of other trivial facts about Oregon from its birthday to lesser known products created in the state.Hat courtesy of the new Portland Office of Small BusinessPORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Oregon startup founders: Where are they now…? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOS9vfvPblc- Instrument https://instrument.com- March 11 Women startup founders: Where are they now…? https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/306123862/- (Livestream) Women startup founders: Where are they now…? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVpgzXGpKGI- April 8 Portland startup gathering https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305535888/- Ducan Miller of Rose City Robotics on bootstrapping vs VC https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vc-dilemma-why-bootstrapping-works-founders-investors-duncan-miller-jwipc/- Mike Ulin of Paxton on building a startup in Oregon https://pioneeringthoughts.substack.com/p/why-you-should-start-your-company- CIty Cast Portland on Oregon brands https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka5KcYxY7voPORTLAND OREGON STARTUP NEWS00:00 Happy Birthday, Oregon00:56 New OEN hire is a former founder03:44 Oregon startup founders: Where are they now…?08:17 Women startup founders: Where are they now…?11:27 Next Portland startup community gathering13:13 My (Rick Turoczy) brief blogging history14:16 New blog posts from startup founders18:59 City Cast Portland highlights lesser known Oregon productsFIND ME ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT 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 is full of startup surprises. Another Portland startup acquired, the Hub hires a new navigator, WiseOx Mascots help assisted living folks, Mat Ellis chats with startup folks about what it takes to be a founder, and more.PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Graze in TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/31/custom-feed-builder-graze-is-building-a-business-on-bluesky-and-investors-are-paying-attention/- Feb 11 event https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305793571/- Apr 8 event https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305535888/- WiseOx Mascot Rosie https://wiseox.ai/mascot/65834cac4829430027d336b0- Chatting with PBJ https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/news/2025/02/04/portland-rick-turoczy-pie-silicon-florist.htmlPORTLAND STARTUP NEWS00:00 Intro00:40 Metro Region Innovation Hub hires a new navigator03:50 More on the February 11 event08:33 Portland startup acquired12:10 Insights from Mat Ellis15:00 WiseOx Mascots19:57 Chatting with the Portland Business JournalFIND ME ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://patreon.com/turoczyABOUT 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, a16z invests in a Portland startup, Techstars may be returning to Portland, OEN and the Metro Regional Innovation Hub gather entrepreneurial support organizations, and more. (But no DeepSeek.)