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Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

SBIR part 2: How SBIR Actually Works — A Practical Guide for Innovators Who Prefer Substance Over Spectacle | by Surj Patel | Apr, 2026 | Punkworks.com

At its core, SBIR is simply a structured pathway designed to help promising technologies move from concept to commercialization. It is less a labyrinth and more a well-signposted journey — albeit one that benefits from careful preparation and a reasonable tolerance for paperwork.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

GenAI is raising the stakes in managing a global workforce; trust and speed are emerging as decisive, EY research finds | EY – Global

72% of mobility teams are scaling GenAI and agentic AI to improve speed and consistency, but just 51% of functions trust that their data is accurate to move to the next phase.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

The Math on the Page – by Angel Medina – Between Courses

I built República the same way I built the coffee shops. And I built the coffee shops the same way I built this idea — long before it had a name. I built all of it as proof. Proof that I could build something real. Proof that I understood how this works.

Part of working to garner wider recognition for Oregon startups is ensuring that folks outside of our own ecosystem are aware of what’s being built around here. Global pitch competitions — like TiE Women and SXSW Pitch — are a great way of raising that visibility. And now, there’s another global stage for your startup to take: Startup World Cup is holding its Portland Regional on May 13, 2026, as part of Portland Startup Week 2026.

Not a week goes by that I don’t have this conversation with a local founder. “Why is it so hard to raise early stage capital in Oregon…?” or “Why is there so much risk aversion around here…?” or “Why am I getting Series B due diligence questions for an Angel sized check…?” And all of those questions are answered with a very similar response: It’s a vicious cycle.