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
Chloe Harford Joins Roofstock Board as Kymeta Names Walter Berger and Doug Hutcheson Co-CEOs
Chloe Harford, a former Zillow and OfferUp executive, joined Roofstock's board as the fintech firm continues to expand after acquiring Great Jones and raising $133 million; Kymeta named Walter Berger and Doug Hutcheson co-CEOs and partnered with OneWeb to test mobile satellite broadband. Seattle startups Optimize Health and CityBldr announced leadership moves: Todd Haedrich became Optimize Health CEO, and Convoy CEO Dan Lewis joined CityBldr’s advisory board.
Study Finds Seattle Startup Tasso’s Tasso‑SST Self‑Collection Device Matches Venous COVID‑19 Antibody Results
A study led by Seattle researchers found the Tasso-SST self-administered upper-arm blood collection device produced antibody results nearly identical to venous draws and worked for a high proportion of users, even after simulated 48-hour shipping. The device, made by Seattle startup Tasso, could replace some clinic blood draws for COVID-19 antibody testing.
Cascadia Capital Raises $150M SPAC and Eyes Pittsburgh Tech Acquisition, CEO Calls City 'Seattle 10–15 Years Ago'
Seattle investment bank Cascadia Capital raised $150 million for a SPAC, Cascadia Acquisition Corp., and is targeting a Pittsburgh tech company—citing local strengths in AI, robotics, automation and research from Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh. CEO Michael Butler, who has spent more time in Pittsburgh recently, said the city resembles Seattle 10–15 years ago and is poised for a tech boom.
Opendoor acquires Seattle’s Pro.com and San Francisco’s Skylight, will shut both platforms
Opendoor acquired Seattle-based Pro.com and San Francisco-based Skylight, will discontinue both companies' consumer platforms and integrate their teams and technology into Opendoor’s roadmap; deal terms were not disclosed. The moves give Opendoor a Seattle presence and add home-improvement talent as the iBuyer expands amid increased digital homebuying adoption.
Kymeta and OneWeb Successfully Test u8 Antenna-Based Mobile Satellite Broadband at 200 Mbps Using OneWeb’s LEO Constellation
Kymeta Corp. partnered with OneWeb to test satellite broadband services using Kymeta's u8 flat-panel antenna, achieving promising results for mobile connectivity with OneWeb's LEO satellite network. The tests in Toulouse demonstrated about 200 Mbps reception, targeting first responders, government, military, and enterprise markets.
Pebblebee CEO Daniel Daoura Perseveres After Co-Founder Nick Pearson-Franks Dies in June 2020 ATV Accident
Daniel Daoura, CEO of Pebblebee, continues to push forward at the startup more than a year after the tragic death of his co-founder and close friend Nick Pearson-Franks, who died in an ATV accident in June 2020. Despite the personal and professional challenges, Daoura remains committed to honoring their shared vision and has sought therapy to cope with the loss while relentlessly advancing the company.
Stoke Space builds Moses Lake test site, completes full-scale second-stage demo and hot-fire 'three-pack' in six months
Stoke Space Technologies rapidly built a 2.3-acre liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen test facility in Moses Lake, Washington, and completed a full-scale manufacturing demonstration and hot-fire tests of a second-stage engine ‘three-pack’ in six months. CEO Andy Lapsa says the two-year-old startup is pursuing full second-stage reusability to lower launch costs, taking a different technical approach than SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Investors Pour Billions into Climate Tech as E8 Expands and Sector Raises $14.2B by Midyear
A wide range of investors — from tech employees to former VCs and concerned parents — are increasingly funding climate-tech startups, driving a sharp rise in capital flows after years of stagnation. By midyear, climate tech companies raised $14.2 billion globally, supported by growing networks like Seattle’s E8 and large climate-focused funds from private equity and venture firms.
Aseem Datar leaves Microsoft to join Madrona Venture Group as partner; Madrona promotes Chris Picardo and hires Birkan Uzun; Jaime Teevan promoted to Microsoft CVP
Microsoft Azure GM and COO Aseem Datar is leaving Microsoft to join Madrona Venture Group as a partner later this month, while Madrona also promoted Chris Picardo to partner and hired Birkan Uzun as an investor; separately, Microsoft promoted Chief Scientist Jaime Teevan to corporate vice president. The article notes Datar’s 17+ years at Microsoft and prior roles, Picardo’s and Uzun’s backgrounds, and Teevan’s reaction to her promotion.
Convoy signs 123,000 sq ft sublease at Russell Investments Center in Seattle, expanding from 73,000 sq ft
Seattle freight-startup Convoy signed a sublease for 123,000 sq ft across three floors at downtown’s Russell Investments Center, expanding from its current 73,000 sq ft Century Square HQ as it outlines a return-to-office plan amid broader Seattle downtown uncertainties.
Starform, founded by ex-Z2 vets, raises $5M seed led by BITKRAFT to grow Seattle studio and fund 5v5 arena game
Seattle game studio Starform raised $5 million in a seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures to advance its closed-beta 5v5 arena PC/mobile game and build a second internal team; the studio was founded in 2018 by former Z2 employees and now has 11 staff. Starform will hire more developers and focus on social-play experiences, with the second team's project to be chosen later if it can support a 5–10 year lifecycle and global appeal.
Former Amazon VP D. Sangeeta launches Gotara mentoring platform to retain women in STEM
Gotara, founded by former Amazon VP D. Sangeeta, launched a mentoring software in February that offers anonymous one-off and programmatic mentorship to help retain women in STEM. The platform is free for individuals and also sells employee retention programs to 12 employers, including Cisco.
Chronus raises $78M from Level Equity to expand mentoring platform as hybrid work and DEI demand rises
Chronus, a Bellevue-based mentoring software maker, raised $78 million from Level Equity to expand its platform, sales and marketing as hybrid work and DEI demand grow; the company has about 85 employees and counts Amazon and Hearst among customers.
Outreach names Melton Littlepage CMO and adds Stefan Schulz to board; ShelfEngine hires Kane McCord; Kaskada promotes Charna Parkey
Seattle sales enablement company Outreach (valued at $4.4B) named Melton Littlepage as CMO and added Stefan Schulz to its board; ShelfEngine hired Kane McCord as president and CRO after a $41M Series B; Kaskada promoted Charna Parkey to VP of product. The article lists several executive moves across Seattle-area startups and tech companies.
Wyze Labs raises $110M Series B led by Marcy Venture Partners to build AI into <$36 Wyze Cam
Wyze Labs raised $110 million in a Series B led by Marcy Venture Partners to expand its product line, invest heavily in AI features for its <$36 Wyze Cam, and improve customer service and shipping.
Big Sky Labs raises $1M to build PillPez dispenser that auto-reminds patients and alerts caregivers
Seattle-area startup Big Sky Labs raised $1 million in seed funding to develop PillPez, a home health hub that dispenses medications from pre-loaded pharmacy strips and provides escalating reminders and caregiver alerts. Founders with telehealth experience designed the device to improve medication adherence for people with chronic conditions, Alzheimer’s, or developmental disabilities.
Ridwell CEO Ryan Metzger grows Seattle recycling startup to 35,000 members across 40+ cities, adds Denver and hires 100+ employees
Seattle startup Ridwell, founded by CEO Ryan Metzger, has grown to over 35,000 members across 40+ Pacific Northwest cities, collecting hard-to-recycle household items for up to $14/month and employing more than 100 people. The company is expanding (recently entering Denver), hiring aggressively, and aiming for about 300 employees within a year while its founder says he’d prefer the need for the service disappear if climate change were solved.
Fabric raises $100M Series B at $850M valuation as revenue jumps 800% and headcount hits 161
Seattle e-commerce startup Fabric raised $100 million in a Series B that values the four-year-old company at $850 million after reporting revenue growth of more than 800% year-over-year and expanding headcount to 161.
Simon Yu, ex-Bomba Fusion owner, leads crypto startup StormX and lands Portland Trail Blazers sponsorship
Seattle entrepreneur Simon Yu closed his Korean-Mexican food truck Bomba Fusion and pivoted to cofound StormX, a fast-growing crypto startup he launched in 2015; recently StormX secured a sponsorship deal with the Portland Trail Blazers as Yu reflects on his journey from financial hardship to startup success.
AI2 spinout MajorBoost raises $350,000 pre-seed to automate insurance calls for medical providers
MajorBoost, an AI2 spinout founded by Lekshmi Venu, Ben Hesketh and Andrew Palmer, uses AI to automate insurance phone calls for medical providers to reduce time lost to eligibility and claim inquiries; it received $350,000 in pre-seed funding from AI2 and is preparing a seed round while running private beta customers.
Seattle startups raise record $3.1B in H1 2021, producing 12 local unicorns as Auth0 exits for $6.5B
Seattle-area startups raised a record $3.1 billion across 205 deals in H1 2021, driven by mega-rounds that produced at least 12 local unicorns and broader Pacific Northwest tech funding topping $5 billion. National VC activity and IPO/M&A dollar volumes are also surpassing prior records, with major exits like Auth0’s $6.5 billion acquisition by Okta highlighting regional maturation.
Updater acquires Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms undisclosed
New York moving services company Updater has acquired Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms were not disclosed and Dolly will operate as an Updater subsidiary with its Seattle team retained.
TaxBit opens second headquarters in Seattle, plans to expand local team to 40 after $100M Series A
Utah-based crypto tax and accounting firm TaxBit is opening a second headquarters in Seattle’s South Lake Union to tap local tech talent and grow its team. Founded in 2018, TaxBit recently raised $100 million in a Series A (bringing total funding to $105 million), has a partnership with the IRS, and expects to grow its Seattle headcount from six to about 40 by year-end.
WellSaid Labs raises $10M Series A led by Fuse to expand AI text-to-speech platform
Seattle-based WellSaid Labs raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Fuse to expand its AI-driven text-to-speech platform, building on a $2 million 2019 seed and backing from investors including Voyager Capital, Qualcomm Ventures and Good Friends. The funding will support research, product hires and sales expansion to scale the startup’s natural-sounding synthetic voice offerings.
GeekWire 200 update: Remitly No. 3 as proposed IPO looms; Hootsuite debuts No. 6, Convoy rises to No. 7
GeekWire updated its GeekWire 200 list highlighting Pacific Northwest private tech startups amid record investment and M&A activity, with trends toward virtual experiences, at-home healthcare, remote education, and e-commerce. Notable rankings: Remitly at No. 3 (last valued $1.5B, proposed IPO), Hootsuite debuted at No. 6, Convoy rose to No. 7 (valued $2.75B in 2019), and Fabric jumped 26 spots to No. 95.
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Jamie Siminoff Executive, Vice President
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Steve Rabuchin Executive, Vice President of Project Kuiper (Amazon Leo)
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Ben Wild Co-founder of Hubble Network, Former Amazon Product Lead
