NEWBERG, Ore. – A Portland-based app that pays users to stay off social media took home top honors at this year’s Pitch Willamette startup competition, capping off a day of networking and innovation at the Oregon Startup Conference at George Fox University on June 20.
Get These Stories First, Right in your Inbox
We send out a FREE weekly newsletter featuring the previous week’s biggest stories, upcoming events, and other local happenings. Our email newsletter is the first to know!
The annual conference, started in 2020, drew entrepreneurs and investors from across the region for a full day of panels, startup showcases, and live pitches. Hosted by the Launch Mid-Valley Innovation Hub, the event is part of a broader effort to support early-stage businesses across Yamhill, Marion, and Polk counties.
Dayo, a digital wellness app that rewards users with up to $5 a day for limiting social media use to 30 minutes or less, won the panel-judged pitch competition and received a $30,000 investment from the Mid-Valley Angel Fund.
Another honoree, Portland-based Life2Launch, walked away with the People’s Choice Award and a $1,000 prize after earning the crowd’s top vote.
Three Yamhill County companies, PourUp, Pure Light Botanical Beauty, and Communal—all from McMinnville—pitched in the competition. Last year, Newberg-based Revino co-won the pitch competition alongside enterprise leave management software provider Stirra.
Mike White, venture catalyst for Launch Mid-Valley, said the event is designed to connect founders with funding, visibility, and community support.
“Pitch Willamette is more than a competition — it’s a platform to elevate bold ideas and showcase the incredible talent in our region,” White said in a press release. “You could feel the energy in the room.”
The competition was just one part of the day’s agenda, which also included mentorship opportunities, panels, and networking for both aspiring and seasoned founders.
Launch Mid-Valley is one of several innovation hubs supported by a statewide economic development initiative funded by Business Oregon and the Oregon Innovation Council. The Mid-Valley hub, which received a $270,000 grant, is led by SEDCOR and supported by partners including George Fox University, Chemeketa Community College, and the Chehalem Valley Innovation Accelerator.
Learn more about the Oregon Startup Conference at its website.
Support Local Journalism
Stories like this are only possible with support from readers like you! Your contributions go to enabling free, engaging, informative community journalism and the most comprehensive events calendar in the Newberg-Dundee area.
