2018 BVC Growth & Impact Finalists Announced

EDCO ANNOUNCE FINALISTS FOR THE GROWTH STAGE AND IMPACT CATEGORIES ADVANCING TO THE BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 18 & 19

BEND, Ore. – October 4, 2018 – Today, Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced the Growth Stage and Impact companies advancing to the 15th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) on Thursday, October 18 - Friday, October 19, 2018. In just two weeks, these companies will travel from across the United States to present on the Tower Theatre stage. Last year, Growth Stage companies won prizes ranging from $25,000 - $485,000, while the Impact Category received over $110,000 in investment.

In alphabetical order, the 5 Growth Stage finalists are:

1. Caligoo (Bend, Ore.) – A mobile customer journey software platform providing predictive and personalized experiences that sense, learn, reason, and react in real-time to target customers and reach applications goals.
2. CommLoan, Inc. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – A commercial real estate finance marketplace reducing the cost and time it takes to secure a commercial real estate loan.
3. Stabilitas (Seattle, Wash.) – An AI engine designed for security teams that allows us to do the work of 1,000 human analysts in real-time.
4. Talkoot, Inc. (Hood River, Ore.) – An intuitive, cloud-based tool that helps teams create high volumes of product copy.
5. TransformativeMed (Seattle, Wash.) – Develops SaaS apps enabling physicians and nurses to deliver better patient care by making hospital medical records intuitive and easy to use.

In alphabetical order, the 4 Impact Stage finalists are:

1. Asarasi, Inc. (Katonah, N.Y.) – Certified USDA organic plant-based water sourced from maple trees without compromising the groundwater table.
2. Dweller, Inc. (Portland, Ore.) – Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) built using modular construction and an innovative ownership structure to reduce the cost of housing in dense cities.
3. OCO Corporation (Vida, Ore.) – Converts carbon dioxide generated by industrial and fossil fuel burning power plants into a value-added platform chemical, formic acid.
4. ROTBLOC (Bend, Ore.) – A sustainable post wrap for wood trellis systems and ranch fencing that lengthens post life while preventing ground line rot.

“This is the most geographically dispersed group of finalists we’ve ever had, showcasing the notoriety the Bend Venture Conference has gained over the past 15 years,” noted Brian Vierra, EDCO’s Venture Catalyst.

Hosted by Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), this year’s BVC will once again feature three competition categories: Growth Stage, Early Stage and Impact. The BVC finalists presenting at the conference will be announced in early October.

Ticket Sales Tickets to the 15^th Annual Bend Venture Conference are on sale now and are available here.

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC) Now in its 15^th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past four years, more than $7.8 million has been invested in 34 companies as a result of the conference. This year, over 600 entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders are expected to attend the multi-day conference on October 18-19, in Bend, Oregon. For more information, visit www.bendvc.com.

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. For more information, visit www.edcoinfo.com.

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