Startup Spotlight: GridVid.me touts low-cost video encoding

gridvidme1111

You can now watch your favorite shows no matter where you wander, tuning in on a smartphone or tablet. On the back end of that process, however, it can be a pain for individuals or companies to distribute their videos across multiple formats. Enter video encoders like Encoding.com and Zencoder, and most recently a Portland… Read More…

Show your quirky side: Vizify unveils new bite-sized infographics just about you

vizcards1

Whether looking for a job or a spouse, it’s more important than ever to be able to differentiate yourself and easily express what’s important to you. But, sometimes, words just can’t do the trick. And for those times, Portland startup Vizify thinks it has the solution. Their latest offering is something they are calling Vizcards… Read More…

Mobile-ticketing startup GlobeSherpa lands $1.3M to sell transit tickets on the go

globesherpalogo

GlobeSherpa, a Portland-based provider of secure mobile ticketing software and services, today announced a $1.3 million series B capital funding led by The Oregon Angel Fund to help the startup expand its business across the globe.  “We are excited to be supported by investors at the Oregon Angel Fund (OAF), who saw the success and solutions we’ve provided… Read More…

Why this CFO thinks it’s easier to hire in Portland than Silicon Valley

oregon-sign1

Is Portland becoming the newest hotbed for tech talent? It very well could be, at least according to one CFO. Jive Software, a maker of online tools that help workers collaborate on projects, is expanding its Portland office and CFO Bryan LeBlanc told the Portland Business Journal that he finds it easier to hire in Portland than in… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: Your Brandlive helps Internet retailers communicate with shoppers

brandlive44

Portland-based startup Your Brandlive formally launched today, announcing a new video social commerce platform designed to help make the retailer-customer relationship more personal. Essentially, Your Brandlive is a project of Cascade Web Development, connecting online retailers with online shoppers through live video chat. One sales person is able to communicate with hundreds of customers at once. “The… Read More…

Startup incubator Upstart Labs adds new partners, looks to fill series A funding crunch

upstartlabs

It sometimes feels like there’s a bit of incubator mania going on. In the past two weeks alone, we’ve written about two relatively new startup incubators in the Seattle area. Fledge specializes in getting socially-conscious companies off the ground, while 9Mile Labs is looking to make its mark by focusing on enterprise software startups. Now, here comes another… Read More…

Portland just isn’t where young people go to retire: It’s where they get VC money too

oregon-sign1

They’ve got The Timbers, and we’ve got the Sounders. They have a mediocre NBA team, and we’re getting ours back. They’ve got a quirky TV show with Kyle MacLachlan, and we once had one in the form of Twin Peaks. The Portland-Seattle rivalry is a fun one, and we like to do our part to… Read More…

Mobile marketing startup Urban Airship lands $25M

urbanairship44

Urban Airship, the Portland mobile marketing startup that helps companies such as ESPN, Groupon, Waze and others with push messaging, has reeled in $25 million in fresh funding in a deal led by August Capital. Existing investors, including Foundry Group, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Founder’s Co-op and Verizon, also participated. Total funding in the company, which… Read More…

Menuish helps you find restaurant menus on your phone

menuishsmall1

Like many couples hitting the town for a bite, Chris Eigner and Devon St. Clair started scrolling through their phones to find a good place to eat. But much to their frustration, most restaurants have flash-filled websites that are difficult to navigate, much like this Oatmeal comic demonstrates. So after dinner that night nine months ago,… Read More…

Vancouver beats out Seattle, Portland as most walkable city

walkscore111

Portland has the donuts, Seattle has the coffee and Vancouver, B.C. has the … sidewalks. Walk Score, a Seattle-based company that promotes walkable neighborhoods, just ranked the most walkable cities in Canada and Vancouver, B.C. took the top spot with a “Walk Score” of 78. That beats out Seattle (74) and Portland (66) as the most… Read More…