Seven startups walked away with investment from this year’s Bend Venture Conference.
A total of $550,000 was invested by this year’s conference with three companies landing growth stage investment. They were:
- Portland-based cybersecurity company DeepSurface which secured $200,000.
- Bend-based Lora DiCarlo a sex tech company that uses advanced robotics in its products, which secured $100,000.
- Bend-based daily fitness app The Run Experience secured $50,000.
In all, 14 companies pitched this year to a hybrid audience in person and online for the 18th annual program. The event typically gathers hundreds of people to downtown Bend to network and build connections. In the last five years $10 million has been in invested in 40 companies.
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The conference has an investment vehicle that is raised from accredited investors and tied to the event. This investment arm of the event does due diligence on the companies ahead of the public pitch day. In addition to the formal event investment other deals usually come out of the event as well.
The conference also awards an impact investment to companies that also have a social or environmental mission. This year’s winners were:
- Skip Technology, a Portland based startup developing battery technology for utility scale storage for wind, solar and wave production facilities. It secured $100,000.
- TENZR Health, a Vancouver, British Columbia, startup making wearable sensors to motivate and guide patients through physical therapy. It secured $50,000.
For early stage companies in the competition, Portland-based investor Portland Seed Fund backed two companies at $25,000 each. Early stage winners were:
- Portland-based Radious, an online market for rentable home offices and meeting space.
- Bend-based Tonsil Tech, which makes an at home device to remove tonsil stones.
