on August 25, 2008 at 9:48 PM, updated October 05, 2009 at 2:55 PM. To venture capitalists like Mark Adams, the Columbia Gorge looks like an attractive and fertile trolling ground for startup investment, especially in the fast-moving clean-technology sector. Adams heads Hillsboro-based Intel Capital, which recently has announced backing for solar energy companies in Hillsboro and Germany and a "smart grid" energy firm in California.