EDCO announces Bend Venture Conference Early Stage semifinalists

Economic Development for Central Oregon announced Tuesday the 10 semi-finalist companies advancing in the Early Stage competition for the 16 th Annual Bend Venture Conference on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 17-18.

This group of companies is one step closer to presenting on the historic Tower Theatre stage in downtown Bend, competing for an investment of $25,000 from Portland Seed Fund .

These Early Stage semi-finalists will pitch against each other at the September 26 th PubTalk with five companies advancing to the Bend Venture Conference. In addition to advancing to the BVC , an audience vote will determine one Early Stage company to receive a $3,000 cash award, courtesy of Keiretsu Forum . Tickets for PubTalk are on sale now and available here .

In alphabetical order, the 10 BVC Early Stage semi-finalists that will compete at the September 26 th PubTalk are:

Analog Biometric Technologies (Portland, OR) – A firearm lockbox preventing children from accessing firearms using the length of fingers to unlock. eCode.me (Bend, OR) – A product recommendation platform that recommends products based on a unique sensory profile. FleetNurse Inc. (Eugene, OR) – An app-based on-demand staffing service for healthcare facility supervisors. Honistly (Portland, OR) – Creators of financial instruments that ease anxiety through alternatives to predatory lending and the comfort of predictable expenses via warranties. Lisi Global, Inc. (Richland, WA) – Environmentally safe, patented electronics technology that eradicates soil pests and pathogens. Referit Wellness, Inc. (Bend, OR) – An app that helps doctors grow their practices by incentivizing patients to share their favorite doctors. Shift (Bend, OR) – VR enhanced online training to help educators recognize and mitigate implicit bias in the classroom. Speak Technologies (Portland, OR) – A time-saving productivity tool using AI to follow-up on meetings by automatically capturing notes, key decisions and action items. Steamchain Corp (Salem, OR) – A blockchain company using smart contracts to reduce high currency conversion costs and fluctuation risk in shipping and logistics. TerrAmor (Corvallis, OR) – A low-cost, easy to deploy, organic-certified solution for soft fruit growers to address the spotted wing drosophila problem. During PubTalk , an a udience vote, along with a panel of experts, will determine the five companies that advance to BVC October 17-18 . With the largest crowd of the year, the action will be live-streamed throughout McMenamins. Don’t wait to secure your seats – tickets are going fast and this event will sell out.

With the largest crowd of the year, the action will be live-streamed throughout McMenamins. Don’t wait to secure your seats – tickets are going fast and this event will sell out.

PubTalk Agenda
5:00 pm to 5:45 pm Networking, drinks & appetizers
5:45 pm to 8:00 pm Early Stage Company Pitches, Audience Vote, Winner Announcement

PubTalk Cost and Registration
$27 EDCO & OEN Members (Become a member here .)
$37 Non-Members
Cost includes appetizers and a free beverage (choice of beer, wine, or soda)

Ticket Sales
Tickets to the September 26 th PubTalk are on sale now and available here .
Tickets to the 16 th Annual Bend Venture Conference are on sale now and are available here .