Carbon
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Sectors
- Artificial Intelligence, Developer Tools, Data Integration
- Stage
- former-startup
GeekWire Week in Review: Bill Gates Pledges $200B, Statsig Hits $1.1B Valuation, Seattle Startups Raise Millions in May 2025
This GeekWire Week in Review highlights top tech stories including Bill Gates' $200 billion philanthropy pledge, Seattle startups raising significant capital, and the emergence of new AI-driven unicorn Statsig valued at $1.1 billion. It also covers local news like a controversial Washington EV tax and cultural moments involving Seattle figures.
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.
Perplexity Teams Up with Seattle’s Firmly.ai to Enhance E-Commerce in AI Search App
Perplexity partners with Seattle startup Firmly.ai to integrate e-commerce features into its AI search app, enabling businesses to sell products directly through the platform. Firmly, founded by ex-Samsung executives and backed by $5.2 million in funding, supports 'buy-anywhere' shopping experiences amid rising demand.
Seattle's Foundations Launches Founder-in-Residence Program Without Equity Requirement for Early-Stage Startups
Seattle-based startup community Foundations has launched a new Founder-in-Residence program designed to support early-stage founders without requiring equity. The program offers mentorship, accepts companies at various development stages, and operates on a rolling basis with a typical six-month participation.
Perplexity Acquires Seattle Startup Carbon to Enhance Data Connectivity for Large Language Models
Perplexity, an OpenAI rival valued at $9 billion, acquired Seattle-based Carbon, a startup that enables developers to connect external data to large language models. Carbon, founded in 2022 with four employees, raised $1.3 million in seed funding and will integrate its technology into Perplexity’s AI search products.
Seattle Startup Carbon Raises $1.3M Seed Round to Streamline External Data Integration for Large Language Models
Seattle startup Carbon raised $1.3 million in seed funding to help companies integrate external data sources with large language models, simplifying access to unstructured data. Founded last year by Derek Tu and Aditya Chempakasseril, Carbon serves clients like Jenni.ai and AskAI with a turnkey AI data solution.
