Oregon-based firms press for more state investment support

A group of Oregon investors and entrepreneurs, upset at the pace of public investment in startup companies, plans a rally today to launch a grass-roots effort to shake $100 million loose from the Oregon Investment Fund.

By tapping into Portland’s social network of tightly connected software and Web developers, organizers of Thursday’s event downtown hope to attract dozens or hundreds of entrepreneurs to demonstrate that there’s untapped potential among the state’s startups. They want to accelerate the investment of state pension funds, which give Oregon entrepreneurs priority, to help back as many as 400 small companies.

"When we’ve got money to invest and people and talent, we should invest in that here," said Harvey Mathews, president of the Software Association of Oregon, which is helping organize tonight’s gathering.

Thursday March 19, 2009

Startup Now

What: a rally of Oregon entrepreneurs

Where: NedSpace, 920 S.W. Third Ave., Portland

When: 5 p.m. today

Who: Open to Oregon entrepreneurs

by Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian

Full Story: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/03/oregon_based_firms_press_for_m.html