BEND, OR – October 18, 2019 – "Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) hosted the 16th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) to a sold-out crowd at the Tower Theatre in Downtown Bend. This August, nearly 100 companies from across the U.S. and Canada applied to the conference in hopes of making it to the Tower Theatre stage. Over the past two days, 14 finalists presented their ideas to nearly 600 attendees."

Cascadian Group's Principal, Jason M. Moyer, has managed BVC's growth-stage funds since 2014.

​Read more here.

BEND, OR – October 19, 2018 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) hosted the 15th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) to a sold-out crowd at the Tower Theatre in Downtown Bend. Over the past two days, 14 companies presented their ideas to 600 attendees in hopes of gaining investments from prominent funds. Of those 14 finalists, half of them walked away with funding totaling $1,807,500 in both investments and cash prizes. Side investment deals are still being finalized...

Cascadian Group's Principal, Jason M. Moyer, manages BVC's growth-stage investment process.

Read more here: bendvc.edcoinfo.com

Cascadian Group has sponsored and volunteered with the Bend Venture Conference since 2007. BVC's 2016 growth-stage fund, managed by Cascadian principal Jason M. Moyer, recently cashed out of RFPIO, adding to BVC's collective returns. Read more here:

​Bend Bulletin Article

Cascadian Group has been supporting the Bend Venture Conference since 2007, as it has grown to become one of the more notable events in the country. BVC 2018 is open for companies to apply through August 8th.

A related article includes current perspectives on venture investment, as quoted in the Bulletin.

General information for October's conference appears here.

TRENT BANGERTER JOINS CASCADIAN GROUP AS MANAGING DIRECTOR
To lead new Boulder, CO office through expansion into Rocky Mountain States
 
Bend, OR – March 5, 2018 – Cascadian Group, LLC has selected Trent Bangerter to lead its expansion into the Rocky Mountain States.  Trent will join venture development, executive consulting, and M&A engagements across the Western US, with particular emphasis on Colorado and Utah.
 
Trent is a proven cross-industry executive, further traversing general management, M&A, business development, finance, and consulting.  His past roles have included serving on the Board of Directors for Rocky Mountain Care; CEO of Matrix Medical Technologies; Vice President, Acquisitions & Development with Canyon Creek Development; Director with Sierra Consulting Group; and Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing with NexTrust, LLC.  Most recently, he’s led his own asset management group, 3B Enterprises, pursuing healthcare investment strategies.
 
Trent earned his BA through the honors program at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, majoring in International Business.  He is an Eagle Scout, multi-engine private pilot, world traveler, and business adventurer.
 
ABOUT CASCADIAN GROUP, LLC
 
Cascadian Group, LLC (“Cascadian”) is a private firm dedicated to venture development, executive management consulting, and M&A support.  We are on a mission to help build better businesses, and believe in reaching beyond incremental improvements to seek crucial opportunities that can substantially enhance a company’s performance and value.  Our clients are typically early-stage to mid-cap companies in transition, facing significant challenges and events.

ALEXIS J. MARTIN JOINS CASCADIAN GROUP AS DIRECTOR, SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Addition enhances advisory services provided by the region’s foremost executive consulting group
 
Bend, OR – January 8, 2018 – Alexis Martin has joined Cascadian Group, LLC, as Director of Sales & Business Development, to augment the firm’s diverse capabilities in executive management.  Alexis will join new venture, executive consulting, and M&A engagements across the Western US, and will be focused primarily on strategies to accelerate revenue growth for client companies.
 
Alexis is an accomplished business development professional who has worked across diverse industries, products, and countries.  Her early career included three years with a research sales division at Goldman Sachs in New York City, subsequently supporting more than one hundred NYSE-listed firms as a corporate relations analyst at LaBranche & Co.  She later gained advisory experience in startups, turnarounds, and acquisitions.  Most recently, Alexis served seven years as Senior Director of Global Business Development at MDF Instruments USA, based in Los Angeles, driving international growth in excess of 40% annually.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Boston University, and her MBA from Pepperdine University.
 
ABOUT CASCADIAN GROUP, LLC
 
Cascadian Group, LLC (“Cascadian”) is a private firm dedicated to venture development, executive management consulting, and M&A support.  We are on a mission to help build better businesses, and believe in reaching beyond incremental improvements to seek crucial opportunities that can substantially enhance a company’s performance and value.  Clients are typically early-stage to mid-cap companies in transition, facing significant challenges and events.

THE BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE AWARDS OVER $7,600,000 IN LAST FOUR YEARS, WITH $1,650,000 IN FUNDING FOR 2017
Eight Companies Across Three Competition Categories Take Home Investments and Cash Prizes
                                   
BEND, OR – October 20, 2017 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) hosted the 14th Annual Bend Venture Conference (BVC) to a sold-out crowd at the Tower Theatre in Downtown Bend. Over the past two days, 14 companies presented their ideas to over 600 attendees in hopes of gaining investments from prominent funds. Of those 14 finalists, eight companies walked away with funding totaling $1,650,000 in both investments and cash prizes. Side investment deals are still being finalized.
 
Over the past four years, the Bend Venture Conference has awarded more than $7,600,000 million to 30 companies, completely reinventing Oregon’s angel and venture investor landscape. This year’s award breakdown is as follows:
 
Growth Stage Competition

The Growth Stage competition, which included companies that have a proven concept and initial revenues, had five different winners.

• Winners of BVC, LLC, Investment Awards*:
  • LeadMethod (Bend, OR), the creator of the first channel revenue optimization software, was awarded an investment of $110,000+.
  • Handful (Wilsonville, OR), the creators of flattering, versatile lifestyle products for women, was awarded a secondary investment of $100,000.
• Winners of Business Oregon Awards:
  • Drone Complier (Portland, OR), providing government compliance management solutions to companies in the Drone Industry, was awarded $200,000.
  • Levrum (Corvallis, OR), BVC semi-finalists and creators of a program that more efficiently deploys emergency services, was awarded $175,000.
  • LeadMethod received an additional $150,000.
  • InvestiPro (Bend, OR), creators of a cloud-based, fully-automated workplace investigation platform, was awarded $150,000.
• Winner of Cascade Angels Fund Investment Award:

• LeadMethod was awarded an additional $175,000.
• Winner of an Elevate Capital, Credo Investments & TiE Oregon Award:
  • Handful received an additional $250,000. 
• Winners of Portland Seed Fund Investment Awards:
  • LeadMethod received an additional $50,000.
  • Handful received an additional $50,000.
  • Drone Complier received an additional $25,000.

 
*The investment arm of the conference, BVC, LLC, awarded the Growth Stage investments following considerable due diligence of each of the five presenting finalists. The investment included $10,000 from Oregon Community Foundation and $25,000 from Oregon Growth Account. Investments are still being finalized, with the final amounts to be announced in the coming months.

Social Impact Competition

The Social Impact competition, which included for-profit companies with an integrated social or environmental mission, had one winner awarded by the Social Impact LLC. This is the third award given by the Social Impact LLC in two years.

• Winner of Social Impact, LLC, Investment Award*:
  • Green Theme International (Portland, OR), creators of sustainable and water-free textile and fabric finishing techniques, was awarded $110,000+.

 
*The social impact investment arm of the conference awarded an investment following considerable due diligence of each of the four presenting finalists. This investment included $25,000 from Oregon Growth Account and $15,000 from Craft3. Investments are still being finalized, with the final amount to be announced in the coming months.

Early Stage Competition

• Winner of the BendBroadband Business Early Stage Competition:
  • BladeRunner Energy (Bend, OR) won the $17,500 BendBroadband Business Early Stage cash award. For this competition, conference attendees voted on the company they believed could benefit the most from the money. BladeRunner Energy creates a micro-hydro technology based on biomimicry that harnesses renewable energy from the natural flow of water.
• Winner of a Business Oregon Award:
  • BVC Finalist Voilà (Bend, OR) was awarded $85,000. Voilà creates specialty instant coffee sourced from top US roasters, delivered monthly.

 
Over half of the BVC’s presenting companies received funding. The event’s two big winners receiving the most in funding are LeadMethod, walking away with over $485,000, and Handful receiving $400,000.
 
“The Bend Venture Conference continues to evolve and advance Central Oregon as a great place for startups and entrepreneurs. The quality of companies that continue to apply and present at BVC is overwhelming,” said Brian Vierra, EDCO’s Venture Catalyst. “Over the past four years, we’ve announced numerous winners – almost all our finalists are ending up with some type of funding or mentoring as a result of the conference. Our goal is to move all these companies towards the next step in their lifecycle.”

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.

​Cascadian Group, LLC has selected Stephen King as Director of Corporate Development to augment the firm’s diverse capabilities in executive management.  Stephen will join venture development, executive consulting, and M&A engagements across the Western US, with particular emphasis on strategic leadership and corporate growth.
 
Stephen is a veteran CEO who has produced $5B+ in shareholder value, leading organizations to exceptional performance by engaging teams, transforming cultures, and implementing creative organizational solutions.  He served as CMO and head of Europe for a $2B multinational; grew a company from $90M to $300M ($8B market cap on NASDAQ); nurtured a startup to $20M, exiting for $100M; turned around a public company, selling for $400M; and acquired multiple businesses along the way.  A strategic visionary, he is nonetheless willing to get his hands dirty, driving rapid expansion through sales and marketing.
 
Stephen graduated from the London School of Economics, attended Wharton’s executive development program, and embarked on a PhD in Mythology and Depth Psychology.

The Bend Venture Conference, hosted by EDCO, is the largest Angel Conference in the Pacific Northwest.  Last year, over 600 attendees, 50 prominent investors, and 89 companies joined us for a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation.  Investments, awards, and prizes of nearly $4 million opened the opportunity for multiple winners at the 2016 conference!

Cascadian Group has sponsored and otherwise supported BVC since 2007, and principal Jason M. Moyer has managed the annual growth-stage fund(s) since 2014.  Organizers just announced this year's top ten companies, outlined here.