David Kenney
President & Executive Director
A Flurry of Funding Successes...
We pulled off another BEST FEST (our 9th!) to high praise from attendees from around the region and country. As always, we had stellar speakers, cool exhibits from our companies, and an impressive showcase of work by innovative entrepreneurs, researchers, and students who are tackling some of the most important challenges facing our natural and built environment. One of the companies participating at BEST FEST, Arcimoto, closed their Reg A+ IPO the day after BEST FEST and is now listed on the NASDAQ (Ticker: FUV). A few days later, we learned we are being awarded a $500,000 i6 Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to expand the
Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator with our partner, CleanTech Alliance.
Read on for more great news...
Best wishes,
David Kenney,
President & Executive Director
Oregon BEST
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Taking a Page from Tesla: Arcimoto Raises $20M
Oregon BEST Company will use funding to launch domestic production
Eugene, Ore.-based
Arcimoto has become the second pure play electric vehicle manufacturer to make a NASDAQ public offering (the first was Tesla). Raising just shy of $20 million during a recent Regulation A+ IPO to the NASDAQ, Arcimoto (
team pictured above) is ramping up to begin manufacturing at a 30,000 square-foot facility in Eugene. Its three-wheeled electric motorcycle blends the efficiency and maneuverability of two-wheeled transportation solutions with the stability, weather protection, and carrying capacity of a full-sized car. “We started out planning to raise $10 million but we got enough traction early on that we decided to raise our maximum," said
Mark Frohnmayer, CEO, and founder. Read more in
Forbes and the
Register-Guard,
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SweetSense Lands $750K to Expand Global Help
Oregon BEST Co. wins SBIR Phase II grant that will fund expansion
SweetSense, Inc., a Portland company that makes wireless sensors used to monitor wells, sanitary systems, energy use, and infrastructure in developing countries around the world has been awarded a federal Phase II SBIR grant of $750,000 from the National Science Foundation. The funding will help the startup continue to expand. Oregon BEST's
SBIR/STTR Support Center played a key role in helping the company secure this grant, as well as an earlier Phase I grant of $225,000. Oregon BEST also offered early R&D support to SweetSense, which was founded by Portland State University associate professor
Evan Thomas. Read the
Oregonian story.
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Oregon BEST, CleanTech Alliance Awarded $500,000
Funding will expand the Cascadia CleanTech Acelerator
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the Northwest’s biggest supporters of clean technology startups, Oregon BEST and CleanTech Alliance, have been awarded an i6 Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). The grant will strengthen and broaden the
Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator, a partnership between the two organizations that supports clean technology startups in the region. The $500,000 grant will enable the two organizations to expand the accelerator program’s curriculum and focus on proof-of-concept and prototyping. Read the
Portland Business Journal story and the
Xconomy story
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BEST FEST 2017 Showcased Cleantech Innovations
Oregon BEST's signature event was a big success
"
Enlightening, with a touch of hopeful, revolutionary ideas that will change the way we live forever."
That's how one BEST FEST 2017 attendee summed up this year's event at the World Trade Center on Sept. 14. And it's true! A plethora of cleantech innovations and ideas that have the potential to change the world were on display, ranging from mobile green houses and renewed clothing to energy-harvesting kites, smart ag products, and a massive lens that taps the sun's power to purify wastewater (
Focal Technologies
' "Ray" lens, pictured above). From student innovators to entrepreneurs to impact investors, attendees made connections that will fast-track clean technology innovation in Oregon, and beyond.
View photos from the event.
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Breaking Barriers to Bike Sharing
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JENNIFER DILL, a professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University and director of PSU's
Transportation Research and Education Center, (TREC) coauthored a new report, with Nathan McNeil, that describes why people of color and low-income residents in major cities are less likely to use municipal bike sharing systems than their white and higher-income counterparts, and what cities can do to change this. The report says less than half of low-income people of color have a driver’s license and only 17 percent own a bicycle, so bike sharing could go a long way toward filling their transportation needs.
Read more.
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FUNDING, EVENTS, &
DEADLINES
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EVENTS...
The 2017 conference will feature three competition categories: Early Stage, Growth Stage, and Social Impact, with five finalist companies selected in each category. Bend, OR
Are you a woman small business owner with an innovative technology in need of funding for research AND development? Oregon BEST is a cosponsor of this event that explores resources available to women innovators. Bend, OR
The Seattle Angel Conference is an investor led event, connecting entrepreneurs and new angel investors. Seattle, WA
This conference will keep you updated on environmental protection and compliance, new technologies and services, sustainable business practices, and trending policy Issues. Portland
, OR
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FUNDING | SUPPORT | VISIBILITY...
Oregon BEST helps cleantech startups and university researchers find a range of support, visibility, and
FUNDING
.
Each year, five companies are selected to receive $20,000, discounted legal and accounting services, HR and marketing assistance, mentoring services, entrepreneur workshops, and more! Apply by Oct. 1. Apply for $5,000 from Business Oregon to help apply for federal SBIR or STTR grandts.
Apply to accelerate your company's growth! Each year this forum hosts the most innovative, emerging clean energy start-up companies.
Apply for $5,000 from Business Oregon to help apply for federal SBIR or STTR grants.
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We're Here to Help!
Resources and expertise for Oregon innovators
Oregon BEST
supports great ideas from entrepreneurs, university researchers, and startups. We create global impact, on startup at a time by working with you to transform your ideas, research, and/or products into successful enterprises.
For
Oregon-based companies developing proprietary, technology-based products
, we offer assistance in securing
early-stage funding
, as well as access to
critical support channels
. Talk to us!
START HERE...
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