First Row Partners

Dave Parker / Dave Parker Oct 3, 2025

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.

Lisa Stiffler / GeekWire Oct 2, 2024

Flexe Names Pirasenna Thiyagarajan CTO; Talus Bioscience Appoints Gaelle Mercenne Amid $11.2M Funding; Vouched Adds David McGrath as Sales VP

Flexe appointed Pirasenna Thiyagarajan as chief technology and product officer following CTO David Glick's departure. Talus Bioscience hired Gaelle Mercenne as head of biology after securing $11.2 million in funding, while Vouched named David McGrath as vice president of sales amid leadership changes.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire May 2, 2024

Seattle Startup Mason Names Webb Stevens as CEO and John Thimsen as CTO, Nancy Xiao Shifts to President

Seattle startup Mason appointed Webb Stevens, former Docker COO, as CEO and John Thimsen, former Qualtrics CTO, as CTO, while Mason's previous CEO Nancy Xiao became president. Additional regional leadership changes include new hires at Beyond, Continuous Composites, and a new venture fund role in Seattle.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Dec 15, 2023

Washington D.C. Startup Standd Wins $160,000 Top Prize at First Row Partners' Inaugural Ensemble Fund Competition

Standd, a Washington D.C. startup led by CEO Julie Saltman, won over $160,000 as the top prize in First Row Partners' inaugural Ensemble Fund competition, which supports early-stage startups and educates investors. The competition reviewed 125 applications and included 17 investors, half of whom were women, emphasizing relationship-building and investor education.

Nate Bek / GeekWire Oct 4, 2023

First Row Partners Launches $150K–$200K Startup Competition to Revive Pacific Northwest Angel Investing

Seattle venture capital firm First Row Partners has launched The Ensemble Event Fund, a startup competition offering $150,000–$200,000 to early-stage companies nationwide, aiming to revitalize the Pacific Northwest's angel investor network. The competition engages over 15 angel investors to boost capital deployment amid declining venture funding and a shrinking local angel community.

Charlotte Schubert / GeekWire Mar 2, 2023

Armoire Hires Ex-Microsoft CTO Laura Butler; Chewy Acquires Petabyte for $43.4M, Elevates Founder Michael Hyman to VP

Clothing rental startup Armoire appointed former Microsoft technical fellow Laura Butler as CTO, while pet e-commerce company Chewy promoted Michael Hyman to VP following its $43.4 million acquisition of his veterinary startup Petabyte.

John Cook / GeekWire Mar 16, 2021

Seattle VCs Report 28% Women in Senior Roles, Nearly Double U.S. Average of 14.2%

Seattle-area venture capital firms have nearly double the national share of women in senior roles (28% vs. 14.2%), with 25 women among 88 partners across 21 Washington firms, though overall parity remains distant and 61% of U.S. VC firms still have no women in key decision-making roles.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire Nov 10, 2020

2048 Ventures Hires Seattle Investor Minda Brusse to Lead Pre-Seed Sourcing in Seattle and Portland

NYC-based 2048 Ventures has hired Seattle investor Minda Brusse as a venture partner to source pre-seed investments in Seattle and Portland while she remains at First Row Partners; 2048 launched last year with a $27 million fund and has backed 29 companies.