Bipoc & Female Founder Scholarships Available

BEND VENTURE APPLICATIONS OPEN THROUGH AUGUST 13^TH BIPOC & FEMALE FOUNDER SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

BEND, OR (July 30, 2020) – Applications to the 2020 Bend Venture Conference are due in just two weeks. Companies can start their application at any time, but must be completed by Thursday, August 13^th. Portland Seed Fund has committed an investment award of at least $30,000* to the company that wins the Early Stage competition. This is the largest amount of funding ever committed to this stage.In addition to the investment award, Portland Seed Fund is BVC's 2020 Early Stage Access Sponsor, providing scholarships and coaching for BIPOC companies to apply to the Early Stage competition. These scholarships are available to companies with at least one founder that identifies as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) where the application fee is a barrier to participating in the conference. For more details, click here. Elevate / TiE Oregon are the 2020 Impact Access Sponsors, providing scholarships for both BIPOC and Female Founder companies to apply to the Impact Competition. For more information, click here.The 2020 conference will be held both in person and virtually, with opportunities for company presentations in both formats, as travel and health restrictions allow. In the last six years, BVC has awarded over $11 million in investments, awards, and prizes. Follow-on investments into companies that won at BVC will soon surpass $700 million. This premier regional event attracts top funds, entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders each year.To apply to the conference, click here. *Bend Venture Conference cannot guarantee that investments will be made in any specific amount, because 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) Now in its 17^th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past six years, more than $11 million has been invested in 38 companies as a result of the conference. This year’s conference will take place both in person in Bend, Oregon, and virtually online on October 15-16, 2020, gathering entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders. bendvc.comAbout 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. edcoinfo.com