EDCO Announces Winners of The 2025 Bend Venture Conference
Bend, Ore. – October 20, 2025 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is pleased to announce the winners and companies receiving investment at the 2025 Bend Venture Conference (BVC), which took place October 16–17 at the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend.
Now in its 22nd year, the Bend Venture Conference has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier events for entrepreneurship, innovation and investment. Over the course of two days, ten finalists presented their ideas and business models to an audience of hundreds of investors, business leaders and community members, competing for investment and cash awards. BVC connects investors and industry leaders with startup founders ready to scale, featuring separate tracks for early and growth-stage companies. The conference drives exposure, funding and long-term relationships that strengthen Central Oregon’s economy and supports promising startups.
This year $278,000 in investment was committed across six companies, with additional investment deals still being finalized. An additional $25,700 was awarded in cash to two companies, both from Central Oregon.
“For more than two decades, the Bend Venture Conference has been a cornerstone of Central Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Jon Stark, CEO of EDCO. “Each year, we see extraordinary innovation and dedication from the companies that take the stage. The connections and capital generated through BVC do not just change the trajectory of these startups, they strengthen the economic fabric of our entire region.”
Early Stage:
The Early Stage Track features companies that are in the proof-of-concept or early-revenue stages and that are testing their products in the market. These companies are evaluated by judges based on revenue potential, proof of market, scalability, and the founder’s experience and grit.
Toast Wear Inc. (Bend, OR) – Received a $25k cash award made possible by the generosity of local community members, including Taylor Brooks, Rod Ray, Horan MediaTech Advisors, and Scott and Annie Allan. Cold is universal. Your gear is personal. Toast solves both with a personal thermostat for your jacket, making existing apparel your go-to for warmth.
Yak Incorporated (Portland, OR) – Received a $15k investment from the Founder First fund. Yak is the all-in-one, automation and AI-powered platform that automates audits for accounting firms, cutting admin work in half and ending auditor burnout.
SokoLife (Eugene, OR) – Received a $5k investment from the Founder First fund. SokoLife is revolutionizing cardiac care with innovative, non-toxic patches for congenital heart defect repair, reducing reinterventions and healthcare costs.
Growth Stage:
The Growth Stage track at BVC highlights companies that have demonstrated significant traction and are poised for rapid expansion.
The Growth Stage finalists that were awarded investment this year are:
Rapta (Tigard, OR) – Was awarded a $110,500 investment by BVC investors. Rapta supercharges U.S. manufacturing by increasing capacity 30% through eliminating 98% of errors and accelerating workflows 10x faster.
Photon Marine (Portland, OR) – Was awarded a $65,000 investment by BVC investors. Photon Marine is building the world’s most capable electric fleet.
Bold Reuse (Portland, OR) – Was awarded a $50,000 investment by BVC investors. Bold Reuse reduces costs and waste from single-use packaging through reusable packaging systems, a Bold Reuse is critical infrastructure for the circular economy.
MarineSitu (Seattle, WA) – Was awarded a $32,500 investment by BVC investors. MarineSitu provides marine infrastructure monitoring through their AI software platform, preventing costly interventions, saving time and increasing efficiency.
In addition, the EDCO Board of Directors awarded a $700 cash award to BVC Future presenter Levi Waters, from Caldera High School, founder of ClimbGrade. By standardizing grades, ClimbGrade empowers climbers to track progress accurately, helps setters design fair routes and gives gyms a consistent benchmark that strengthens their accountability.
Brian Vierra, EDCO’s Venture Catalyst Director, noted, “The quality and diversity of companies at BVC this year truly underscores the maturity of our startup ecosystem. Our investors are not only funding great ideas, they are backing founders with the drive to build scalable, high-impact businesses that will create jobs and opportunities.”
All investments are awarded following detailed due diligence of each presenting finalist. The final amounts to be distributed depend on the investment commitments received from third-party investors, as well as the ability of the winning companies and investors to agree on the terms and conditions of the investment. The Bend Venture Conference cannot guarantee that investments will be awarded in any specific amount.