(Photo courtesy of EDCO)
Applications are now open for companies looking to compete in the 2026 Bend Venture Conference (BVC). The event will take place on October 15-16, 2026, in downtown Bend, bringing together top startups, investors and business leaders for two days of live pitches, networking and learning.
Presented by Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), BVC is the Pacific Northwest’s longest-running angel investment conference, serving as a powerful platform for early and growth stage companies seeking investment and exposure.
Now in its 23rd year, BVC has helped launch dozens of successful startups, with more than $14 million invested directly through the BVC Funds and millions more secured through post-conference connections. The event is a cornerstone of Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and a catalyst for business growth in Central Oregon and beyond.
This year marks an exciting new chapter for BVC, with new leadership building on the long-standing success of the conference. Wendy Morgan has joined EDCO as Venture Catalyst Director, providing year-round leadership for BVC while strengthening support for founders, investors and the broader startup ecosystem. In addition, experienced operators and ecosystem leaders Patti Brooke and Lisa Hovey have been named Co-Managers of the BVC Funds, bringing deep expertise in company building, strategic growth, talent development, and startup investing.
“BVC has always been about creating meaningful connections between founders, investors and the people who help companies grow,” said Wendy Morgan, Venture Catalyst director at EDCO. “As we look ahead to 2026, we’re building on a strong foundation with fresh energy and a continued commitment to delivering an exceptional experience for investors while helping founders access the relationships, resources and capital they need to scale.”
Morgan, in her role at EDCO as it relates to BVC, will lead year-round efforts to support founders, engage investors and strengthen the connections that make the conference a launchpad for emerging companies.
As co-managers of the BVC Funds, Brooke and Hovey bring expertise shaped by decades of leadership across entrepreneurship, investment and organizational growth. Brooke is an active angel investor with deep connections across the Pacific Northwest startup ecosystem, including venture capital firms, incubators and founders. She spent much of her career as a leader within Seattle’s technology sector, building and advising high-growth teams and leading innovation initiatives and is the founder of Juniper Executive Search. Now based in Bend, she is dedicated to strengthening Central Oregon’s entrepreneurial community and supporting the region’s next generation of high-growth companies. Hovey is a strategy and operations executive who has scaled startups and Fortune 500 companies from pre-seed through IPO, raising more than $500 million across multiple funding rounds. An active judge and advisor across Pacific Northwest startup programs, she brings operator insight and investor rigor to evaluating early and growth-stage companies. Lisa is a fractional COO with her company Evergreen Growth Collective.
“For almost ten years, Jenn Lynch brought leadership, discipline and structure to the BVC Funds, and we are honored to build on that foundation,” said BVC Fund co-managers Patti Brooke and Lisa Hovey. “Between us, we bring operator experience from scaling companies at every stage of growth and investor experience from backing them directly. That combined perspective shapes what we’re building for 2026, with sharper deal flow, deeper investor engagement and follow-through that lasts beyond the conference weekend.”
New for 2026, BVC’s competition structure has been expanded to better reflect the diverse pathways through which companies grow and attract investment. Growth-stage companies will compete in one of two tracks: Growth Tech, for scalable technology businesses, and Growth Industries, for companies in sectors such as consumer products, biotech, climate tech, and hardware.
The Early Stage competition will continue as a dedicated pathway for Oregon-based startups, strengthening BVC’s commitment to supporting local innovation. A cash award will again be reserved for a standout startup headquartered in Central Oregon, reinforcing the region’s commitment to homegrown entrepreneurship.
Together, the three tracks create a more tailored experience for founders and investors while ensuring companies are evaluated within the context of their business model, stage and growth trajectory. Finalists in all categories will take the stage at the historic Tower Theatre in front of hundreds of attendees and investors. Growth Stage finalists have historically collectively received investments of $250,000 or more, pending final due diligence and allocation by the BVC Funds.
Apply
This year’s conference will feature three competition categories: Early Stage, Growth Tech and Growth Industries. The application period is open now through Thursday, August 13, 2026.
- Early Stage: Open to Oregon-based companies that are pre-revenue or in the early stages of commercialization and growth. Eligible companies must be pre-revenue or have raised less than $500,000 in external capital, including non-dilutive grants and be currently raising less than $1 million in investment capital. This track is designed for founders working toward product-market fit and building momentum for future growth.
- Growth Tech: Open to technology-driven companies whose core differentiation is technology, which includes software, AI, data, or platform-based innovation. Eligible companies must have generated at least $500,000 in product revenue during the past 12 months and be actively raising between $250,000 and $2.5 million or more in investment capital. Companies should demonstrate a scalable business model and be positioned for growth with additional investment.
- Growth Industries: Open to companies whose competitive advantage is rooted in products, science, engineering, or brand. This includes sectors such as outdoor and lifestyle products, food and agriculture, consumer packaged goods, biotech and life sciences, climate-focused hardware, and related industries. Eligible companies must have generated at least $500,000 in product revenue during the past 12 months or demonstrate other meaningful traction metrics and be actively raising between $250,000 and $2.5 million or more in investment capital.
For more information on the application process and to apply, visit bendvc.com/apply
Accredited investors can learn more about how to be involved at bendvcfund.com
About Bend Venture Conference (BVC):
The annual BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past 23 years, BVC has served to evolve and grow the startup ecosystem throughout Central Oregon and beyond. Since its inception, more than $14 million has been invested in 67 companies as a result of the conference. This year’s conference will gather entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and students at the Tower Theatre in Bend, Oregon on October 15-16, 2026.
About Economic Development for Central Oregon:
Founded in 1981, EDCO is a non-profit organization supported by private and public members and stakeholders. Its mission is to strengthen communities by creating opportunities that generate new revenue and family-wage jobs. Guided by its vision to be the catalyst for economic prosperity for all, EDCO works to recruit new employers to Central Oregon, support entrepreneurs in starting new, scalable businesses, and help existing companies grow and expand.
