EDCO Announces Top Ten Social Impact Bend Venture Conference Semi-Finalists

EDCO ANNOUNCES THE TOP TEN SOCIAL IMPACT COMPANIES TO ADVANCE AS PART OF THE 2017 BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE Early Stage Semi-Finalists To Be Announced Next Week

BEND, OR (September 8, 2017) – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announced the Top Ten Social Impact Companies to advance to the next round for the 14^th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) taking place Thursday, October 19 - Friday, October 20. These companies have one additional round of cuts before they have the chance to present on the historic Tower Theatre stage in Downtown Bend. Last year, companies in the Social Impact category won prizes ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.

These ten Social Impact semi-finalists were selected Thursday after review by a panel of fund and individual investor experts. The Social Impact Competition, which includes for-profit companies whose business models are integrated with a social or environmental mission, will take place on the afternoon of Thursday, October 19. Tickets can be purchased for the Social Impact Competition only, or for the entire conference, here.

In alphabetical order, the Ten Social Impact semi-finalists are:

1. Curadite, Inc. (Portland, OR) – A simple, flexible, reliable, 4G LTE cellular medication adherence platform leveraging disposable medication packaging to improve outcomes and lower costs.
2. Diatomix (Beaverton, OR) – A bioengineered photocatalytic technology that actively and continuously improves indoor air quality.
3. eWind Solutions (Beaverton, OR) – A renewable airborne wind energy company utilizing a rigid wing kite to produce energy.
4. Focal Technologies, Inc. (Portland, OR) – A technology to focus heat and UV from the sun to break down organic contaminants in water and soil.
5. Garden Bar (Portland, OR) – A salad-centric, fast casual restaurant concept specializing in healthy and convenient meals, made with fresh and high-quality ingredients.
6. Green Theme International (Portland, OR) – The next generation in textile performance in durability, value and environmental sustainability with clean chemistry and a water free solution.
7. InPipe Energy (Portland, OR) – Creates a new source of clean electricity, helps improve the economics of water management and reduces carbon emissions.
8. Paid To Go LLC (Corvallis, OR) – Makes active commutes and exercise fun and rewarding.
9. ScoutSavvy (Portland, OR) – Community-Powered Diversity Career Connection Network
10. The Renewal Workshop (Cascade Locks, OR) – A new kind of apparel company that makes discarded clothing and textiles into something new.

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 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:Press ContactBrian VierraVenture Catalyst, EDCO541.388.3236 x5brian@edcoinfo.com

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