Breakwater Ventures

Todd Bishop / GeekWire Sep 15

Neuramill founders Nistha Mitra and Nick Khormaei build software to capture retiring machinists' know‑how; win six‑figure defense contract

Neuramill, founded last year by Seattle-born engineers Nistha Mitra and Nick Khormaei, is building software that captures veteran machinists' tacit knowledge to generate manufacturing plans for aerospace and defense shops. The startup has early traction including a six-figure contract with an unnamed prime defense contractor and pilot users such as Diamond Machine Works, VTN Manufacturing and Astranis.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Feb 26

Seattle Fintech Startup Confido Legal Raises $9 Million Led by Emery Wager to Enhance Legal Tech Financial Software

Seattle fintech startup Confido Legal raised $9 million across two rounds to develop financial software for law firms and legal tech companies. The company, led by Emery Wager, aims to make embedded payments a competitive advantage for legal tech platforms.

Lisa Stiffler / GeekWire Aug 14, 2025

Smartsheet Appoints Stephanie Berner as Chief Customer Officer; Gradial and Zeno Power Expand Senior Leadership

Smartsheet named Stephanie Berner as chief customer officer amid leadership changes, including a new acting CEO. Seattle startups Gradial and Zeno Power also expanded their senior leadership with new executives to drive growth and innovation.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Jul 10, 2025

Seattle Startup Gone.com Raises $6.3M to Provide Free Used Item Pickup and Resale Marketplace

Seattle startup Gone.com raised $6.3 million to offer free pickups of used items for resale through AI-driven logistics and pricing, operating both online and in a Renton storefront. Founded by former Amazon and OfferUp leaders, the company aims to streamline the secondhand goods economy by converting unwanted items into resale value.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Apr 4, 2025

VCs Urge Startups to Focus Long-Term Despite $3 Trillion Market Loss from Trump’s Tariff Announcement

Venture capitalists advise startups to maintain a long-term focus despite uncertainty caused by President Trump’s new tariffs, which triggered a $3 trillion market value loss. While tariffs pose short-term challenges for hardware and manufacturing startups, many emphasize resilience and product-centric growth strategies.

Sound Investments - The Pacific Northwest VC & Startup Podcast with Ed Barker Featured Mar 20, 2025

From Angel to Grown-Up Ventures with Peter Mueller, Breakwater Ventures

In this episode of Sound Investments, host Ed Barker interviews Peter Muller, founding partner of Breakwater Ventures, to explore his unique journey from Merrill Lynch to the launch of his venture capital firm in Seattle. They discuss Peter's career transitions, the Seattle startup ecosystem, and dive into key areas of interest like AI, fintech, and marketplaces. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities in Seattle's venture capital scene, the firm's investment philosophy, and promising sectors. Peter also shares insights into raising capital in a tough environment and the necessary characteristics of successful founders. 00:00 Introduction 01:05 Meet Peter Mueller 05:59…

42 min

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Oct 4, 2024

Former SeaChange Investors Launch VentureUs Angel Group to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Startups

A group of former SeaChange investors in Seattle have launched VentureUs, an angel investing group focusing on pre-seed and seed startups in the Pacific Northwest. VentureUs streamlines decision-making through an investment board and plans to invest $100,000 to $400,000 in 6-10 startups annually.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Aug 27, 2024

Supio, Founded by Ex-Microsoft Engineers, Raises $25M Series A for AI Legal Tech Platform Optimizing Data Analysis in Plaintiff Cases

Seattle-based legal tech startup Supio, founded by ex-Microsoft engineers Kyle Lam and Jerry Zhou, raised $25 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI-powered platform that helps lawyers efficiently analyze case data, particularly in personal injury and mass tort plaintiff law. The company, with 27 employees and plans to double its workforce, charges subscription fees based on case volume and boasts successful use in complex cases such as a TorHoerman Law victory against Abbott Labs.

Nataraj Sindam / GeekWire Apr 10, 2024

Breakwater's Peter Mueller Identifies Missing 'Middle Layer' in Seattle Startup Funding, Discusses Ecosystem Challenges

Peter Mueller of Breakwater Ventures highlights Seattle's tech potential but points out a missing 'middle layer' of Series A-C startups due to cautious early-stage angel investing. He discusses these gaps and Breakwater's investment approach in a Startup Project podcast episode.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Feb 14, 2024

Breakwater Ventures Launches $10M Fund to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Startups

Breakwater Ventures, a new Seattle-based pre-seed and seed investment firm founded by former SeaChange investors, has raised $10 million to support early-stage software startups primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The firm aims to fill a gap in initial funding for startups and is already deploying capital from its first fund.