A Message from David Kenney
President & Executive Director
Oregon BEST
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One Decade In: Looking Back... and Ahead!
Oregon BEST was launched 10 years ago, and I sometimes find it hard to believe it’s already been a decade. I’m very proud of the impact our staff, and the work they do, have had on Oregon and the planet. We’ll be celebrating our first decade - and more! - at our upcoming
“10-Year Anniversary Lunch-and-Launch” on June 21 (
see story below to
RSVP).
Here are just a few highlights of the impact we've had over the last decade:
- Invested $7 million in dozens of cleantech startups.
- These startups have attracted $104-million in follow-on funding, a remarkable ROI.
- Flow battery maker ESS, Inc. raised $13 million and is building out a 100,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Wilsonville.
- EV maker Arcimoto raised $19 million in an IPO and is now manufacturing in Eugene.
- eChemion and Onboard Dynamics just won Willamette Angel funding.
And we’re not slowing down! At the June 21st celebration, we’ll announce some
very exciting changes - including the launch of our new name and rebrand - as we look toward our next decade of helping innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, and others impact our world’s greatest environmental and social challenges. Together we can change the world, and now is the time to GO BIG.
Thanks for your support, and I hope to see you on the 21st,
David Kenney,
President & Executive Director
Oregon BEST
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ESS Sells Big Battery to Brazil to Store Solar Energy
Oregon BEST Company adds staff, inks sale in Latin America
ESS, Inc. is on the grow and gaining international traction, including the sale of one of its container-sized flow batteries to Brazil, where it will store energy generated by a solar array and help reduce the use of generators when the sun's not shining. The seven-year-old company now employs more than 40 people and completed a
$13 million Series B round late last year, bringing its total venture funding to $17 million. At its 100,000-square-foot facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, ESS has invested in automation equipment that will eventually enable the company to produce more than 2,000 battery systems annually.
Full story
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ARPA-E Fills Critical Funding Gap for Startup
Natural gas refueling startup says federal funding has been invaluable
"We would not exist today if it weren't for ARPA-E," says Rita Hansen, CEO of
Onboard Dynamics, the Bend, Oregon, developer of a stand-alone refueling system for natural gas vehicles. In 2014, the startup secured
ARPA-E funding that helped commercialize its refueling technology, which was developed by Oregon BEST researcher Chris Hagen at OSU Cascades. Hansen predicts a rapid transition from diesel to natural gas in commercial vehicles.
Watch the short video.
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Oregon BEST Companies Win Funding, Attention
From nontoxic sunscreen and compostable cups to batteries and clothing
- eChemion, the Corvallis maker of a treatment that extends the life of flow batteries, and Onboard Dynamics, the Bend developer of a natural gas refueling system, won funding at the Willamette Angel Conference (full story).
- The Renewal Workshop, the Cascade Locks upcycler of returned and damaged clothing articles (founders Jeff and Nicole, pictured above), recently received an impact investment from Buckhill Capital.
- EcNow Tech, the Albany manufacturer of compostable food service products, had its PLA-lined coffee cups featured at the NPE Plastics Show in Orlando (the cup's lining is a sustainable alternative to the traditional polyethylene lining).
- Taifo Mahmud, cofounder of Gadusol Labs, a Corvallis startup that makes nontoxic sunscreen ingredients, was featured in this Live Science story.
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Come Celebrate a Decade of Cleantech Support...
and the Launch of our Rebrand!
Help us toast our first 10 years... and find out what's new for the
next
10!
Oregon BEST has been helping fund and support cleantech startups in Oregon for 10 years. So we are marking the occasion by taking a look back at what we've accomplished
and announcing what's ahead -
including the launch of our new name and rebrand! During our next 10 years, we will be expanding our geographic reach to help more innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs impact the planet by advancing green technologies for good. Join us at our Portland offices (412 SW 12th Street) on Thursday, June 21st for our "
10-Year Anniversary Lunch-and-Launch," Click the button below to reserve your free lunch (available to the first 100 people who RSVP).
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Don't Miss the SBIR Road Tour's Stops in the NW!
Learn how to apply for $2.5B in funding during stops in Portland and Seattle
The
SBIR Road Tour is a national outreach effort to convey the funding opportunity provided through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which annually provide
$2.5 billion to small technology firms to spur new discoveries and facilitate commercialization. If you're an Innovator, entrepreneur, or researcher, don't miss this chance to meet with federal and state program managers who seed a spectrum of innovative ideas. The tour stops in Portland (
register here) on July 17 and in Seattle (
register here) on July 18.
More about the Road Tour
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Endowing Environmental Cleanup
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Oregon BEST Member Researcher
DARREN JOHNSON, a professor in the University of Oregon's Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry and associate director of the Materials Science Institute, has been named the first recipient of a new endowed chair, the
Bradshaw and Holzapfel Research Professorship in Transformational Science and Mathematics. Johnson's research focuses on synthesizing molecules that can detect and remove contaminants from the environment. He cofounded the Oregon BEST Company, SupraSensor, which developed a technology to detect nitrogen in soils to help farmers fine tune fertilizer application.
Full story
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FUNDING, EVENTS, &
DEADLINES
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EVENTS...
Attend the nation's largest conference on electric and smart mobility. Portland
Celebrate the launch of
Creating Resilience in the Emerald Corridor: Green Chemistry & Engineering Roadmap (2018-2023). This interactive event will catalyze strategic partnerships to implement recommendations in the Roadmap, creating a community of sustainability leaders founded in green chemistry and engineering principles.
Save the Date...!
On the Summer Solstice, starting at Noon, plan to help Oregon BEST celebrate its first decade and hear some exciting news about our next chapter! Lunch provided. Limited seating.
RSVP here. Portland
Industry leaders, innovators, policy makers, and investors from the U.S. and Canada gather to experience the latest cleantech innovations, ideas, and initiatives. Seattle
Join the national tour when it stops in
Portland and
Seattle and learn how to compete for $2.5 billion in federal funding.
Explore the critical issues, benefits, and opportunities of electrification with an unparalleled collection of industry experts. Long Beach, CA
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FUNDING | SUPPORT | VISIBILITY...
Oregon BEST helps cleantech startups and university researchers find a range of support, visibility, and
FUNDING
.
Rare opportunity. Don't miss the July 2018 SBIR Road Tour's stops in the NW. The federal SBIR/STTR Programs award $2.5 billion in funding each year to encourage small businesses to engage in high-growth research and development. Registration is open for upcoming events in
Seattle and
Portland.
Application Deadline: June 30
Is your PNW-based cleantech business ready to connect with investors and strategic partners? Apply for this invitation-only matchmaking event with the most active cleantech investors from the PNW, Silicon Valley, and global corporations.
RocketSpace and BP have teamed up on this accelerator to shape the future movement of people, goods, and services. Up to 21 startups are selected to participate.
If your product or service is “Made in America,” your company could qualify for this matching grant funding from the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center.
A group of investors contributes time, expertise, capital, and connections to help founders gain access to the right people and resources to grow their business their way.
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TRANSFORM
YOUR
IDEA INTO IMPACT
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We're Here to Help YOU Make an Impact!
Resources and expertise for Oregon innovators and investors
Oregon BEST
supports great ideas from entrepreneurs, university researchers, and startups. We create global impact, one 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!
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