Week ending Feb 13, 2026 - Oregon startup news

Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day, but Oregon Venture Fund just gave founders the real love language: clarity. OVF published a new AI startup rubric — stage-by-stage expectations from pre-seed to Series A — covering what they actually look for in product, traction, team, go-to-market, and yes… revenue (because “it’s AI” isn’t a business model). I break down how to use it to stop wasting shots, pitch when you’re truly ready, and avoid the quiet “circle back” purgatory. Then we swing to angels: Angel Oregon 2026 is live with timelines for Tech, CPG, and Life/Bioscience. Bootstrappers, you’re not left out: MicroConf US is coming to Portland (tickets aren’t cheap, but the value might be). And finally, the doom-and-gloom headlines—why they matter, what they miss, and the part nobody should forget: startups still drive net new job growth. Keep up the good work.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Oregon startup news intro1:52 New AI startup scorecard 3:18 Angel Oregon 2026 10:46 MicroConf is coming to Portland 11:33 Portland doom and gloom 12:09 “Secrets” begins (personal/community notes)LINKS- https://siliconflorist.com/2026/02/13/ai-inspires-oregon-venture-fund-to-revise-their-startup-assessment-framework/- https://oen.org- https://microconf.com/us-flagship- https://youtu.be/JAdLTPj5L40- https://www.steamcircuit.com/events/61b8c1ba-e9bf-4dfc-b86e-17c125cd685b- https://pdxslack.comFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland Oregon startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland Oregon startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- Startup Stories on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1Tk7bbzaNYowGouI9ucKC3- Startup Stories on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-stories-with-silicon-florist/id1849468494- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur