Fuse
Facts
- HQ
- not provided in text
- Sectors
- Venture Capital, Software, Artificial Intelligence
- Last fund
- Fuse Venture Partners III, LP · 2026 SEC Form D
- Funds raised
- 3 funds SEC Form D filings
- Total capital
- $13.5M SEC Form D filings
Seattle Venture Firm Fuse Launches $1M Space Startup Program Backed by $250M Fund in 2023
Seattle-based venture capital firm Fuse has launched the Fuse Space Program to invest $1 million or more in promising early-stage space startups, focusing on the Seattle space ecosystem. Backed by a $250 million fund raised in 2023, Fuse plans to support around 10 companies, leveraging expertise from leaders of Lumen Orbit and Quindar.
Expedia Appoints Scott Schenkel as CFO Amid C-Suite Changes; Ex-Microsoft AI VP Luis Vargas Launches AI Startup
Expedia Group appointed Scott Schenkel as its new CFO, succeeding Julie Whalen, amid broader executive changes including CEO Ariane Gorin's leadership. Meanwhile, former Microsoft AI VP Luis Vargas left to start a new AI startup as chief technologist.
Seattle Startup Lumen Orbit Raises $11M Seed Round to Build Space-Based Data Centers for AI
Lumen Orbit, a Seattle-area startup founded in 2023, raised $11 million in seed funding to develop data centers in space for AI and technology services on Earth. The company, valued at $40 million, plans to launch a full-scale prototype in 2025 and is led by CEO Philip Johnston and co-founders with aerospace and space tech backgrounds.
Highspot Takes No. 1 Spot on GeekWire 200 Startup Ranking After Outreach’s Layoffs and CEO Departure
Seattle-based sales enablement company Highspot has claimed the No. 1 spot on GeekWire's 200 ranking of privately held startups in the Pacific Northwest, replacing Outreach which recently downsized and saw its CEO step down. The GeekWire 200 ranking reflects changes in the dynamic startup landscape based on factors like funding, employee growth, and layoffs.
Seattle Deepfake Detection Startup Loti Raises $6.65M Seed Round with Khosla Ventures and Others
Seattle-based startup Loti, founded in 2022, raised a total of $6.65 million in its seed round led by FUSE and Bling Capital, including new investment from Khosla Ventures. Loti leverages facial and voice recognition to detect and take down deepfakes and fake social media accounts misusing public figures' likenesses.
Seattle Venture Capital Firm Flying Fish Files for New Fund III to Continue Investing in AI Startups
Seattle-based venture capital firm Flying Fish is raising a new fund called Flying Fish Fund III, following previous funds of $37 million and $70 million raised in 2016 and 2022 respectively. The firm focuses on early-stage AI, machine learning, and robotics startups, initially in the Pacific Northwest but now with a broader geographic scope.
Seattle Startup Signify Raises $2.1M to Use AI for Simplifying Manufacturers' Regulatory Compliance
Seattle-based startup Signify, spun out from the AI2 Incubator, raised $2.1 million to develop AI-driven software that helps manufacturers manage complex regulatory compliance tasks. Led by CEO Martín Ramírez, the platform aims to streamline compliance processes for manufacturers facing evolving and diverse market regulations.
Kellan Carter - Founding Partner at FUSE
Kellan Carter is a founding partner of Bellevue-based FUSE where he focuses on early-stage investments in intelligent software in both horizontal and vertical categories. He currently sits on several Boards, including Zuper and Pictory. Previously, Kellan spent seven years at Ignition Partners, a leading early-stage venture capital firm, and two years in investment banking at Mooreland Partners in San Francisco. Kellan also currently sits on the Board of the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seattle Startup Round Shuts Down After $12M Series A as Tech Downturn and VC Model Challenges Loom
Seattle startup Round, which raised $12 million in Series A funding and quickly reached $1 million in annual recurring revenue, shut down due to challenges from the 2022 tech downturn and flaws in its venture-backed business model dependent on employer-sponsored memberships. CEO Ryan Fuller reflected on the risks of venture capital funding and the impact of macroeconomic factors despite investor support.
FUSE Leads $32M Series B in Seattle's Zuper, Highlighting India's Vital Role in Local Tech Innovation
FUSE, a Bellevue-based venture capital firm, led a $32 million Series B investment in Seattle-based software startup Zuper, which has a significant team presence in India. The cross-border collaboration between U.S. tech companies like Zuper and Icertis and their India-based engineering teams exemplifies the importance of India's talent pool to Seattle’s innovation ecosystem.
2024 Annual Investment Outlook
Send us Fan Mail Listen to our 2024 Annual Investment Outlook Panel with four top VCs based in Seattle and the Bay area. Get their perspective on the investment climate in 2024 and their plans to invest specifically in AI/ML based startups. Tim Porter, Managing Director, Madrona Ventures Tim joined Madrona in 2006 and invests in B2B software companies in the Pacific Northwest. He is currently interested in intelligent applications and SaaS, cloud-native software infrastructure, the modern data stack, machine learning, DevOps, and cybersecurity. He is also a board member of numerous Madrona portfolio companies. Sudip Chakrabarti, Partner, Decibel VC…
Fuse
This week on Finding PROOF, Jenny and Thanasis talk with Cameron Borumand. Cameron is a General Partner at Fuse, an early-stage fund based in Seattle that invests in enterprise software companies in the Pacific Northwest.
Avante Raises $10 Million Seed Round Led by FUSE; Kellan Carter to Join Board
Avante, a stealth Seattle startup led by former OliveAI executives Rohan D’Souza and Carly Eckert, raised $10 million in seed funding led by Bellevue-based FUSE with participation from Ascend Venture Capital, Highsage and angel investors. The funding will accelerate product development, expand engineering and data science teams, and FUSE’s Kellan Carter will join Avante’s board as the company scales after beginning development in fall 2023.
Seattle Startup Avante Raises $10M Seed Round Led by Fuse Venture Partners with Ex-Olive AI and Amperity Leaders
Seattle startup Avante, led by former Olive AI and Amperity executives, raised $10 million in a seed round led by Fuse Venture Partners to build an employee intelligence platform focused on healthier workforces. The company remains in stealth mode without detailed public disclosures about its plans.
Symbiosys, led by ex-Google exec Bashar Kachachi, raises $9M Series A to modernize retail media advertising
Symbiosys, an adtech startup led by former Google and Microsoft exec Bashar Kachachi, raised $9 million in a Series A round to enhance collaboration between retailers and brands in the $45 billion retail media market. The company offers real-time analytics and collaborative bidding technology to optimize off-site product advertising.
Seattle-based Field Operations Software Startup Zuper Raises $32M Series B Led by FUSE, Total Funding Hits $46.1M
Zuper, a Seattle-based field operations software startup founded in 2018, raised $32 million in a Series B funding round led by FUSE, bringing total funding to $46.1 million. The company, led by CEO Anand Subbaraj, serves multiple industries and has offices in Seattle and India.
Seattle’s Tola Capital Raises $230M Third Fund to Back 25–30 Early-Stage AI and Enterprise Software Startups
Seattle-based Tola Capital has raised $230 million for its third fund aimed at investing in 25-30 early-stage AI and enterprise software startups, focusing on cloud computing and AI innovation. Founded by former Microsoft managers Sheila Gulati and Stacey Giard, Tola has invested in over 20 companies and plans seed to Series B investments ranging from $1 million to $15 million.
No New Seattle Unicorns in 2023 as Venture Capital Slows and Former Unicorn Convoy Collapses
Seattle saw no new unicorn startups in 2023 amid a broader venture capital slowdown following a boom during the pandemic, with some existing unicorns like Convoy collapsing and others cutting costs or staff. This trend reflects a global decrease in new unicorns, dropping from 619 in 2021 to only 64 through Q3 2023.
PortX Raises $16.5M Series B Led by Fuse and Curql, Forms Subsidiary to Serve Credit Unions
Seattle-based fintech startup PortX raised $16.5 million in a Series B funding round led by Fuse and Curql to develop AI and automation tools and create a new subsidiary serving credit unions. PortX has now raised $26.5 million total and will use the funds to enhance its banking infrastructure software for community banks and credit unions.
Building A Localised VC Firm - Brendan Wales, Founding Partner, FUSE
In this episode, Richard Kerby from Equal Ventures talks with Brendan Wales, Founding Partner of FUSE. Fuse is a Bellevue, Washington-based early-stage venture firm focused on Pacific North-West companies. Their 1st fund was $170 Million and they recently closed a $250 Million fund to back promising startups in the region. Here's a glimpse of what we discussed: The Significance of Local Venture Firms: - Brendan highlights how venture firms like Sequoia and Benchmark have thrived by owning specific ecosystems. - How being hyper-local gives them an edge in finding startups before everyone else? - The unique opportunity Fuse Ventures has…
Bellevue VC Fuse Raises $250M Second Fund, Reaching $420M Total Since 2020
Bellevue-based venture capital firm Fuse raised $250 million for its second fund, bringing its total raised to $420 million across two funds since launching in 2020. The firm will continue investing in Pacific Northwest and western Canada B2B tech startups, leading seed and Series A rounds with $1 million–$10 million checks.
Seattle VC Firm Fuse Raises $250M Second Fund to Back 30-35 Pacific Northwest Startups
Seattle-based venture capital firm Fuse raised $250 million for its second fund to invest in early-stage enterprise software startups across the Pacific Northwest, aiming to back 30-35 companies despite a broader venture capital slowdown. Founded in 2020 with an initial $170 million fund, Fuse credits its growth to the strong local talent and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Fuse closes $250M second fund to back 30–35 Pacific Northwest software and AI startups
Seattle-area VC firm Fuse has closed a $250 million second fund to invest in 30–35 Pacific Northwest software and AI-enabled startups, writing $1M–$10M checks and co-leading rounds. Backers include state-affiliated accounts, foundations, universities and prominent Seattle software executives, and Fuse aims to back companies that automate business processes or augment workers.
Amazon Alumni Raise $12.5M for Griptape, a Seattle Startup Building Secure AI App Frameworks for Enterprises
Amazon veterans Kyle Roche and Vasily Vasinov raised $12.5 million for Griptape, a Seattle startup creating a secure AI application framework for enterprises. Griptape offers an open-source Python toolkit and cloud platform to help companies safely build and manage large language models, with a commercial launch planned for October 2023.
Madrona Leads Inaugural Seattle Tech Week July 31-August 4 Featuring AI-Focused Panels and Networking
Seattle venture firm Madrona, along with other local firms and tech leaders, is launching the inaugural Seattle Tech Week from July 31 to August 4 to connect the city's tech ecosystem through various events focused on AI and innovation.
Fund History
People
See all 5-
Brendan Wales Founder, Co-founder and Founding Partner
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Cameron Borumand Founder, Co-Founder and General Partner
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John Connors Executive, Former CFO of Microsoft, Operating Partner
