EDCO Announces Winners of the 2026 Bend Venture Conference
$1 Million in Investment Commitments and Cash Awarded to Six Companies at 23rd Annual Event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bend, Ore. – October 19, 2026 – Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) announces the winners of the 2026 Bend Venture Conference (BVC), where five companies received investment commitments totaling $960,000 and Bend-based startup VeriBuy received a $40,000 cash award. Additional investment deals are still being finalized.
Held Oct. 15-16 at the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend, the 23rd annual conference brought together investors, founders, business leaders, students, and community members for two days of startup pitches, presentations, investment conversations, and opportunities to connect emerging companies with capital to support their growth.
Thirteen finalists presented across three tracks: Early Stage, Growth Industries and Growth Tech. Together, the companies represented a range of industries and approaches to solving problems, developing new products and bringing innovations to market. Through its connections between founders and investors, BVC helps promising companies gain exposure, pursue funding and build relationships that can support their next stage of growth.
“Bend Venture Conference is about more than investment dollars. It’s about giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to put their ideas in front of people who can help them move forward and connecting investors with companies working to solve real problems and build lasting businesses,” said Jon Stark, CEO of EDCO. “This year’s results reflect the talent and determination of the founders who took the stage, as well as the investors and community members willing to get behind them. We’re proud to bring these people together and help create opportunities for companies to grow.”
Early Stage:
The Early Stage track features companies in the proof-of-concept or early-revenue stages that are validating their products in the market. Judges evaluated these companies based on demonstrated customer need, market opportunity, business model viability, scalability, and the founder’s ability to execute.
The Early Stage finalist that was awarded a cash prize this year is:
VeriBuy (Bend, OR) – Received a $40k cash award thanks to generous local community members, among whom are Bend Wealth Advisors, Scott and Annie Allan, Horan MediaTech Advisors, Taylor Brooks, Rod Ray, and Hannah M. Austin and Peter Stewart Skei of The Auskei Charitable Fund. VeriBuy makes vehicle condition provable — a renter-confirmed baseline at pickup, AI-verified changes at return and evidence behind every damage charge.
Growth Stage:
The Growth Stage track at BVC highlights companies that have demonstrated significant traction and are poised for rapid expansion. Growth Industries is for companies whose core differentiation is brand, physical products, science, or engineering. This includes outdoor and lifestyle brands, food and agriculture, consumer products, biotech and life sciences, hardware, and climate-focused hardware and physical solutions. Growth Tech is for companies whose core differentiation is technology. This includes software, AI and platform-driven companies across climate, health, finance, education, enterprise, and other sectors.
The Growth Industries finalists that were awarded investment this year are:
Osheru, Inc. (Bend, OR) - Was awarded a $125,000 investment by BVC investors. Osheru, Inc., crafts innovative medical devices for surgeons to delight patients with outstanding outcomes as they grow their practices. Opening eyes beautifully!
Penderia Technologies (Eugene, OR) – Was awarded a $200,000 investment by Launch Oregon. Penderia Technologies believes data from sensors improves clinical care and have developed implantable sensors from University of Oregon research for use in orthopedic procedures.
The Growth Tech finalists that were awarded investment this year are:
Caravel Bio (Portland, OR) - Was awarded a $150,000 investment by the Intrepid Oregon Fund. Carval Bio, the world's best protein engineering platform.
CleanHaus (Portland, OR) - Was awarded a $50,000 investment by BVC investors plus an additional $15,000 from Horan MediaTech Advisors, announced during the awards ceremony. CleanHaus coordinates short-term rental cleaning and maintenance operations end-to-end: dispatching and confirming cleaners and contractors, solving any issue.
Permeta (Lake Oswego, OR) - Was awarded a $250,000 investment by Elevate Capital and a $170,000 investment by BVC investors. Permeta uses proprietary AI to transform permitting and regulatory operations for the energy industry.
Wendy Morgan, EDCO’s Venture Catalyst Director, noted, “This year’s Bend Venture Conference highlighted the strength and diversity of Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with $1 million awarded to six outstanding Oregon companies. From pioneering medical technologies that improve patient care to innovations that accelerate energy infrastructure development, these founders are solving meaningful challenges and building scalable businesses. Their success will create high-value jobs, attract investment, strengthen Oregon’s economy, and elevate our state’s reputation as a national hub for innovation.”
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.