Five companies are vying for investment in the growth stage category at this year’s Bend Venture Conference.
The annual event is returning to downtown Bend for an in-person and virtual experience on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. Tickets are available online.
The Bend Venture Conference typically gathers hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors and other business leaders from around the country. In the last five years, more than $10 million has been invested into 40 companies as a result of the conference, according to organizers. The money comes through the conference's own investment vehicle and through other investments from funds and programs tied to the event.
Last year’s growth stage winners received checks of $220,000 and $100,000. Here’s who's pitching for the growth-stage investment:
- DeepSurface, based in Portland, built software that automates vulnerability management for cybersecurity teams.
- Lora DiCarlo, based in Bend, builds sex tech products that use advanced robotics.
- Portl, based in Eugene, built a technology platform for creators to monetize content and build community.
- PupPod, based in Hood River, built a dog toy that consists of a puzzle linked to an automatic feeder and an app to keep animals busy while offering positive reinforcement.
- The Run Experience, based in Bend, is a daily fitness app with audio runs and training programs to build running habits.
In addition to the growth stage competition. There are two others at the conference. The Impact Competition highlights companies with a social or environmental mission and the Early Stage competition highlights companies that are pre-revenue, testing the product for market or very early revenue.
The Impact finalists are:
- LeapFrog Design, based in Bend, designs and develops residential rainwater, greywater and wastewater recycling systems.
- Skip Technology, based in Portland, develops and manufactures battery technology for utility scale storage for solar, wind and wave production facilities.
- TENZR Health, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, makes a wearable sensor designed to motivate and guide patients through physical therapy.
- UV Health Group, based in Hillsboro, designs and makes an air filtration system that removes airborne viruses.
The Early Stage competition is vying for investment from the Portland Seed Fund of at least $30,000. The finalists are:
- Cannecht, a digital marketplace to help cannabis operators find service providers
- KinectAir, a marketplace for on-demand private air service.
- LifeAir, a redesigned ventilator to eliminate patient-to-patient disease transfer.
- Radious, a marketplace for rentable home office and meeting space.
- Tonsil Tech, a handheld device to remove tonsil stones at home.
