close
close

EDCO Announces Eight Growth Stage Semi-Finalists for Upcoming Bend Venture Conference

Posted on by darion

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Economic Development for Central Oregon is pleased to announce the eight semifinalists who advanced through the Growth Stage Track in the 21st Annual Oregon Development Program.saint Bend Venture’s annual conference will be held October 17–October 18, 2024.

As Central Oregon’s signature entrepreneurship event, BVC provides an opportunity to connect investors and industry leaders with startups looking to grow. Each year, a new BVC growth fund is raised to invest in the most promising growth-stage companies that attend the annual conference. Since applications closed on Aug. 9tInvestors and partners evaluated each company to identify startups best prepared to compete in each of the three BVC tracks.

Brian Vierra, Venture Catalyst at EDCO, explained, “The investors in the Bend Venture Conference Fund are passionate about supporting the growth of the startup ecosystem in Central Oregon and bring a wealth of professional experience to assess the merits of new innovations. We are excited about the growth potential represented by this year’s semifinalist companies and look forward to seeing the impact they will have.”

In alphabetical order, the semi-finalists are:

  1. Beginly Health (Portland, OR) – AI-powered job matching platform for healthcare workers.
  2. Canopii Inc. (Silverton, Oregon) – A technology company building robotic greenhouse farms to make local food production more profitable.
  3. Green Canopy NODE (Seattle, WA) – A company dedicated to solving complex affordable housing challenges through customizable, prefabricated, residential home construction kits.
  4. Health Elements AI (Bend, Oregon) – A technology platform that uses artificial intelligence to improve medical data abstraction.
  5. ProMedix Inc. (Portland, OR) – A revolutionary, non-invasive wearable sensor that accelerates sepsis detection at the bedside.
  6. Square Baby (Bend, OR) – Dietitian-designed, organic baby and toddler meals tailored to age, developmental stage and dietary needs, including allergen-friendly, vegan and animal protein options.
  7. Stiira (Portland, Oregon) – A specialized SaaS solution designed to help organizations effectively manage the complexities of government-regulated leave.
  8. Trace Biosciences (Portland, Oregon) – A biotech startup creating surgical agents that illuminate nerves in real time to prevent damage during surgery.

The Bend Venture Conference is the longest-running and largest angel investing conference in the Pacific Northwest. BVC serves as a catalyst for capital mobilization for participating companies, and since its inception, investments and awards to participating startups have totaled more than 14 million dollars.

Tickets for the 21st annual BVC are on sale now and can be purchased here. Attendees who register before Monday, September 30t will receive a 10% discount on their order. Bend Venture Conference cannot guarantee that investments will be made in any specific amount, as the final amounts awarded are dependent on investment commitments received from third-party investors and the ability of the winning companies and investors to agree on investment terms.