Portland, Oregon, startup news - Silicon Florist

Rick Turoczy
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Interested in Portland, Oregon, startup news…? Silicon Florist has been a leading source for news on early-stage startups in the Rose City since 2007. Now, I'm offering a quick recap of the stories from the week to ensure that you're always in the loop on what's happening in the Portland startup community.

  1. 3d ago

    Week ending Oct 2, 2026 – Oregon startup news

    Who knew AI would be the thing that reboots the Silicon Forest? This week: a16z says capital is rotating back to hardware, Portland lands at 53 out of 1,000, and I ran a diff between a governor's debate and my earlier coverage and came up with — not much. Plus, I'm giving away copies of Anika Horn's *It Takes a Valley* to premiere watchers and paid Patreon supporters — and if you stick around for the secrets, it's our third anniversary, and I'm cranky. LINKS: Struggling to choose between Pitch Latino Portland and What VCs Won't Say…? Now you can do both — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/29/struggling-to-choose-between-pitch-latino-portland-and-what-vcs-wont-say-now-you-can-do-both/ Pitch Latino Portland — https://www.portland5.com/event/pitch-latino Investor Ready Workshop with Clarence Bethea — https://luma.com/workshopor Bend Venture Conference finalizes Early Stage slate for 2026 — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/28/bend-venture-conference-finalizes-early-stage-slate-for-2026/ High Desert Innovation Week returns to Bend, October 13–16, 2026 — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/01/high-desert-innovation-week-returns-to-bend-october-13-16-2026/ High Desert Innovation Week — https://www.hdinnovationweek.com/ Bend Venture Conference — https://bendvc.com/ Portland's Prelude Early Learning secures $2M NIH SBIR grant — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/29/portlands-prelude-early-learning-secures-2m-nih-sbir-grant/ Prelude Early Learning — https://preludeearlylearning.com/ My recap of the latest Oregon gubernatorial debate from a startup perspective — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/02/my-recap-of-the-latest-oregon-gubernatorial-debate-from-a-startup-perspective/ Watch the debate — https://www.youtube.com/live/WNCfGur9iwk Could the AI era mean a reboot of more traditional Silicon Forest activity…? — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/01/could-the-ai-era-mean-a-reboot-of-more-traditional-silicon-forest-activity/ a16z State of Markets II — https://a16z.com/state-of-markets-ii/ Subsea geothermal startup Endurance Energy drills off the Oregon coast — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/01/subsea-geothermal-startup-endurance-energy-drills-off-the-oregon-coast/ Endurance Energy — https://www.enduranceenergy.com/ Oregon Entrepreneurs Network secures ~$172K grant. Well, that was FAST. — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/01/oregon-entrepreneurs-network-secures-172k-grant-well-that-was-fast/ Oregon Entrepreneurs Network — https://www.oen.org/2026/09/28/oregon-entrepreneurs-network-receives-sba-fast-grant-to-expand-support-for-oregon-innovators/ Portland ranks 53rd in the 2026 rankings of top global cities — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/01/portland-ranks-53rd-in-the-2026-rankings-of-top-global-cities-but-unfortunately-thats-three-spots-shy-of-garnering-a-dedicated-report/ Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026 — https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/global-cities-index/ City Observatory — https://cityobservatory.org/what-global-rankings-say-about-successful-cities-and-portlands-performance/ Interested in building more resilient startup ecosystems…? It Takes a Valley — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/10/01/interested-in-building-more-resilient-startup-ecosystems-it-takes-a-valley/ It Takes a Valley — https://bookshop.org/a/128693/9798995796312 Friday night watch party — https://luma.com/nlez8wxy Matt Schulte for Portland City Council — https://mattschulte.org

  2. Sep 26

    Week ending Sep 25, 2026 – Oregon startup news

    Leading the week: Phil and Penny Knight's $1B gift to build a new Knight College of Engineering at the University of Oregon — which, fun fact, walks straight into the territory the state system carved out for Oregon State a century ago, so consider this the moment that rivalry got a very expensive new chapter (with Jensen Huang's OSU gifts as the friendly counterweight). Then Rapta closed an $8M round for its manufacturing intelligence platform, and what caught my eye wasn't the number — it was the all-local cap table: Voyager Capital, Elevate Capital, Portland Seed Fund, and Bend Venture Conference, with Diane Fraiman and Kirk Holland taking board seats. I also did a two-part startup-lens read on the Oregon governor's race — comparing Kotek's and Drazan's actual plans, then sitting through the PBJ/OBI forum where neither candidate said the word "startup" once — and landed on a closing thought that's stuck with me: OBI has a room, we don't. Plus Built Festival felt like a genuine family reunion (save the date — 10th anniversary is October 1, 2027), Selena Deckelmann made TIME's Executives of the Year list, and there's now a Calagator-style map for Portland's pop-up food scene, courtesy of a Canard bar manager who got $40K dev-shop quotes and had a regular build it for free instead. LINKS: Selena Deckelmann recognized among 2026 TIME Executives of the Year — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/22/selena-deckelmann-recognized-among-2026-time-executives-of-the-year-tech-and-data/ TIME Executives of the Year: Tech and Data — https://time.com/collection/executives-of-the-year-tech-data/2026/selena-deckelmann/ Looking for Portland pop-ups and food events? Try The List PDX — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/24/looking-for-portland-pop-ups-and-food-events-try-the-list-pdx/ The List PDX — https://thelistpdx.com/ Apply to the Oregon Growth Board — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/22/if-youve-ever-been-interested-in-impacting-how-capital-flows-in-oregon-you-may-want-to-apply-to-the-oregon-growth-board/ Oregon Growth Board — https://www.oregon.gov/biz/aboutus/boards/ogb/pages/default.aspx Uncle Phil has entered the engineering chat — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/23/uncle-phil-has-entered-the-engineering-chat/ Phil and Penny Knight give $1 billion to launch a UO engineering school — https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2026/09/phil-and-penny-knight-give-1-billion-to-launch-university-of-oregon-engineering-school.html People seem pretty excited about the $1B donation to the UO Knight Campus — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/24/people-seem-pretty-excited-about-the-1b-donation-to-the-university-of-oregon-knight-campus/ While Rapta's $8M raise is newsworthy, it's who's on the cap table that struck me — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/21/while-raptas-8m-raise-is-newsworthy-its-whos-on-the-cap-table-that-struck-me/ Rapta — https://rapta.com/ Comparing the Oregon gubernatorial candidates' published plans — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/22/comparing-the-oregon-gubernatorial-candidates-published-plans-from-a-startup-perspective/ Kotek's "Building Oregon's Future Together" — https://www.tinafororegon.com/oregons-future/ Drazan's six-part plan — https://www.christinefororegon.com/drazan-plan/ Gubernatorial candidates sit down to discuss one another's plans for Oregon — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/24/gubernatorial-candidates-sit-down-to-discuss-one-anothers-plans-for-oregon/ Built Oregon — https://www.builtoregon.com/

  3. Sep 19

    Week ending Sep 18, 2026 – Oregon startup news

    Portland startups have a long, storied history of engineers building tools for other engineers—from Tektronix oscilloscopes to Puppet. This week, we look at how that open-source builder tradition is roaring back with a fresh $2M round for AI agent infrastructure, alongside major hardware and clean energy headlines across the state. In this episode, we cover Agility Robotics unveiling their new Digit 5 humanoid robot, PIE alum James McDermott raising $2M for AntFly (led by HeavyBit), Mazama Energy raising $135M to tap Oregon geothermal power for AI data centers, Bend Venture Conference early-stage semifinalists, the 10 Latine founders pitching at Pitch Latino Portland, and a very candid Secrets segment. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 00:46 - Agility Robotics unveils Digit 5 (Humanoid redesign & 20-hr battery) 02:08 - Bend Venture Conference (BVC) early-stage semifinalists 03:15 - Fresh Hop Finder map for craft beer season 03:57 - Built Festival reminder (Sept 25 at The Redd) 04:36 - AntFly raises $2M: Open-source AI retrieval engine backed by HeavyBit 08:08 - Mazama Energy raises $135M: Tapping Oregon geothermal for AI data centers 11:09 - Pitch Latino Portland: 10 Latine founders at the Newmark Theatre (Oct 8) 13:42 - Secrets LINKS AntFly: https://antfly.io Pitch Latino Portland https://www.portland5.com/event/pitch-latino Built Festival https://builtoregon.com FashioNXT https://fashionxt.com Fresh Hop Finder Map https://freshhopfinder.com/ It Takes a Valley by Anika Horn https://bookshop.org/p/books/it-takes-a-valley-how-to-build-thriving-entrepreneurial-ecosystems-that-transform-our-communities/83432271bcd8886b?ean=9798995796312&aid=128693&listref=startup-books FIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT… - https://patreon.com/turoczy - https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy - Portland Oregon startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699 - Portland Oregon startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ - Startup Stories on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1Tk7bbzaNYowGouI9ucKC3 - Startup Stories on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-stories-with-silicon-florist/id1849468494 - 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.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

  4. Sep 12

    Week ending Sep 11, 2026 – Portland startup news

    Talking to venture capitalists often feels like that scene in The Notebook—"What do you want?!" This week, we preview a rare, candid workshop coming to Portland with Clarence Bethea designed to decode "VC speak" and share the quiet parts out loud. We also break down new local tech developments: YC alum Ravoy raising $27M and building out a Portland engineering presence, Experatas launching AI-driven digital health malpractice tools, the Portland Office of Small Business releasing its first data-driven impact report, and the full speaker lineup for the 2025 Built Festival. PORTLAND STARTUP NEWS CHAPTERS 00:00 - Why talking to VCs feels like "The Notebook" 01:20 - Experatas: AI-enabled digital health for malpractice reviews 02:56 - Portland Office of Small Business 1st Year Impact Report 06:24 - Startup Stories shoutout: Peter Kirwan & mebot ai 06:55 - What VCs Won't Say: Clarence Bethea workshop at Instrument (Oct 8) 11:15 - YC alum Revoy raises $27M & hires in Portland 14:14 - Built Festival 2025: Celebrating Oregon consumer products (Sept 25) 16:17 - Built Festival speaker & maker highlights (Steelport, TLE, and more) 19:23 - Secrets FIND 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.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

  5. Sep 5

    Week ending Sep 4 2026 – Oregon startup news

    Leading the week: Kelly Lyons steps into the Innovation Hub's empty chair right as PSU — the Hub's fiscal sponsor — lands $6M for innovation and commercialization, and Rick had the story out before the Hub itself put out a statement. From there, Josh Carter's UpStart Collective marks 4 years and a full floor of Big Pink, a decade after Portland first waved him off. The Bend Venture Conference narrows its Growth Stage field to 15 semifinalists — heavy on Oregon names like Caravel Bio and Looptworks, with a few out-of-state ringers along for the ride — ahead of its October main-stage finale. And if you're building anything, circle September 15: that's the deadline for the Oregon AI Accelerator's zero-equity cohort, the Oregon Innovation Showcase's deeptech call, and Founders Inc's hardware program, all landing the same week. Plus: August's top 10 posts, in case you missed Panthalassa's $2B moment or the news that Portland Startup Week isn't what it used to be. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Oregon startup news intro 02:15 - Oregon Innovation Showcase: Deep tech and hardware applications 03:18 - Oregon AI Accelerator: Cohort 2 applications (Due Sept 15) 04:25 - Founders Inc: Hard tech opportunities in the Bay Area 05:23 - Metro Region Innovation Hub: New Executive Director Kelly Lyons 09:18 - Bend Venture Conference: The 22-year angel investor legacy 11:55 - BVC Growth Stage Semi-Finalists: Tech Category 19:00 - Silicon Florist turns 19: The 20-year celebration preview 24:45 - Upstart Collective: Celebrating 4 years in Big Pink 30:20 - Secrets LINKS: Innovation Hub names new director — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/01/portland-metro-region-innovation-hub-names-new-director/ Portland Metro Region Innovation Hub — https://www.portlandmetrohub.org/ Oregon AI Accelerator wants you — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/02/building-with-ai-oregon-ai-accelerator-wants-you/ Oregon AI Accelerator — https://oregonaix.com/ Learn to stop worrying and embrace AI with Scott Hanselman — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/02/learn-to-stop-worrying-and-embrace-ai-with-scott-hanselman/ Steam Circuit — AI Without the Hype — https://www.steamcircuit.com/events/ai-builder-series-ai-without-the-hype-september-5-2026 Oregon Innovation Showcase 2027 call for founders — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/03/interest-in-showcasing-your-innovation-youre-in-luck-oregon-innovation-showcase-2027-is-looking-for-folks-to-feature/ Oregon Innovation Showcase — https://www.oregoninnovationshowcase.org/ Bend Venture Conference reveals Growth Stage semifinalists — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/04/bend-venture-conference-2026-reveals-growth-stage-semifinalists/ Bend Venture Conference — https://www.bendvc.com/ Hardware / deep tech accelerator — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/04/looking-for-a-startup-accelerator-for-your-hardware-or-deep-tech-startup/ Founders Inc Blueprint — https://f.inc/blueprint Top 10 Silicon Florist posts for August — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/09/01/top-10-silicon-florist-posts-for-august-2026/ FIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT… - https://patreon.com/turoczy - https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy - https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ - https://pdxslack.com 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

  6. Aug 29

    Week ending Aug 28, 2026 – Portland startup news

    A notable startup acquisition is reshaping the tech landscape. Learn how this deal affects operations following the merger. This video examines the recent move by a prominent startup that gained major attention during the iPad launch era to purchase a Portland-based company. We break down the core motivation behind this business strategy and what it signals for their future market positioning. If you follow corporate growth trends, this analysis provides clarity on why established companies are consolidating their assets now. By integrating new talent and infrastructure from the Portland team, the startup aims to streamline its internal operations. We look at the specific goals behind this tech industry news and how such shifts often indicate broader changes in how companies manage their product ecosystems. Understanding these moves helps observers track the trajectory of major players in the space. Subscribe for weekly startup analysis breakdowns and comment below on which company merger you want us to cover next. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Portland startup news 01:12 - Hatchable helps vibe coding 02:47 - Angel Oregon: OEN Applications Open 04:40 - Steam Circuit: Scott Hanselman Workshop 06:31 - Upstart Collective: 4th Birthday Celebration 07:46 - Flipboard Acquires Graze Social 13:50 - Digs Raises $25.3M Series A 15:46 - $6M Federal Grant for PSU Innovation 19:40 - Secrets FIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT… - https://patreon.com/turoczy - https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy - Portland Oregon startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699 - Portland Oregon startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ - Startup Stories on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1Tk7bbzaNYowGouI9ucKC3 - Startup Stories on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-stories-with-silicon-florist/id1849468494 - 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.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

  7. Aug 22

    Week ending Aug 21, 2026 - Oregon startup news

    The Ducks might be #2 in football, but the Beavers are #1 when it comes to startup accelerators. Meanwhile CBRE says Portland slipped to 34th for tech talent, and I spent part of the week sitting across from a consultancy from Ohio who told me, flat out, that we've been lucky, not good — and luck is not a strategy. Nothing sharpens the picture like an outsider holding up a mirror and making you actually look at it. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Oregon startup news 01:28 Quick news bytes 04:53 OSU on TIME's list of startup incubators and accelerators 06:43 Oregon UAS Accelerator 09:14 Yak wins OEN Angel Oregon Tech 11:30 CBRE Tech Talent report for 2026 13:44 Feedback on Oregon's Innovation Plan 24:42 Secrets LINKS: OSU Advantage Accelerator on TIME's list — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/18/time-ranks-osu-advantage-accelerator-among-best-startup-accelerators-in-the-us/ TIME America's Best Incubators and Accelerators 2026 — https://time.com/article/2026/08/18/americas-best-incubators-accelerators-2026/ Yak wins OEN Angel Oregon Tech — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/18/yak-walks-away-with-oen-angel-oregon-tech-win/ Yak — https://yaktech.io/ Oregon UAS Accelerator Fall 2026 cohort — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/20/oregon-uas-accelerator-welcomes-17-startups-to-its-fall-2026-cohort/ Oregon UAS Accelerator — https://oregonuas.org/ Portland slips in CBRE Scoring Tech Talent — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/21/portland-has-definitely-slipped-among-tech-communities-but-at-least-were-still-registering/ CBRE Scoring Tech Talent 2026 — https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/scoring-tech-talent-2026 What I told the Teconomy team — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/18/for-transparency-here-is-what-i-told-the-teconomy-team-assessing-oregons-10-year-innovation-plan/ Teconomy Partners — https://www.teconomypartners.com/ Darius Monsef on Life After Launch — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/18/former-portland-founder-darius-monsef-sits-down-with-life-after-launch/ Angel Medina on TODOS Media — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/19/chatting-with-angel-medina-about-todos-media/ Panthalassa cofounder explains their solution — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/17/curious-about-panthalassa-listen-to-the-cofounder-and-ceo-explain-their-solution/ Hasaan Hates Portland Kickstarter — https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mischawebley/hasaan-hates-portland FIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT… - https://patreon.com/turoczy - https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy 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

  8. Aug 15

    Week ending Aug 14, 2026 – Oregon startup news

    Twenty years ago Boeing bought Insitu, the drone company built up in the Columbia Gorge — and this week Boeing basically un-bought it, selling Insitu, along with Wisk and SkyGrid, to Archer, the flying-taxi startup people keep calling "Waymo for air taxis." Then Boeing turned around and invested in Archer anyway — which is either a very tidy circle or proof nobody's actually settled on what to call this stuff yet. "Physical AI" is the phrase everyone's reaching for. I'm not sure it's landed. From there: 38 Portland-metro companies made the Inc. 5000 this year, and if you squint at the top ten — Studson, Zeal Logistics, Daniel House Club, Omorpho, Portland Gear — almost none of them are software, which says something about what this region's actually good at building. Panic shipped Big Walk, a co-op multiplayer adventure landing on Steam, PS5, and Switch 2. Geoff Jensen made the case at Portland Startup Week — RIP — for solopreneuring in the age of AI. Plus a ViddyScribe founder conversation about AI audio descriptions for the blind, a founder-insight piece from Nicole Schmidt of Source (which came through PIE back in the day), and TiE Oregon's TiE Women 2026 finalists. And, as always, secrets. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 01:29 Quick startup news 04:37 Insitu sells to Archer 07:47 Inc. 5000: Portland's top 10 10:32 Panic ships Big Walk 13:51 The solopreneur advantage 15:54 Secrets LINKS: Insitu gets acquired… again — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/12/insitu-gets-acquired-again/ Archer / Insitu press release — https://www.insitu.com/news/archer-to-shape-physical-ai-future-of-aerospace-and-defense-with-acquisition-of-boeings-wisk-aero-insitu-and-skygrid-subsidiaries-boeing-to-invest-in-archer-and-collaborate Inc. features the 10 fastest growing Portland companies — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/11/inc-features-the-10-fastest-growing-portland-companies/ Inc. 5000 — Portland's top 10 — https://www.inc.com/esther-lian/meet-portlands-top-10-inc-5000-honorees/91385716 Panic publishes a new game — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/10/panic-publishes-a-new-game-from-the-makers-of-untitled-goose-game/ Big Walk — https://bigwalk.game/ The solopreneur advantage — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/14/the-solopreneur-advantage/ Chatting with ViddyScribe — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/11/chatting-with-viddyscribe/ ViddyScribe — https://viddyscribe.com/ Nicole Schmidt of Source — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/12/nicole-schmidt-founder-and-ceo-of-source-shares-advice-for-startup-founders/ TiE Oregon reveals TiE Women 2026 finalists — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/11/tie-oregon-reveals-local-finalists-vying-for-tie-women-2026/ TiE Women — https://www.tieoregon.org/programs/tie-women Business Oregon survey — closes Aug 15 — https://siliconflorist.com/2026/08/11/reminder-provide-feedback-to-business-oregon-by-august-15-2026/ Oregon Innovation Plan survey — https://teconomypartners.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5A4Wnf2JCrwFrEO FIND 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.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. All because of a blog. Weird. https://siliconflorist.com

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Interested in Portland, Oregon, startup news…? Silicon Florist has been a leading source for news on early-stage startups in the Rose City since 2007. Now, I'm offering a quick recap of the stories from the week to ensure that you're always in the loop on what's happening in the Portland startup community.

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