Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
The provision to the reconciliation bill was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Many prominent Silicon Valley executives — including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, and a16z’s Marc Andreessen — were in favor of the so-called “AI moratorium,” which they said would prevent states from forming an unworkable patchwork of regulation that could stifle AI innovation.
Nineteen startups completed the nine-month program, based at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. It’s the fourth session session since CDL launched its Seattle hub in 2021.
As the NBA enters a busy offseason, Ron Wyden has tough words for any moneyed interests looking to take the Portland Trail Blazers out of Rip City: “Nobody takes the Blazers team out of town unless they stomp all over me in broad daylight,” the Oregon senator tells Rolling Stone.
All of the pieces I’ve written on the topic before were more about prosecuting the sentiment of the meme. But the reality is that as much truth as there is behind the criticism that VCs stop at “how can I be helpful” without actually being helpful, there is also truth behind the first principles that VCs should approach things from the lens of being helpful.
Context Engineering is new term gaining traction in the AI world. The conversation is shifting from “prompt engineering” to a broader, more powerful concept: Context Engineering. Tobi Lutke describes it as “the art of providing all the context for the task to be plausibly solvable by the LLM.” and he is right.
Join us Thursday, July 10 from 4–6 PM at Brix Tavern in Tualatin for an evening that’s more than a happy hour—it’s a catalyst for connection. Techworks on Tap brings together founders, innovators, and tech leaders to exchange insights, ask bold questions, and uncover practical solutions to shared challenges.
Headquartered in West Linn, AquaHarmonics has been around for nearly 10 years, launching as a startup after winning the Department of Energy’s $1.5 million Wave Energy Prize in 2016.
The Portland, Ore.-based startup is bootstrapped and recently ran a crowdfunding campaign. Pistakio co-founder Francine Voit said she and co-founder Nicola Buffo still had to cover travel and accommodations, but the waved display fee was a major help. “We probably wouldn’t have come if we didn’t get a free booth,” Voit said.
This misallocation of capital doesn’t just represent missed opportunities. It actively reinforces homogeneity in an industry that thrives on contrarian thinking, leaving alpha on the table.
Founders looking to approach VCs for investment need to understand the four forces that influence how and where VCs invest: 1) how VCs make money, 2) the Lemming Effect, 3) the current economic climate and 4) Secondaries.
The bill is led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
These companies don’t fit neatly into a single category. Some are building tactical autonomy, others are advancing compact fusion, modernizing satellite operations, deploying AI-driven robotics, or hardening energy systems. The connective tissue is regional: they’re born out of Cascadia’s unique access to technical talent, physical infrastructure, research depth, and enterprise buyers. We call this Cascadian Dynamism.
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