Edco Announces The Top Ten Growth Stage Companies To Advance As Part Of The 2017 Bend Venture Conference

EDCO ANNOUNCES THE TOP TEN GROWTH STAGE COMPANIES TO ADVANCE AS PART OF THE 2017 BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE

Social Impact Semi-Finalists To Be Announced Friday. Early Stage Semi-Finalists To Be Announced Next Week

BEND, OR (September 7, 2017) – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced the Top Ten companies to advance to the next round of the Growth Stage Competition for the 14^th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) to be held Thursday, October 19 - Friday, October 20. These companies are one step closer to becoming one of the five finalists that will present on the historic Tower Theatre stage in Downtown Bend. Last year, companies in the Growth Stage category won prizes ranging from $100,000 to $1,750,000.

“The applicants competing in the Growth Stage category this year are some of the most compelling we’ve had. The vetting process hasn’t been easy,” said Brian Vierra, EDCO’s Venture Catalyst. “With two companies in the Top Ten from Bend, one from Seattle and one from California, the West is well represented.”

The ten Growth Stage semi-finalists were selected Wednesday evening after review by a panel of ten different funds and individual investor experts. These companies will advance to the next round of cuts, which will be announced at the end of September.

In alphabetical order, the Ten Growth Stage semi-finalists that will compete to make it through the next round of cuts are:

1. Allumia (Seattle, WA) – Provides energy efficiency as a service to commercial and industrial buildings: eliminating risk and capital expense for customers and generating ongoing returns for investors.
2. DesignMedix (Portland, OR) – Develops drugs to overcome drug resistance in multiple diseases, with a malaria drug ready for human trials, to be sponsored by the NIH.
3. Drone Complier (Portland, OR) – Provides government compliance management solutions integrated with field services to companies entering or growing in the Drone Industry.
4. Handful (Wilsonville, OR) – Lifestyle products for women that are flattering, versatile and feel great no matter what life throws your way.
5. InvestiPro (Bend, OR) – The first fully-automated application for conducting effective and compliant internal workplace investigations.
6. LeadMethod Bend, OR – The first Channel Revenue Optimization software to get channel partner engagement and feedback in order to increase revenue.
7. Mogol Inc. (Portland, OR) – Connects cities and states to cars so they can control the flow of traffic without expensive roadside equipment.
8. Tali (Portland, OR) – A voice-driven, hands-free productivity assistant powered by artificial intelligence that helps organizations become more productive and profitable.
9. Tripgrid (Portland, OR) – Travel management simplified. Tripgrid fixes the complexity of travel planning by providing a simple, intuitive workspace.
10. UbiquiOS Technology (Dublin, CA) – Provides low-cost wireless connectivity software for IoT applications.

Hosted by Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), this year’s BVC will once again feature three competition categories: Growth Stage, Early Stage, and Social Impact. Last year, nearly $4 million in funding was awarded to ten companies. The semi-finalists for all three categories will be announced in the weeks leading up to the Bend Venture Conference, October 19-20, 2017.

Ticket Sales Tickets to the 14^th Annual Bend Venture Conference are on sale now and are available here.

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC) BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. More than 600 attendees, six funds, 32 prominent investors, and 89 companies participated in 2016’s conference, where nearly $4 million was invested in 10 companies.

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.

2017 Title Sponsors: