EDCO lists Bend Venture Conference Growth Stage, Impact semi-finalists

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced Tuesday the semi-finalists advancing in the Growth Stage and Impact competitions for the 17^th  annual Bend Venture Conference on Thursday, October 15 - Friday, October 16.

The below semi-finalists have one more round of cuts to go before they can present at this year’s conference. Companies in the Growth Stage have won investments ranging from $100,000 to $2,500,000, while the Impact winner could walk away with $100,000 or more. Semi-finalists in the Early Stage competition will be announced early next week, and will be given the opportunity to present at the September Central Oregon PubTalk on September 24^th at McMenamins in downtown Bend.

In alphabetical order, the 10 Growth Stage semi-finalists are:

1. DocVocate (Portland, OR) – Automating medical claims denial management through an AI-powered platform, empowering provider billing teams.
2. Ksana Health, Inc (Eugene, OR) – A mobile platform that derives behavioral insights from patterns of smartphone use to influence behavioral outcomes (smoking cessation).
3. Locl.io (Portland, OR) – Providing expertise to help business of all sizes monetize Google Maps.
4. Pet Hub (Wenatchee, WA) – A central hub to manage your pet’s life, helping owners share data safely while also finding trusted services and information.
5. Plover (Portland, OR) - Disrupting the carwash industry with the world’s most efficient and precise robotic carwash system.
6. PypeServer (Seattle, WA) – Software that automates the cutting of industrial steel pipe for construction and industrial uses.
7. Rewire Neuroscience (Portland, OR) - Improving the speed, accuracy and precision of biomedicine, while quickly determining experimental or clinical significance.
8. RexPay (Phoenix, AZ) – A mobile app where patients can easily understand, manage and pay all their medical bills and track insurance information in one place.
9. The Accessory Junkie – (Portland, OR) A pioneering, new e-commerce model that connects customers with hard-to-find products from around the world.
10. TriAgenics, Inc – (Redmond, OR) – Developers of a one-minute dental procedure that prevents wisdom teeth from ever forming.

In alphabetical order, the eight Impact Competition semi-finalists are:

1. Biomotum (Portland, OR) – Creators of a robotic ankle-assist device that offers a cost effective, lightweight, portable, and efficient way to improve mobility in those with movement disorders.
2. Caregiven (Portland, OR) – Creators of a tool that ensures aging or ailing loved ones benefit from a higher quality of life, reduced costs and peace of mind.
3. Focal Technologies, Inc (Portland, OR) – A patented ray system using a refracting lens to concentrate the sun’s heat and UV waves into a receiver to break down any organic contaminant in water or soil.
4. Gadusol Laboratories (Corvallis, OR) – A company that uses synthetic biology technology to produce natural sunscreen antioxidants found in marine life for human use.
5. Inmedix, Inc (Seattle, WA) – Bringing two proprietary innovations to medicine: cloud-based clinical stress diagnostics and a new field called immune autonomics.
6. Lazarus 3D, Inc (Corvallis, OR) – Developed a 3D process to rapidly create life-like models of anatomy from MRI screenings for doctors and hospitals.
7. OnTo Technology (Bend, OR) – Offering battery recycling solutions to reduce cost and improve safety for the lithium ion battery industry.
8. Wheyward Spirit (Portland, OR) – Repurposing billions of pounds of whey that go to waste to create a more sippable and sustainable spirit.

Hosted by EDCO, this year’s BVC will once again feature three competition categories: Growth Stage, Impact and Early Stage, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders, both virtually and in-person in Bend, Oregon.

Ticket Sales

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