Portland's startup community, long starved for big names and deep experience, gets a hefty dose of each today.

The

advertising firm is launching a technology-oriented business incubator at its Pearl District offices, joining some of its most prominent clients and some of the city's best-known technologists.

The venture, the Portland Incubator Experiment, began informally two years ago in vacant space in W+K's offices. It helped spawn a handful of tech startups.

Now, it's getting an official launch and some brand identity.

Backers include Coca-Cola Co., Nike and Target, all Wieden+Kennedy clients. By collaborating with Portland technologists, they hope to nurture the city's small but culturally vibrant tech community and develop expertise applicable to the household names among the ad firm's clients.

"Obviously there's interest in trying to help solve problems or take advantage of opportunities that the brands are seeing," said Rick Turoczy, a veteran Oregon technology consultant who writes the popular

tech blog. Turoczy, one of PIE's founders, will serve as the incubator's general manager.

Goal

: An incubator for technology startups serving consumer brands

Sponsors

: Wieden+Kennedy and three of its clients -- Coca-Cola, Target & Nike

Participating mentors

: W+K and its clients, plus Portlanders including Ward Cunningham (

),

(One of Twitter's earliest employees, now co-founder of BankSimple), technology editor

. Former Jive Software CEO Dave Hersh will also lend expertise, along with PIE alumni at Portland startup Urban Airship will also assist.

: Due August 1 for the first class, which starts September 1 with eight to 10 startups. PIE expects to select a second class for the spring of 2012.

Terms

: Participants will receive a

$1,000

$6,000 stipend for each founder (up to three founders, or $18,000) in exchange for a 6 percent equity stake in their company.

Location

: Wieden+Kennedy's offices in Portland's Pearl District

PIE will begin taking applications immediately for its three-month program, offering a small stipend, quarters and mentorship. It's set an Aug. 1 application deadline for a class of eight to 10 companies to join the incubator Sept. 1.

"We feel that there's a lot that we as an agency can learn from startups," said Nick Barham, director of the agency's W+K Tomorrow initiative. "By putting startups and our brands together we think we can create some great experiences."

Wieden+Kennedy is Nike's longtime ad agency, credited with the slogan "Just Do It."

In the past year, the firm has experienced a renaissance of sorts, earning industry recognition and awards for its Old Spice "

" campaign," which combined a clever television commercial and an extensive social media component.

In Portland, Barham said, the agency wants to build on the existing tech talent. It hopes entrepreneurs in other regions will be inspired to start their company here.

"Portland's a great city," he said, "and what we're offering at PIE is quite unique."

Initially, PIE seeks startups looking to contribute to the hottest consumer technologies.

"Mobile is top of mind for people, and given the depth of talent in Portland, we see that as a sweet spot," Turoczy said. But, "We're not going to turn away a good startup."

PIE's formal launch comes amid renewed interest in Oregon software and startups, which have long struggled for recognition. The region hasn't launched a really big tech business in more than a decade, even as they emerged by the score in the Silicon Valley and Seattle.

No Oregon company has held an initial public stock offering in nearly seven years, and a long string of promising Silicon Forest companies have moved away in search of talented employees and better funding opportunities.

The city recently made software a particular economic priority, and has contributed $500,000 in public money to help start the

, an investment vehicle that aims to help early-stage companies develop their first products. Mayor Sam Adams said last week that he's allocated $300,000 in the city's next budget to help expand the fund.

PIE hopes to collaborate with the seed fund, not compete with it, Turoczy said, and expects that some startups will participate in both programs.

"We're both committed to being collaborative and sending companies back and forth," said Angela Jackson, one of the seed fund's managers.

"We're coming out of such a funding drought for seed companies," she said, "that it'll be a long time before we have too much seed funding available."

Northwest Portland startup Pair Squared learned this week that the seed fund has turned down its application, but had already been planning on applying to PIE as well.

The chief attraction, said company President Justus Post, is its connection to Wieden+Kennedy’s clients list. For Pair Squared, which matches couples for double dates, it’s an opportunity to access well-known brands and build visibility.

“As a small guy, it’s difficult to get into that big-name client crowd,” Post said.

Business incubators, once derided as a refuge for struggling companies, are suddenly in vogue across technology. They've attracted fresh interest by matching startups with experienced entrepreneurs and talented techies.

A Silicon Valley incubator called

has become a prestigious finishing school for technology startups. Another,

, runs a three-month program in Boston, New York, Seattle and Boulder, Colo.

In Portland, PIE already has a strong following by virtue of its association with Turoczy and prominent mobile tech startup Urban Airship, which was PIE's first tenant.

Oregon entrepreneur Jeff Martens, founder of a cloud computing startup called

, said he believed initially that PIE was an insiders club that tended to exclude those without personal ties to its founders.

"I felt very strongly that it was cliquish," Martens said, "and that really irritated me."

Early outreach to the community was lacking, Turoczy admits. But he said efforts have improved in that regard, and the application process will now be open to anyone.

And Martens said that he's changed his views after reaching out to PIE's leadership.

"I think my initial opinion was too strong," said Martens, who's in the Silicon Valley this month drumming up interest in his business. PIE and its associates have been hugely encouraging, he said, providing introductions to potential partners and clients.

"Sixty to 70 percent of the meetings I have here were set up by people from PIE," Martens said.

Note: This article has been updated with comments from W+K and the Portland Seed Fund. The amount of the stipend has also been corrected.

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