Starting something can be scary

But it doesn’t have to be. For more than a decade, PIE has been working with people who are just starting the companies they want to build. Call them founders. Or entrepreneurs. Or startups. Whatever you call them, we’re here to help. With a tightly knit community of mentors, alums, peers, and partners all focused on helping you demystify the process of starting something new. PIE will help you gain a solid understanding of how to really build a business — separating the myths of unicorns and overnight success from the actual reality of being a founder. If that sounds like something that you would like to be a part of, we encourage you to join us.

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How can PIE help me?

PIE is a program predicated on providing founders — often first time entrepreneurs — with access to the mentorship and networks they need to be successful. And we do it by focusing on what each company needs, rather than being driven by a one size fits all curriculum. Think of it as an independent study, enabling you to focus on the issues, problems, and opportunities that matter most to you — all while being supported by a network of peers and mentors. What’s more, in addition to programming, PIE provides access to discounted and free services designed to equip your company with the tools you need to succeed.

Best of all? PIE provides all of this at no cost. The program asks for no equity and charges no tuition. It is absolutely free and clear.

Current programs

SaaS & Mobile

[On hiatus for 2024] PIE is focused on rapidly scaling software based businesses, including Software as a Service (SaaS), mobile applications, and the like. Our ideal candidate for this program has a working prototype, has identified a potential target market, and is pre-funding and/or pre-revenue. (That being said, we’ve also worked with solo founders, back of the napkin concepts, and companies that have already raised millions of dollars in venture capital. Again, ideal is ideal, but we’re open to a variety of companies. So don’t let “ideal” dissuade you.)

Manufacturing

Run in partnership with Autodesk, PIE Shop focuses on hardware-based projects, connected devices, and other manufactured objects. Our ideal candidate has a founding team with a functional prototype — even if it’s running off of a breadboard or Raspberry Pi — and has identified a potential target market. Preference will be given to companies that are interested in using Autodesk Fusion 360 as part of designing a product for manufacturing. Again, PIE Shop generally works with companies that are pre-funding and/or pre-revenue.

Consumer products

In collaboration with Built Oregon, the Built Accelerator focuses on teams building traditional consumer product offerings, like food, beverages, apparel, beauty, outdoor, pet products, and the like — products designed to be sold via retail, ecommerce, or direct to consumer. Unlike other PIE programs which focus on early-stage endeavors, this program seeks growth stage, traded sector companies that are post-revenue and is designed to serve the founding team of the company.

Frequently Asked Questions

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PIE Demo Days

PIE Demo Day 2020

PIE Demo Day 2019

PIE Demo Day 4

PIE Demo Day 3

PIE Demo Day 2

PIE Demo Day 1

Join us in writing a guide to accelerators

Please join us in building the PIE Cookbook, an open source guide that pulls back the curtain on the accelerator process. To help anyone, anywhere build the startup accelerator of their dreams. Why are we doing this? Because we believe that each and every community — with the right tools — has the potential to assist and accelerate its most promising folks — further and faster — toward success.
And that’s good for everyone.

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An ever-changing experiment

With its origins in a conversation between Wieden+Kennedy, the largest privately held creative advertising agency in the world, and the Portland, Oregon, startup community, the Portland Incubator Experiment — known more commonly as PIE — has become an ongoing experiment designed to enable established organizations — corporations, government, and educational institutions, among others — to more effectively collaborate with startup communities in mutually beneficial ways. Throughout its history, PIE has served as a curated coworking space, a community event space, a startup accelerator, a flashpoint for corporate innovation, an accelerator for accelerators, and a home-away-from-home for startup types — and the startup curious — from around the world. It's all part of testing how startups, brands, and others can collaborate without killing each other.

PIE hearts Portland

Portland, Oregon, boasts more microbreweries, restaurants, food carts, batch distilleries, and open source user groups per capita than any city in the world. Some call it the most entrepreneurial city, ever. It's determined to be the most green, friendly, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, bike-commutable, soccer-loving, and livable town possible — even as it deals with its increasing popularity as a destination. And if that's not good enough for you, it's 90 minutes from the ocean and 90 minutes from skiing and snowboarding, year round. Most importantly, entrepreneurs know it's the best place in the world to turn your business dream into a reality. To make your company work. To make it.