Bend Venture Conference five Early Stage finalists named

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Economic Development for Central Oregon announced Friday the top five Early Stage finalists advancing to the 17^th Annual Bend Venture Conference on Thursday, October 15 - Friday, October 16.

These companies will compete for an investment of $30,000 from Portland Seed Fund.

Ten companies took the stage both virtually and in person to pitch during last night’s Central Oregon PubTalk. The Early Stage competition includes companies that have a great idea and are close to “proof of concept.” They are pre-revenue (or very early) and are in the process of testing their product in the market. The competition will take place the morning of Friday, October 16^th.

Last night, Masa won the audience vote and received a $3,000 cash award, courtesy of Portland Seed Fund and Elevate Capital.

In alphabetical order, the five Early Stage finalists that will compete at BVC are:

1. ADHERE GEAR Tech Corp. (Portland, OR) - Deploying shared-use luggage and travel gear for passengers to create a safer and cleaner environment for their personal items.
2. Cozera (Portland, OR) - Creating verified digital identities for remote & in-person identity verification to increase customer satisfaction and deter identity fraud, saving time and money.
3. Masa (Portland, OR) - The first online farmers market, bringing farmers markets to people via an online marketplace (think Etsy for farmers).
4. MustDeliver (Portland, OR) - A digital marketplace delivering industry-leading clarity, control & communication between shippers and drivers in the trucking business.
5. YesOMS (Bend, OR) - A platform for merchants and brand owners to offer a superior user experience to their customers through their own branded mobile application.

Ticket Sales
Tickets to the 17^th Annual Bend Venture Conference are on sale now and are available here.

PubTalk Title Sponsors

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
The Bend Venture Conference is an annual celebration of entrepreneurship, innovation and connections. Now in its 17^th year, BVC, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past six years, more than $11 million has been invested in 38 companies as a result of the conference. This year’s conference will take place both in-person in Bend, Oregon, and virtually online on October 15-16, 2020, gathering entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. bendvc.com

About Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)
EDCO is a non-profit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders, whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by recruiting new employers to move to the region; helping entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses; and working with businesses that are already here to grow their operations. edcoinfo.com