Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- IT Services and IT Consulting
- Founded
- 2013
- Employees
- 350
- Status
- Acquired
- Stage
- Public
- Total raised
- $322.8M SEC Form D filings Total of this company's SEC Form D filings
- Last round
- $120.5M · Jun 2020 SEC Form D
Developer Says AWS Cognito's Fragmented Documentation and Mixed SDK Examples Wasted Three Weeks Setting Up Startup Authentication
A developer recounts three weeks of frustrating experience using AWS Cognito for startup authentication, criticizing its confusing, inconsistent documentation, mixed code examples, and poor UX that led to wasted time and broken flows. Despite prior auth experience with Auth0 and Firebase, the author regrets choosing Cognito due to its fragmented docs and versioning pitfalls.
Agility Robotics names Michael Beer CFO as Jennifer Hunter shifts to COO ahead of planned public listing; other tech executive moves reported
Agility Robotics hired Michael Beer as CFO while current CFO/COO Jennifer Hunter will focus solely on operations as the company prepares to go public; other tech moves include Matt Fisher becoming CTO of Efekta Education and another security leader, Rahul Prakash, departing Microsoft. Zap Energy also appointed a chief legal officer and KEXP named a new CPTO, reflecting a wave of executive changes across startups and tech firms.
Startup Founders Nour Gajial and Avi Agola Relocate from Seattle to San Francisco to Boost AI Ventures
Several early-stage startup founders, including Nour Gajial of MathGPT and Avi Agola of Talunt, are relocating from Seattle to San Francisco to leverage its dense AI startup ecosystem, investor networks, and customer base amid the AI boom. Despite Seattle’s strengths as a global AI hub, entrepreneurs see San Francisco as essential for scaling and maximizing success.
Seattle AI Startup BluePill Raises $6M to Revolutionize Consumer Behavior Testing with 93% Accurate Simulated Audiences
Seattle startup BluePill raised $6 million to use AI for simulating consumer behavior, enabling marketers to test concepts quickly and affordably with 93% accuracy compared to traditional focus groups. Their clients include Magic Spoon, Kettle & Fire, and the Seattle Mariners.
Seattle's Founders' Co-op Raises $50M Sixth Fund to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Tech Startups
Seattle venture firm Founders' Co-op has raised a $50 million sixth fund, focusing on early-stage Pacific Northwest tech startups with initial investments of $1 million to $1.5 million. Founded in 2008, the firm has backed billion-dollar companies like Remitly, Outreach, and Auth0 and aims to invest in about 30 new companies without targeting specific verticals.
Founders’ Co-op announces $50M Fund VI to continue first-check investments in regional technical founders
Founders’ Co-op announced a new $50 million venture fund, Founders’ Co-op VI, managed by the same two partners, focused on early first-check investments in ambitious technical founders within their regional talent network rather than positioning as an AI-specific or larger fund.
Seattle Tech Veteran Matt Fisher Joins Immersive Media Startup Adventr to Lead AI-Based Interactive Gaming Innovation
Seattle tech veteran Matt Fisher has joined immersive media startup Adventr as a late-stage co-founder to advance AI-driven interactive gaming and media experiences, emphasizing voice-controlled content creation and interaction.
Seattle VC Firm Founders’ Co-op Raises Nearly $23M for New Fund, Following $50M Fifth Fund in 2021
Seattle venture capital firm Founders’ Co-op is raising a new fund with nearly $23 million secured according to SEC filings. The firm, led by Chris DeVore and Aviel Ginzburg, previously raised $50 million in 2021 and invests in early-stage startups in the Pacific Northwest.
2024 GeekWire Awards on May 9 in Seattle to Honor Over 50 Pacific Northwest Tech Innovators
The 2024 GeekWire Awards event will be held on May 9 in Seattle to honor top innovators and leaders in tech from the Pacific Northwest, with over 50 finalists across multiple categories. Tickets are limited and the ceremony features awards, a dinner, and entertainment.
Seattle Startup Zuplo Raises $9M Seed Round to Expand API Management Platform Handling 4B Monthly Requests
Seattle-area startup Zuplo, founded by former Microsoft and Auth0 leaders, raised $9 million in a seed round led by Trilogy Equity Partners to support its API launch and management platform. Zuplo manages over 4 billion API requests monthly and focuses on developer productivity and cost efficiency amid a growing $14 billion API management market.
Seattle Startup The Waves Launches Monthly Artisanal Wine Subscription with 300+ Small-Batch Wines
The Waves, a Seattle startup founded last year by ex-Amazon tech leader Gaurav Tiwari and former GQ editor Andy Comer, offers a monthly artisanal wine subscription featuring over 300 small-batch wines from a global network of farmers. The company aims to differentiate itself in the crowded $1 billion U.S. craft wine market through a product recommendation tool, editorial content, and direct engagement with small-batch winemakers.
Madrona Venture Group Opens Silicon Valley Office to Expand Investments Beyond Pacific Northwest
Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group is expanding beyond the Pacific Northwest by opening its first Silicon Valley office to increase investments outside its home region. Since 2019, the firm has raised over $261 million for an acceleration fund targeting more mature companies across North America, with about 15% of its portfolio now outside the Pacific Northwest.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict Spurs $21.8 Billion Venture Investment in Cybersecurity Startups Including Seattle Firms
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and record-breaking cyber breaches have heightened demand for cybersecurity, driving $21.8 billion in global venture capital investments in 2021. Seattle hosts numerous cybersecurity startups providing various security solutions amid growing concerns over potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
GeekWire updates Seattle list as Highspot raises $248M at $3.5B; SeekOut and Icertis added to 16 local unicorns
GeekWire updated its list of Seattle-area 'unicorn' startups (privately held companies valued at $1B+) after additions and a valuation change for Icertis, noting recent entrants like SeekOut and Highspot, which raised $248 million at a $3.5 billion valuation. The article highlights that the Seattle cohort includes 16 unicorns, none led by a female or Black CEO, and that many CEOs have Microsoft backgrounds amid a global surge in unicorns and venture funding.
OfferUp appoints Melinda Starbird as first chief people and diversity officer; Steve Hobbs named Washington secretary of state; Convoy engineering VP Tim Prouty moves to Headway
OfferUp named Melinda Starbird as its first chief people and diversity officer; she previously held senior HR roles at Auth0, Avanade, Whitepages and Hiya. The brief also reports Washington Gov. Inslee appointed State Senator Steve Hobbs as secretary of state effective Nov. 22, and Convoy VP of engineering Tim Prouty left to become VP of engineering at mental-health platform Headway.
GeekWire: Pacific Northwest records 55 exits and 282 VC deals this year, including Rad Power Bikes’ $154M round
GeekWire reports a surge in deal activity across the Pacific Northwest this year, tracking 55 acquisitions, SPACs, IPOs and private equity buyouts and 282 venture financings (nearly one per day). Notable transactions include Nintendo’s Jan. 5 acquisition of Next Level Games, BitTitan’s sale to Idera, and Rad Power Bikes’ $154 million funding round.
Anthony Bontrager of WestRiver Group says he makes 3–5 PNW SaaS/AI investments yearly with $500k–$5M initial checks and $10M follow-on capacity
Anthony Bontrager, a former adtech founder and current investor at WestRiver Group, favors hands-on board involvement and invests in PNW SaaS/AI/ML companies with initial checks of $500k–$5M, targeting 3–5 new deals yearly and about 15–20 monthly pitches. He highlights Qorus Software as a standout portfolio company and emphasizes governance, go-to-market support, and follow-on reserves of ~$10M per company.
Remitly IPO Marks End of 10-Year Journey for Seed Investor Who Led Early Round and Served on Board
Investor and VC recounts Remitly’s IPO, celebrating the Seattle fintech’s public debut after a decade since he led its Seed round and served on the board, praising the founders’ methodical approach and noting the milestone’s importance to his investing career.
AuthenticID announces $100M minority investment from Long Ridge Equity Partners
Seattle-based identity authentication firm AuthenticID received a $100 million minority investment from Long Ridge Equity Partners; the 2001-founded company provides identity-proofing software to carriers, banks, credit bureaus and other enterprises.
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.
Madrona Venture Group’s Steve Singh Details Six Post-COVID Tech Trends and Reasons for Hope on GeekWire Podcast
Steve Singh, managing director of Madrona Venture Group and former CEO of Docker and Concur, joined GeekWire to discuss reasons for hope and six technology trends to watch as the Pacific Northwest emerges from the pandemic, in a special episode tied to the 2021 virtual GeekWire Awards.
GeekWire names winners at 2021 Awards; SeekOut wins Startup of the Year after $65M raise
The 2021 GeekWire Awards returned as a virtual event honoring over 60 finalists across 14 categories from the Pacific Northwest tech community, featuring celebrity cameos and performances. Winners included SeekOut as Startup of the Year, and among 16 winners eight were women and five were people of color and/or immigrant entrepreneurs.
Twilio acquires Seattle business-texting startup Zipwhip for $850M in cash-and-stock deal
Twilio is acquiring Seattle business-texting startup Zipwhip for about $850 million in a cash-and-stock deal, a transaction that closed on July 14. Zipwhip, founded in 2007, pivoted to enable businesses to send and receive texts from landlines and toll-free numbers, and Twilio says the acquisition advances their shared vision for business messaging.
Madrona Venture Labs raises $8M and turns investors like Spencer Rascoff into co‑founders of spinouts
Madrona Venture Labs has raised $8 million for its fourth fund and introduced a model that makes investors — including Spencer Rascoff, Julie Larson-Green and Elena Donio — co-founders, board members, and advisors of its spinouts to attract talent and accelerate startup formation. Founded in 2014, the Seattle-based studio has spun out more than a dozen companies, including recent spinouts Zeitworks, Simplata, and Stratify.
Madrona Venture Labs Raises $8M Led by Madrona, Adds Former CEOs and Operators as Investors
Madrona Venture Labs (MVL), the incubation arm of Madrona Venture Group, has raised $8M with Madrona leading the round and brought on a roster of experienced operators and former CEOs as investors to help build spun-out companies. MVL will continue partnering closely with Madrona’s investment professionals on startups like Stratify and Strike Graph as it expands its incubation efforts.
