(Photo courtesy of BVC)
Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is excited to announce the four finalist companies advancing in the New Economy Track for the 21st annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) on Thursday, October 17-Friday, October 18, 2024. Through an innovative partnership with Venture Partners and The BFM Fund, the New Economy Track provides a platform for startups who provide significant economic and social returns aligned with the principles of the Solidarity Economy.
Venture Partners is an educational organization on a mission to diversify the decision makers in venture capital and entrepreneurship by providing hands-on, practical education and experience to black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), women, and individuals from rural communities, creating a pipeline of diverse fund managers. Venture Partners fellows, led by Ruchira Bhowmik, worked alongside The BFM Fund to source, screen and meet with companies at a series of due diligence meetings to narrow the list to four finalists.
Luis Balderas Villagrana, program director at Venture Partners, said, “This partnership is a tremendous opportunity, offering one of 35 placements through our 2024 fellowship program for our fellows to be at the forefront of practical diligence education. We are particularly excited about this opportunity as it underscores the importance of representing Oregon as an investment hub within the national venture capital landscape.”
The four finalists will pitch on stage at the Tower Theatre on Friday, October 18, for an opportunity to secure an investment of up to $100,000 through The BFM Fund, a venture capital firm that prioritizes investment into Black and diverse-led companies. In addition, the Oregon Growth Fund has committed $100,000 to finalists participating in this track.
In alphabetical order, the New Economy Track finalists are:
Asha AI (Seattle, Washington) — Asha AI is a clinical trial management tool that empowers pharmaceutical companies to achieve better outcomes, decrease trial costs and timelines, and increases access to actionable data through a conversational AI that is accessible to anyone — including the elderly and disabled.
Hamilton Perkins Collection (Los Angeles, California) — Hamilton Perkins Collection creates award-winning products from recycled materials and develops regenerative materials for the circular economy.
Hardcore Peanut Butter Spread (Minneapolis, Minnesota) — Hardcore Peanut Butter Spread uses superfood ingredients, mixed into allergen-free peanut butter, to give all consumers a better-for-you, safe product.
Home Lending Pal (Orlando, Florida) — Home Lending Pal uses trusted digital financial and credit sources to simulate the home purchasing process to help educate first time home buyers on their mortgage approval odds.
Bend Venture Conference cannot guarantee that investments will be made in any specific amount. The final amounts to be awarded are dependent on investment commitments received from third-party investors and the ability of the winning companies and the investors to agree on the terms and conditions of the investment.
About Bend Venture Conference (BVC):
The annual BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest and longest standing angel investment conferences in the country. Over the past 21 years, BVC has served to evolve and grow the startup ecosystem throughout Central Oregon and across the Pacific Northwest. Since its inception, more than $14 million has been invested in 59 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 on October 17-18, 2024.
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.
