Bend Venture Conference

EDCO opens a public application window each spring, drawing 80–100 applicants from across the United States and Canada. A screening committee of regional investors and operators narrows the pool to roughly 15 semifinalists, who pitch privately before a final selection of 5–6 companies for the October main event.

No. EDCO is a nonprofit economic-development organization and does not take carry, equity, or management fees. Investment commitments made at the conference are direct transactions between presenting companies and the attending investors, operating on an arm's-length basis.

The conference runs three tracks: growth-stage for companies with revenue and existing venture backing, early-stage for pre-revenue or seed-stage ventures, and an impact track for companies with a measurable social or environmental mission. Check sizes vary by track, typically ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 for early-stage winners and exceeding $250,000 for growth-stage winners.

The conference has historically gravitated toward enterprise software, consumer products, outdoor and recreation technology, and climate-tech. Recent cycles have seen increased concentration in renewable-energy storage and personalized health, reflecting investor appetite in the Pacific Northwest.

It is the largest single-event angel conference in Oregon by capital deployed and one of the few that draws a meaningful contingent of out-of-state investors. Unlike ongoing angel networks such as Seattle's Alliance of Angels, BVC operates on an annual festival model that creates a concentrated bidding moment — a structure that tends to favor later-stage, more fully priced rounds than typical angel meetings.