CoMotion
CoMotion Labs is a multi-industry incubator program at the University of Washington that provides early-stage startups with physical workspace, mentoring, and networking resources across specialized sectors like life sciences, hardware, and technology.
Founder Stack
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Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- University innovation/technology transfer, Incubation, Climate tech
Community
Home for Startups, Entrepreneurs & Innovators
- Workspace
- Online forum
- Events
- Membership program
- Mixed
- Apply to join
Workspaces
- Startup Hall, 1100 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA 98105
What's next
UW Grad Student Nidhi Mehta Wins 2026 CoMotion Innovator Showcase for Escher Therapeutics; $1,000 Prize
UW Chemistry graduate student Nidhi Mehta won the 2026 CoMotion Innovator Showcase and a $1,000 prize for Escher Therapeutics, a project engineering bacteria to deliver IL-12 immunotherapy directly to solid tumors to improve safety and efficacy.
William Canestaro’s Ninth Year Teaching UW Foster Health Innovation Practicum Features Wavely Diagnostics and Alpenglow Biosciences Leaders
William Canestaro returns to teach his ninth year of the Health Innovation Practicum at UW Foster, bringing entrepreneurs into class to share practical business lessons. Guest speakers Arna Ionescu Stoll (Wavely Diagnostics) and Sarah Malik (Alpenglow Biosciences) emphasized product-market fit, listening to customers, and clear investor-facing vision, while students showed strong engagement.
VertueLab’s Opalene Climate Challenge awards recoverable grants to six Washington climate‑tech startups as AI draws investor capital to data centers
A philanthropic Opalene Climate Challenge run by VertueLab awarded recoverable grants to six early-stage Washington climate-tech startups—mostly spinouts from UW or WSU—to fill an investor funding gap worsened as capital flows into AI-related data center needs. The program bypassed planned state matching funds, relying on donors to quickly deploy capital to hardware-heavy, longer‑lead sustainability companies.
Plug and Play Seattle selects 11 startups for 12-week Batch 4, including Tokyo’s Aeterlink; demo day Dec. 3
Plug and Play Seattle selected 11 startups for its fourth 12-week accelerator cohort—10 from Seattle and one from Tokyo—working on technologies from space robotics and data-center optical links to wireless power and antibody therapeutics, with the program running through mid-December and a demo day on Dec. 3 at the Boeing Future of Flight.
UW CoMotion Labs announces data center Climate Tech Incubator supported by Microsoft and E8, launching Feb–May 2027
On September 15, 2026, UW CoMotion Labs, supported by Microsoft and E8 with Elemental Impact as advisor, launched a four-month Climate Tech Incubator focused on data center energy, cooling, water, and materials challenges. The February–May 2027 Seattle program targets pre-seed and seed founders, offering commercialization support, technical mentorship, and investor connections to accelerate deployment.
UW CoMotion Labs, Microsoft and E8 launch four-month incubator to cut AI data center emissions
The University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs, partnered with Microsoft and investor network E8, is launching a four-month climate tech incubator focused on reducing the environmental impact of AI data centers, supporting early-stage startups working on energy storage, cooling, e-waste reduction and low-carbon materials. The program will provide funding, technical and investor advisory support and seeks technologies ready to commercialize or pilot.
CoMotion announces Startup Spotlight at Seattle Tech Week featuring 25 UW and CoMotion-affiliated startups
Seattle Tech Week’s Startup Spotlight, hosted by CoMotion with Plug and Play and Creative Destruction Lab–Seattle, showcased 25 UW- and CoMotion-affiliated startups demonstrating innovations across AI, biotech, climate tech, fintech, robotics, and more. The expo highlighted lab-to-market progress from founders addressing challenges like PFAS destruction, drug discovery, autonomous systems, and financial inclusion.
WTIA’s 2026 ‘Tech Universe Map’ shows Microsoft (161) and UW (143) produced most founders of 625 mapped Washington tech firms
The Washington Technology Industry Association's 2026 "Tech Universe Map" visualizes founder lineage for 625 Washington tech companies and finds Microsoft (161 companies) and the University of Washington (143) are the largest founder hubs, followed by Amazon (58) and Google (20). WTIA says the map highlights regional connectivity, is broader than the 2015 Seattle-focused version, and signals emerging hubs are often out-of-state companies with local engineering centers.
WTIA launches 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map detailing 625 companies and founder lineages — first update since 2015
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) released the 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map on July 27, 2026 — the first update since 2015 — visualizing 625 notable Washington tech companies and the founder lineages linking Microsoft, Amazon, the University of Washington, and new hubs. The wall-sized map organizes companies by founder origin to highlight how major organizations act as launchpads for successive generations of local tech founders.
Nick Ellingson launches 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map poster mapping 625 companies by founder lineages
Nick Ellingson introduces the 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map, an updated, curated wall-sized chart of 625 companies organized by founder lineages to show how Microsoft, UW, Amazon and other hubs continue to generate new startups and shape the region’s AI-era tech ecosystem.
Curinos Announces Four Startups for 2026 FinTech Incubator Cohort
Curinos selected four early-stage financial technology startups for the second cohort of its FinTech Incubator, run in partnership with CoMotion at the University of Washington.
Curinos Names 2026 FinTech Incubator Cohort, Adds Mentorship and Technical Partnerships
Curinos announced its 2026 FinTech Incubator cohort, selecting four early-stage startups focused on AI-driven knowledge, embedded lending, community savings, and personalized financial guidance. The program also expanded its mentorship team and technical partnerships to support these innovative startups.
Curinos Announces 2026 FinTech Incubator Cohort of Four Startups and Expands Mentorship and Technical Partnership
Curinos selected four early-stage fintech startups for its 2026 incubator cohort covering AI-driven knowledge, embedded lending, community savings, and personalized financial guidance, while expanding its mentorship team and technical partnership.
University of Washington’s CoMotion Announces 10 Startups, Eight Focused on Healthcare; CoMotion Firms Raised $1.8B
University of Washington’s CoMotion announced 10 new startups spun out with UW-licensed IP, eight focused on healthcare (diagnostics, devices, therapeutics) and two on K–12 education or climate; CoMotion-backed companies have raised $1.8 billion in five years and 310 deep-tech firms have been formed over three decades.
University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs Announces Eight Startups in Second Climate Tech Incubator Cohort
University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs has launched its second Climate Tech Incubator cohort, supporting eight startups focused on diverse sustainability challenges such as EV adoption and sustainable packaging. The six-month program, based at the Seattle Climate Innovation Hub, helps startups develop business plans and partnerships, culminating in a demo day in September.
Plug and Play Launches Third Seattle Accelerator Cohort with 10 Startups for 12-Week Program Ending Mid-June
Plug and Play selected 10 startups, primarily Seattle-based, for its third Seattle-area accelerator cohort, a 12-week program running through mid-June focusing on enterprise software, biotech, AI, robotics, and health tech. The program provides tailored mentorship and opportunities to develop business strategies, pilot projects, and commercial partnerships.
Amperity Names Bridget Perry CMO; Gong Promotes Simon Frey; Elizabeth Scallon Joins Nvidia Healthcare AI
Amperity appointed Bridget Perry as CMO, Gong promoted Simon Frey to chief customer officer, and Elizabeth Scallon joined Nvidia as director of healthcare AI startups. These leadership changes highlight significant executive movements in Pacific Northwest tech companies.
Elizabeth Scallon Departs HP, Chris Blandy Retires from AWS, Milkana Brace Joins SageOx
Elizabeth Scallon left HP after nearly four years as director, Chris Blandy retired from AWS after 4 years, and Milkana Brace joined Seattle startup SageOx as co-founder and CPO. Each executive shared reflections on their career changes and future plans.
Dr. Michael Bailey Named UW School of Medicine Inventor of the Year for Noninvasive Ultrasound Kidney Stone Treatment in 2025
Dr. Michael Bailey and his team received the UW School of Medicine Inventor of the Year award for developing a noninvasive ultrasound treatment for kidney stones, supported by NIH and NASA funding. Their technology led to a UW startup, SonoMotion, and was highlighted at the 2025 CoMotion Innovator Showcase, which also featured Pei-Hsin Wang's gut-targeted therapy to delay dialysis in chronic kidney disease patients.
Seattle's Emerald Battery Labs Develops Safer, Lower-Cost Sodium-Ion Batteries to Compete with Lithium-Ion
Seattle startup Emerald Battery Labs is developing sodium-ion batteries as a cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting alternative to lithium-ion batteries, aiming to improve their lower energy density. They target grid-scale energy storage, data center backup power, and consumer products using existing lithium-ion manufacturing infrastructure.
Fundamentals for Startups – 10 Reasons Not to Take VC $$ presented to UW CoMotion Labs on Oct 3, 2025
A presentation titled "Fundamentals for Startups – 10 Reasons Not to Take VC $$," prepared for University of Washington CoMotion Labs on October 3, 2025, outlines arguments against accepting venture capital and acknowledges input from several Seattle-area VCs and others.
Plug and Play Selects 10 Startups for Seattle Accelerator, Six Are Local
Plug and Play’s second Seattle-area accelerator cohort includes 10 early-stage startups, six from Seattle, specializing in enterprise software, biotech, cybersecurity, and health tech. The 12-week program offers mentorship, corporate connections, workshops, and networking starting this Monday through mid-December.
Curinos and UW’s CoMotion Select Three Startups for Inaugural FinTech Incubator Program
Three startups—Nudge Money, Parish, and Prof of Wall Street—were selected for the inaugural Curinos FinTech Incubator at UW’s CoMotion, focusing on AI-driven financial tools to support underserved communities. The incubator provides access to Curinos’ data and global financial networks to help startups scale and innovate.
Plug and Play Launches First Seattle-Area Accelerator with 10 Startups and Free Everett Office Space Starting April 2024
Plug and Play launched its first Seattle-area accelerator program, selecting 10 startups including three from the Pacific Northwest, offering a 12-week virtual program with free office space at SNBL Global Gateway in Everett. The program aims to build a stronger innovation ecosystem in the region by combining local and external startups.
T-Mobile Promotes Daniel Drobac to Chief Accounting Officer; Plug and Play Names Seattle Leaders and Launches New Accelerators
Daniel Drobac has been promoted to chief accounting officer at T-Mobile effective May 1, replacing Dara Bazzano who is retiring. Additionally, Plug and Play Seattle has appointed Jack Callaghan as director and Emmanuel Chan as program manager, with new accelerator programs launching in Seattle and Everett.
