GeekWire
GeekWire provides technology news, analysis, and resources for tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts. It covers developments in the technology industry, produces events and podcasts, and offers tools such as job boards and startup rankings to support the tech community. Its mission is to inform and connect people interested in technology and startups.
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- Online Audio and Video Media
- Founded
- 2011
- Type
- LLC Seattle business license
- Employees
- 26
- Registered name
- GeekWire LLC Seattle business license
- Founders
- John Cook, Todd Bishop
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Publication
- Last published Oct 15
Authors & Editors
Usermind lays off 15 employees (25% of staff) amid COVID-19; CEO Michel Feaster calls it heartbreaking
Seattle marketing-software startup Usermind laid off 15 employees — about 25% of its staff — citing economic impact from the COVID-19 crisis, CEO and co-founder Michel Feaster said. The company, founded in 2013 and backed with over $45 million in funding, will help affected workers find new jobs while focusing on its customer-journey platform.
Shiftboard merges with SchedulePro; Shiftboard keeps name and CEO Sterling Wilson, SchedulePro CEO Sachin Agrawal becomes CTO
Seattle-based Shiftboard is merging with Vancouver-based SchedulePro; Shiftboard will retain its name and CEO Sterling Wilson will lead the combined company while SchedulePro CEO Sachin Agrawal becomes CTO, and Shiftboard raised $8 million from existing investors to support product development and sales/marketing expansion.
Fernish co-founder Lucas Dickey details COVID-19 challenges for furniture rental startup: cash, delivery-worker safety, supply-chain strain
Lucas Dickey, co-founder of Los Angeles furniture rental startup Fernish, describes his personal and company concerns during the early COVID-19 crisis, including cash management, staff safety for delivery workers, supply-chain and logistics challenges, and the need to retain employees. The guest column originally appeared March 31 on dot.LA and outlines his stream-of-consciousness thoughts and the roles of co-founder Michael Barlow and COO Kristin Smith.
Zenoti lays off ~17 employees (3.5% of 500) as COVID-19 pressures beauty industry, says CEO Sudheer Koneru
Seattle-based Zenoti cut 3.5% of its 500-person global staff (about 17 employees) as the COVID-19 outbreak disrupts the beauty and wellness industry, though CEO Sudheer Koneru says financial impact has been minimal and larger clients continue driving revenue through digital tools like gift cards and online retail.
Rover lays off 41% of staff (194 people) amid COVID-19, extends health benefits for six months
Seattle-based pet care startup Rover laid off 41% of its workforce (194 employees impacted) and put an additional 9% on standby due to revenue declines from COVID-19; about 275 employees remain and affected staff receive six months of extended health benefits and extended stock option exercise windows.
Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price says employees volunteered temporary pay cuts after revenue dropped ~55%, avoiding layoffs
Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price asked employees for ideas after revenue fell about 50–55% during the COVID-19 crisis; employees volunteered temporary, individual pay cuts (some to zero) so the company could avoid layoffs and price increases.
Tomorrow says app traffic rises 200% as COVID-19 drives demand for free wills; company serves 400,000 users
Seattle startup Tomorrow reports a more than 200% increase in traffic to its free legal will–creating app and falling customer acquisition costs as COVID-19 spurs interest in end-of-life planning. The company — founded by Dave Hanley in 2016, built with 52 attorneys and serving over 400,000 customers — offers wills and long-term life insurance options.
Textio raises $12M as layoffs hit 20% of staff; Industry Ventures, Operator Collective join round
Seattle augmented-writing startup Textio raised $12 million from new investors including Industry Ventures and Operator Collective to expand beyond enterprise customers, after laying off 20% of staff amid COVID-19 uncertainty. CEO Kieran Snyder says the funding will help pivot the product to help candidates better express skills and values as remote written communication rises.
Redfin Sells $110M in Stock to Durable Capital Partners Led by Henry Ellenbogen Amid COVID-19
Redfin sold $110 million of stock to Durable Capital Partners to gain financial support during the COVID-19 crisis; CEO Glenn Kelman outlined cost-cutting measures including forgoing his 2020 salary and raising fixed pay for agents.
Seattle AI Startup Textio Lays Off 30 Employees Amid COVID-19, Shifts Focus to Aid Job Seekers
Seattle startup Textio laid off 30 employees, or 20% of its staff, due to COVID-19 uncertainty, leaving about 120 employees remaining. CEO Kieran Snyder emphasized shifting the company's AI writing technology focus to help job seekers better represent their skills amid a challenging labor market.
GeekWire 200 CEOs and execs from Accolade, PayScale, DreamBox, Auth0, Moz and others share COVID-19 leadership advice
GeekWire interviewed leaders from top Pacific Northwest startups on the GeekWire 200 about how they’re responding to the COVID-19 crisis, sharing actions taken, leadership principles, and cautious optimism. The piece presents company-by-company perspectives from executives at firms such as Accolade, PayScale, DreamBox Learning, Auth0, Moz, Act-On, Remitly, Puppet, DefinedCrowd, and Icertis.
Play At Work shifts Seattle tech-office music lessons online as coronavirus prompts employees to work from home
Seattle startup Play At Work has shifted its on-site music lessons for tech employees to online video instruction after many clients began working from home due to the coronavirus, and most students have continued lessons via platforms like Google Hangouts and Zoom.
Textio adds 'age graph' and accommodation guidance to its AI writing tools to flag ageism and ableism in job listings
Textio expanded its AI-powered augmented writing tools to highlight ageist and ableist language, adding an "age graph" and reasonable-accommodation guidance to help make job postings more inclusive and speed hiring.
Cloud Paper sees 600% subscriber surge during COVID-19 run and pledges 10,000 bamboo toilet-paper rolls to Food Lifeline
Seattle startup Cloud Paper, which makes tree-free bamboo toilet paper, has seen a 600% jump in subscribers amid the COVID-19 run on toilet paper and has pledged 10,000 rolls to Food Lifeline to help those in need.
MDMetrix and TransformativeMed Offer Free COVID-19 Tracking Tools to Hospitals; Deployed at UW Medicine
Two Seattle startups, MDMetrix and TransformativeMed, are offering their combined COVID-19 patient-tracking and analysis tools free to hospitals so clinicians can spot treatment and spread trends across patient groups. Their systems are already in use at University of Washington Medicine to screen patients, track symptoms and labs, and report data to state health departments.
OfferUp raises $120M and to acquire Letgo, creating 20M monthly users as COVID-19 drives demand
OfferUp raised $120 million and announced plans to acquire rival Letgo, creating a combined marketplace with about 20 million monthly active users while seeing increased demand during the COVID-19 outbreak. CEO Nick Huzar said the company will invest the new capital in product innovation and hiring despite challenges like price-gouging on certain items.
OfferUp Raises $120M, Acquires Letgo; OLX Group to Own 40% of Combined Entity
OfferUp raised $120 million and agreed to acquire rival app Letgo, creating a combined U.S. marketplace with over 20 million monthly active users; OLX Group led the round and will own 40% of the merged company. OfferUp CEO Nick Huzar will lead the combined business, while Letgo's non‑North American operations will remain with OLX.
Piroshky Piroshky owner Olga Sagan launches Catch22Delivery to help Seattle restaurants during COVID-19
Olga Sagan, owner of Seattle’s Piroshky Piroshky bakery, launched Catch22Delivery, a free delivery and takeout platform to help local restaurants stay open and connect with customers amid COVID-19 closures that have boosted demand for food delivery.
Concure Oncology raises $2.5M from ~25 investors to expand Breast Microseed radioactive-seed therapy
Concure Oncology raised $2.5 million from nearly 25 investors to expand adoption of its Breast Microseed Treatment, a brachytherapy that implants rice-grain-sized radioactive palladium seeds after tumor removal to kill remaining cancer cells. The Mercer Island startup has now secured over $12 million total and will use the round to double its field sales team and train clinicians nationwide.
Ridwell collects hygiene and pet supplies for Mary’s Place, Pike Market Food Bank and Seattle Humane Society during COVID-19
Seattle recycling startup Ridwell is using its pickup infrastructure to collect hygiene and pet supplies for vulnerable groups during COVID-19, partnering with Mary’s Place, Pike Market Food Bank and Senior Center, and Seattle Humane Society. Members can leave designated donation items beside their regular Ridwell bins for collection on specified Saturdays.
Dan Rosen of Alliance of Angels advises startups to cut burn and prepare for COVID-19 impact, expects treatments and vaccine in 12–18 months
Dan Rosen, chairman of Alliance of Angels, outlines how COVID-19's exponential spread will stress healthcare and startups, urging mitigation, cash-preservation, and preparedness while expecting treatments and vaccines within 12–18 months.
The SnapBar launches $75 "Keep Your City Smiling" boxes to support employees and local vendors after live events collapse
Seattle photo and video booth startup The SnapBar, hit by the coronavirus collapse of live events, launched Keep Your City Smiling — $75 local gift boxes featuring 5–7 items from struggling area businesses to keep employees working and support vendors, with plans to expand to other cities and corporate bulk orders.
Seattle startup Joe Coffee says mobile orders tripled amid COVID-19, waives commissions and defers fees to help hundreds of shops
Seattle coffee tech startups, including Joe Coffee, are racing to support independent cafes as coronavirus closures disrupt routines; Joe Coffee reports mobile orders tripled and is waiving commissions and deferring setup fees to help shops stay open. Larger chains like Starbucks have shifted to drive-thru models while local startups onboard more shops to meet surging demand.
The Riveter places 24 employees (34% of staff) on temporary layoff under Washington’s COVID-19 ‘standby’ rule
Seattle tech startups like The Riveter and Armoire are using Washington’s temporary layoff (“standby”) policy so employees can collect unemployment benefits while expected to return within eight weeks, as revenue falls and social distancing forces closures amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Riveter put 24 employees (34% of staff) on standby, cut hours and pay, and is covering health insurance while aiming to bring staff back after the crisis.
Textio raises new capital — SEC filing shows $7M infusion as company closes $12M round to expand writing platform
Seattle startup Textio closed a $12 million funding round and an SEC filing shows a $7 million cash infusion as it aims to expand its augmented-writing platform beyond enterprise hiring use cases.
People
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John Cook Founder, Co-founder and Publisher, GeekWire
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Jonathan Sposato Founder, Chairman & co-founder
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Todd Bishop Founder, Co-Founder
