The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) has announced the top five Early Stage finalists advancing to the 17th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) on October 15 and 16. These companies will compete for an investment of $30,000 from Portland Seed Fund.

The Early Stage competition includes companies that have a great idea and are close to “proof of concept.” They are pre-revenue (or very early) and are in the process of testing their product in the market.

Ten companies took the stage both virtually and in person to pitch during the September 24 Central Oregon PubTalk. Masa won the audience vote and received a $3,000 cash award, courtesy of Portland Seed Fund and Elevate Capital.

The five finalists that will compete at BVC are:

1. ADHERE GEAR Tech Corp. (Portland): Deploying shared-use luggage and travel gear for passengers to create a safer and cleaner environment for their personal items.

2. Cozera (Portland): Creating verified digital identities for remote and in-person identity verification to increase customer satisfaction and deter identity fraud.

3. Masa (Portland): The first online farmers market, bringing farmers markets to people via an online marketplace (think Etsy for farmers).

4. MustDeliver (Portland): A digital marketplace delivering industry-leading clarity, control, and communication between shippers and drivers in the trucking business.

5. YesOMS (Bend): A platform for merchants and brand owners to offer a superior user experience to their customers through their own branded mobile application.

Tickets to BVC are on sale: www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-bend-venture-conference-tickets-107892112212.