Seven Companies Awarded a Total of $550,000 at this Year’s Conference

Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) hosted the 18th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) from Downtown Bend. Fourteen companies presented on the Tower Theatre stage to a hybrid audience and seven companies were awarded with a total of $550,000 in investments and cash.

This August, companies from across the U.S. applied to the conference looking for investment and exposure. These companies represent some of the best in innovation across multiple industries.

This year’s award breakdown is as follows:

Growth Stage Competition

The Growth Stage Competition, for companies that have a proven concept and initial revenues, had three winners.

Winners of BVC, LLC, Investment Awards*:

• • DeepSurface (Portland, OR) – A risk-based predictive vulnerability management platform that contextualizes vulnerabilities within a business’s digital infrastructure, was awarded $200,000.
  • Lora DiCarlo (Bend, OR) – Makers of sex tech products using advanced technology to mimic human touch and movements, was awarded $100,000.
  • The Run Experience (Bend, OR) – A daily fitness app with daily audio runs and training programs designed to build a healthy running habit, was awarded $50,000.

*The investment arm of the conference, BVC, LLC, awarded the Growth Stage investments following considerable due diligence of each of the five presenting finalists. Investments and follow-on deals are still being finalized.

Impact Competition

The Impact Competition, for-profit companies with an integrated social or environmental mission, had two winners, awarded by the BVC Impact LLC.

Winners of the BVC Impact LLC, Investment Awards*:

• • • Skip Technology (Portland, OR) – Developers and manufacturers of a novel flow, low-cost battery for use in utility scale energy storage, focusing on solar, wind and waves production facilities, was awarded $100,000.
    • TENZR Health (Vancouver, BC) – Intelligent wearable sensors, gamification and healthcare expertise, providing patients with motivation, guidance and certainty in their recovery, was awarded $50,000.

*The Impact investment arm of the conference awarded an investment following considerable due diligence of each of the four presenting finalists. Investments and follow-on deals are still being finalized.

Early Stage Competition

The Early Stage Competition included companies that are pre-revenue (or very early) and are in the process of testing their product in the market. The two winning Early Stage companies are:

Winners of the Portland Seed Fund Early Stage Competition:

• • Radious (Portland, OR) – An online marketplace for rentable home office and meeting space, was awarded $25,000.
  • Tonsil Tech (Bend, OR) – Makers of an at-home handheld device to remove tonsil stones painlessly and effectively, was awarded $25,000.

About Bend Venture Conference (BVC)
Now in its 18th year, BVC, hosted by EDCO, is one of the largest angel conferences in the country. Over the past five years, more than $10 million has been invested in 40 companies as a result of the conference. This year’s conference will take place October 21-22, 2021, gathering entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. 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. edcoinfo.com