Amazon
Facts
- HQ
- SEATTLE
- Sectors
- E-commerce, Cloud computing, Aerospace/Satellites, Media/Streaming, Advertising, Consumer devices
- Founded
- 1994
- Type
- Corporation Seattle business license
- Employees
- 1600000
- Registered name
- Amazon.Com Inc Seattle business license
- Stage
- Public
Christie's Launches Venture Arm Led by Seattle's Devang Thakkar to Invest in Web3 and Art Tech Startups
Christie's has launched a new venture capital arm to fund early-stage tech startups in Web3, fintech for the art market, and AR/VR art experiences, led globally by Seattle-based Devang Thakkar. This move follows the auction house's notable involvement in NFTs, including facilitating Beeple's $69.3 million sale, amid a cooling NFT market now seen as an opportune investment period.
Matt McIlwain, Madrona Venture Group Managing Director, veteran investor in seed and Series A tech companies
Matt McIlwain is a Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group in Seattle with over 25 years investing in seed and Series A technology companies; Madrona manages over $2B and was an early investor in Amazon, Smartsheet, Isilon, Redfin, and Snowflake. He focuses on cloud computing, data-driven and intelligent applications, champions the 'Learning Loop' for entrepreneurs, and previously worked at Genuine Parts Company, McKinsey & Company, and Credit Suisse.
Possible Finance and Lending Club Thrive Amid Rising Interest Rates by Serving Underserved Markets and Leveraging Banking Charters
Some tech-driven lending companies like Possible Finance and Lending Club are benefiting or remaining stable despite rising interest rates, as they cater to underserved or recession-resistant markets and have diversified revenue streams. Possible Finance expects growth fueled by increased demand for consumer credit among lower-income Americans, while Lending Club's banking charter helps buffer economic downturn impacts.
Seattle Rises to No. 9 Globally in Startup Genome Rankings with $8.5B VC Investment in 2021
Seattle ranked ninth globally and second in North America in Startup Genome's 2021 global startup ecosystem rankings, highlighted for strengths in AI, big data, and life sciences. The region saw $8.5 billion invested in 549 venture capital deals in 2021, with an estimated ecosystem value of approximately $109 billion.
Titan Casket Raises $3.5M to Expand Direct-to-Consumer Casket Line and Speed Delivery
Titan Casket, a startup selling caskets directly to consumers online, raised $3.5 million to expand its product line and improve shipping speeds. Founded in 2016, the company experienced 400% growth in 2021 and aims to deliver caskets within one to two business days to most U.S. metro areas.
Seattle VC Chris DeVore: Enterprise Software Startups in Pacific Northwest Poised for Resilience Amid Economic Downturn
Seattle's startup scene, centered on enterprise software and cloud infrastructure, may be more resilient during economic downturns according to VC Chris DeVore of Founders' Co-op. The region's focus on solving essential business problems positions its startups to endure better than those in more glamorous sectors.
Seattle Startup JetClosing to Shut Down on June 15 After Six Years Digitizing Home Closing Process
JetClosing, a Seattle startup founded in 2016 to digitize the home closing process using technology, is shutting down on June 15, 2022. The company struggled amid a cooling housing market and strong competition despite offering faster, cheaper, and more transparent services.
Seattle Startup Lockstep, Backed by American Express, Launches Free Shared Accounting Inbox Amid Rapid Growth
Seattle startup Lockstep, backed by American Express and led by CEO Peter Horadan, is growing rapidly with 20,000 customers and a rising demand for its accounting automation software. The company just launched Lockstep Inbox, a free shared accounting inbox, aiming to become the 'LinkedIn of accounting' by automating manual financial workflows.
Seattle Startup Veeve Partners with Albertsons to Launch Smart Shopping Carts in Dozens of Stores Nationwide in 2023
Seattle-based startup Veeve, founded by ex-Amazon engineers, is partnering with Albertsons to roll out its smart shopping carts in dozens of stores nationwide later this year, enabling checkout-free shopping. The carts feature touchscreens, integrated scales, and loyalty program integration, aligning with the growing trend toward contactless, cashierless retail experiences.
Amazon Shuts Down Selz One Year After Acquisition Amid Launch of Buy with Prime Program
Amazon is shutting down the e-commerce startup Selz about a year after acquiring it in 2023, while supporting merchants with a 60-day transition period and waiving service fees. This move coincides with Amazon's launch of Buy with Prime, a program enabling Prime members to purchase from non-Amazon sites, positioning Amazon in competition with Shopify, which recently announced a $2.1 billion deal to acquire logistics startup Deliverr.
Seattle-Area Startups Raise $1.5 Billion in Q1 2022 Amid U.S. VC Funding Slowdown from $95.4B Q4 2021
Seattle-area startups raised $1.5 billion in Q1 2022 across 112 deals, down from $2.7 billion in Q4 2021 but still higher than Q1 2021, amid a broader U.S. venture capital slowdown driven by inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainty. Despite lower funding levels, the venture capital market is experiencing a healthy recalibration with strong business models and significant dry powder available to support startups.
Fintech Startup Formations Raises $8M to Simplify Taxes for Freelancers with Focus on Realtors
Bellevue-based fintech startup Formations raised $8 million to simplify tax and paperwork processes for self-employed individuals, initially targeting realtors. The company has served about 700 customers with average savings of $8,000 each and recently partnered with Gusto to expand its services.
Former Microsoft VP Gavriella Schuster Joins Nerdio Board; Ex-Mailchimp CPO Natalia Williams Hired by Hootsuite; Ex-Amazon Product Leader Sophi Kim Joins Shelf Engine
Gavriella Schuster, former Microsoft VP, joined Nerdio's board, Natalia Williams became Hootsuite's CPO, and Sophi Kim, ex-Amazon product leader, joined Shelf Engine as head of product management. These strategic hires bolster leadership at companies focused on cloud services, social media management, and grocery tech.
Hazel Analytics Expands Partnership with Yelp to Provide Health Ratings for Restaurants Across 48 U.S. States and Canada
Seattle startup Hazel Analytics expanded its partnership with Yelp to provide standardized health inspection ratings for restaurants now covering 48 states and parts of Canada, serving nearly 70% of the U.S. population. Founded in 2014 by academics and economists, Hazel collects and standardizes health data to improve public awareness and supports major restaurant chains with inspection dashboards.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Featured on 2022 Time 100 Most Influential Companies Cover Alongside Rec Room and Wyze
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is featured on the cover of Time's 2022 100 Most Influential Companies issue alongside Mindy Kaling and Bang Si-hyuk. Seattle-based VR company Rec Room and smart-home brand Wyze also appear on the list for their innovations and recent growth.
Seattle Entrepreneur Alex Algard Launches Online List Tracking 375+ Corporations Boycotting Russia Amid Ukraine Invasion
Seattle entrepreneur Alex Algard created an online list tracking the economic actions of over 375 corporations boycotting Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine, highlighting both those who have acted and those still operating there. The list is detailed by sector and aims to provide an accurate, up-to-date resource to support collective efforts against Russia.
Bill Gates Leads $84M Funding Round to Expand Kymeta's Flat-Panel Antenna Production and Market Reach
Bill Gates led an $84 million funding round for Kymeta, a mobile connectivity startup specializing in flat-panel antennas that provide hybrid cellular-satellite connectivity. The investment will support production acceleration and market expansion, especially for defense and satellite broadband users.
Armoire opens Armoire Go in Seattle using RFID-tagged garments for contactless pickups, returns and swaps
Seattle clothing rental startup Armoire opened Armoire Go, a high-tech physical store that uses RFID-tagged apparel and a contactless tablet-and-table system to let subscribers pick up, return, try on, and swap items quickly. The store aims to combine online convenience with in-person experience, improve operational efficiency, and required hand-sewing RFID tags into about 75,000 garments before launch.
Swiftly raises $100M Series B to help grocers including Family Dollar and The Save Mart compete with Amazon
Seattle startup Swiftly raised $100 million in a Series B to provide grocers like Family Dollar and The Save Mart Companies with apps and software that speed in-store shopping, enable mobile checkout, schedule deliveries, and sell advertising across about 10,000 store locations.
Round, founded by ex-Microsoft leaders Ryan Fuller, Mani Gill and Brian Jansen, raises $12M seed to build vetted network for senior tech leaders
Round, a Seattle startup founded by former Microsoft leaders, raised a $12 million seed round to build a vetted network for senior tech leaders; other Pacific Northwest deals include PTO Exchange's $5.4 million raise and funding and licensing activity at PupPod.
Fabric raises $140M Series C led by SoftBank, becomes Seattle unicorn at ~$1.5B; CEO Faisal Masud highlights B2B ecommerce surge
Fabric, led by former Amazon executive Faisal Masud, raised $140 million in a Series C led by SoftBank and is now valued at about $1.5 billion, becoming Seattle’s newest unicorn. The company provides API-first e-commerce infrastructure aimed at accelerating direct-to-consumer and B2B online commerce, with Masud noting strong pandemic-driven acceleration especially in B2B.
Seattle startups push into crypto, blockchain and Web3 amid investor caution and regulatory shifts
The article lists Seattle startups building products and services around crypto, blockchain, and Web3, noting the region’s talent but limited local investor interest and regulatory uncertainty. Industry leaders cite Seattle’s potential as a cloud-computing hub while warning entrepreneurs face funding disadvantages compared with other jurisdictions.
Fabric raises $140M Series C led by SoftBank at $1.5B valuation to scale e-commerce platform
Seattle e-commerce platform Fabric, led by former Amazon executives and CEO Faisal Masud, raised $140 million in a Series C led by SoftBank at a $1.5 billion valuation, bringing total funding to $293.5 million. The 300-person company provides APIs and software for mid-market retailers (clients include Chico’s, McDonald’s, TriMark, L’azurde and The Honest Company) to manage pricing, inventory, storefronts and checkout as commerce moves online.
Madrona investors say ETHDenver shows surging Web3 momentum, talent exodus from Web2, and new startup opportunities
Madrona Venture Group investors Maria Gilfoyle and Chris Picardo report strong momentum for Web3 after attending ETHDenver, noting growing consumer behavior shifts, new app categories, and a large talent migration from Web2 to Web3. They highlight the Pacific Northwest's relevance to Web3 and identify talent movement, future Ethereum work, and startup opportunities as key takeaways.
MontyCloud raises $3M from Raptor Group, Lytical Ventures and Madrona; total funding hits $6M
Seattle-based MontyCloud, a 22-person startup founded in 2018 that automates cloud operations and governance, raised $3 million from investors including Raptor Group, Lytical Ventures, and Madrona Venture Group, bringing total funding to $6 million.
People
See all 13-
Jamie Siminoff Executive, Vice President
-
Steve Rabuchin Executive, Vice President of Project Kuiper (Amazon Leo)
-
Ben Wild Co-founder of Hubble Network, Former Amazon Product Lead
