In 2014, Odysys Inc. founder Kent Schnepp and his wife made a list of relocation destinations.

The short list consisted of Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colorado; or Bend. Staying in Portland, their home at the time and the place where Schnepp had grown up and lived for much of his life, was also an option.

Schnepp said he wanted a change from Portland, and neither Austin or Boulder felt right when the couple visited.

“And then we went (to Bend), and all of a sudden our shoulders went down,” Schnepp said.

“We relaxed.”

Though Schnepp would not be the first entrepreneur to move to Bend for its quality of life, a strong tech scene was also a requirement. He would also be trying to get his most recent startup, Odysys, off the ground in a new city.

“Bend seems like the optimal place for that work/life balance, and it also feels like it’s on the cusp of significant growth,” he said.

What Odysys does

Odysys, a digital marketing platform for boutique and independent hotels, grew out of Schnepp’s love of travel and his background working with hotels at the search marketing company EngineWorks, which he co-founded in 2005 before selling in 2011.

Near the end of his time with the company, he noticed that small, independent hotels that lacked the time or background to market effectively online, were increasingly reliant on online travel agencies like Priceline and Expedia, which can get expensive.

“Unfortunately, when you’re a small bed-and-breakfast or an inn, you don’t have the purchasing power the larger chains have to negotiate down the commission fees,” Schnepp said.

Consequently, he saw an opportunity to bring website templates — with an emphasis on search engine optimization and direct bookings — to independent hotels to ensure they are less reliant on large booking agencies.

‘A lot of activity’

While Schnepp declined to mention how many properties Odysys is currently working with, the company has grown rapidly over the past 12 months. It is working with hotels across the United States, from Oregon to Virginia, and recently expanded outside the country. Schnepp said Odysys is in talks with hotels in Ireland and Malaysia.

Julie Harrelson, fund manager for Cascade Angels Fund, which invested $100,000 in Odysys in August, said the company’s blend of tech and hospitality made it a good fit for Bend.

“Odysys is targeting an interesting, growing market,” Harrelson said. “There’s a lot of activity in this marketplace.”

As a result, the company has scaled quickly. Odysys has grown to 10 employees, and all but one works at least part of the time at the Bend office, located in a converted office at 1000 NW Wall St.

While some tech companies have had issues attracting skilled workers to Bend, Schnepp pointed to the mix of tech startups and more established companies such as G5 and Navis as providing the basis for a successful tech ecosystem.

Rachel Beck, marketing manager for Odysys, added its success finding applicants is a testament to a growing technology talent pool in the region.

“It’s awesome that we have a Sisters High grad, a Bend High grad and a Mountain View grad working at a tech startup in Bend,” Beck said. “I think if you asked any of us if we that would be in our future, we would have said no.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com