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
DexCare, Providence spinout led by CEO Derek Streat, raises $50M to expand patient-access platform
Seattle health-tech startup DexCare, spun out of Providence’s digital innovation group, raised $50 million to accelerate platform development and go-to-market expansion; its software manages health system capacity and patient appointment booking and is used by Providence, Kaiser Permanente, Mass General Brigham, Houston Methodist and others. The round follows a $20 million raise last March and was led by Transformation Capital, whose managing partner emphasized patient competition as a major hospital issue in 2022.
GeekWire updates Seattle list as Highspot raises $248M at $3.5B; SeekOut and Icertis added to 16 local unicorns
GeekWire updated its list of Seattle-area 'unicorn' startups (privately held companies valued at $1B+) after additions and a valuation change for Icertis, noting recent entrants like SeekOut and Highspot, which raised $248 million at a $3.5 billion valuation. The article highlights that the Seattle cohort includes 16 unicorns, none led by a female or Black CEO, and that many CEOs have Microsoft backgrounds amid a global surge in unicorns and venture funding.
Ethos acquires Seattle digital-wills startup Tomorrow; 600,000 users and 20 employees join insurer
Seattle startup Tomorrow, which offers iOS and web apps for creating legal wills, trusts, and other estate documents and has helped over 600,000 users, has been acquired by life insurer Ethos. Tomorrow’s 20 employees will join Ethos’s 250-person team, and the Tomorrow apps will continue operating under the Tomorrow brand for now.
Seashell raises $6M seed; Khosla, Kindred, Mark Cuban, Vlad Tenev and Coinbase Ventures back Seattle fintech offering up to 10% yields
Seashell, a 15-person Seattle fintech founded by Daryl Hok, raised $6 million in a seed round led by Khosla Ventures and Kindred Ventures with investors including Mark Cuban, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev and Coinbase Ventures; the startup offers up to 10% interest by investing user cash in gold and dollar-pegged digital assets but is not FDIC-insured and carries loss risk.
Highspot raises $248M Series F at $3.5B valuation as remote-selling demand surges
Seattle-based sales enablement startup Highspot raised $248 million in a Series F at a $3.5 billion valuation, driven by increased demand for remote-selling tools as the pandemic shifted sales work online.
CODA Farm Technologies raises $2.2M seed led by Lowercarbon to commercialize IoT traveling-sprinkler controllers
CODA Farm Technologies, founded by brothers from Wallace Farms, raised $2.2 million in seed funding led by Lowercarbon Capital to commercialize an IoT irrigation control platform for traveling sprinklers. The startup has sold 120 devices to 20 farms across eight U.S. states and Canadian provinces despite supply-chain challenges that forced hardware redesigns.
Doorstead launches Seattle service as SF-based property-management startup with $12.5M Series A expands nationally
Doorstead, a San Francisco property-management startup founded by former Uber employees, has launched service in the Seattle region as it expands nationally; the company raised $12.5 million in a 2022 Series A and manages just under $1 billion in assets.
Backstage Acquires ShareGrid, Bringing 150,000+ Members and Equipment-Rental Network into Its Freelancer Platform
New York-based freelancer marketplace Backstage has acquired ShareGrid, a Seattle film and photo equipment rental marketplace founded in 2015 with 150,000+ members and presence in over 100 cities; ShareGrid raised $1.4M, employs 15, and will keep its brand, team, and website.
SeekOut raises $115M, valuation tops $1B to expand recruiting and internal-employee products
Seattle startup SeekOut raised $115 million to push its valuation past $1 billion, becoming a unicorn, and will use the funds to expand recruiting and internal-employee products. Its recruiting platform, used by over 1,000 companies, aggregates data on 700+ million candidates, has built-in diversity filters, and reports ARR of $25–$50 million after tripling in nine months.
ZeroAvia opens R&D center at Everett’s Paine Field; $5.5M refit and $350K Washington grant support hydrogen-electric powertrain work
ZeroAvia is opening an R&D center at Everett’s Paine Field near Seattle to develop hydrogen-electric aircraft powertrains, with plans to begin customer rollouts in 2024 and potentially build a North American manufacturing hub there. The Paine Field site converts warehouse space into offices and labs, received a $350,000 Washington grant, and will employ 20–30 people initially while ZeroAvia pursues larger-scale manufacturing and powertrains for bigger aircraft.
Thingy AQ to test Amazon’s Sidewalk Bridge Pro to connect remote wildfire air-quality sensors
Bellevue startup Thingy AQ builds environmental sensor systems to monitor air quality for farmers and first responders and won $25,000 in the EPA Wildland Fire Sensors Challenge in 2018. Thingy will test Amazon’s new Sidewalk Bridge Pro to extend connectivity to remote sensors for wildfire prediction and data sharing with first responders.
Ciara and Russell Wilson’s House of LR&C to raise up to $15M in Series A after revenue hits eight figures
The House of LR&C, a Seattle fashion house co-founded by Ciara and Russell Wilson, plans to raise up to $15 million in a Series A this year after reaching eight-figure revenue and roughly 70% growth; the company previously raised a $7 million convertible note led by Harlem Capital.
Pure Watercraft unveils 24-foot electric pontoon at CES after GM buys 25% for $150M
Pure Watercraft unveiled a 24-foot all-electric pontoon boat at CES 2022 as the first product from its new partnership with General Motors, which bought a 25% stake for $150 million; the boat uses Pure outboard motors with a GM battery pack up to 66 kWh and starts at about $45,000–$60,000. The company is taking pre-orders and highlights a top speed of 23 mph, 10-person capacity, and a focus on efficiency and market opportunity in pontoon boating.
Napster Co‑founder Jordan Ritter’s Stealth Startup Augment AI Raises $3.45M Seed to ‘Supercharge’ Productivity
Augment AI Corp, a stealthy Seattle startup led by Napster co-founder Jordan Ritter and three other tech veterans, raised a $3.45 million seed round after spinning out of the Allen Institute for AI incubator to build software that aims to "supercharge" personal productivity by better integrating devices and apps.
Pictory raises $2.1M seed from FUSE to automate short-form video production for 5,000+ customers
Seattle startup Pictory raised a $2.1 million seed round to scale its AI software that converts long-form videos and text into short-form clips, serving over 5,000 customers. The company, founded in 2019 by Vikram Chalana, Abid Mohammed, and Vishal Chalana, is led by CEO Vikram Chalana and backed by FUSE, Voyager Capital and several Seattle angel investors.
GeekWire revises GeekWire 200: firms >15 years old and majority PE-owned ineligible, rankings shift to quarterly in 2022
GeekWire is changing the criteria for its GeekWire 200 startup rankings: beginning in 2022, majority private-equity-owned companies and companies 15 years or older will be ineligible, and the index will move from monthly to quarterly updates, which will reshape the top ranks including removing Blue Origin.
Curi Bio raises $10M to advance iPSC-based 3D tissue drug-discovery platforms including Mantarray
Seattle-based Curi Bio raised $10 million in Series A financing to advance its human iPSC-based drug discovery platforms, including 3D engineered tissue products like Mantarray and Cytostretcher. The company provides customized assay and screening services for cardiac, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular models and has prior funding including $6M this spring and over $6M in NIH grants.
Chudi Iregbulem launches Beatmatch, a music-first dating app syncing Spotify/Apple Music for January Seattle beta
Beatmatch is a new music-centered dating app, founded by former AWS developer and DJ Chudi Iregbulem, that matches users by syncing with Spotify or Apple Music to connect people over shared songs, artists or concerts; a Seattle beta launches in January. The app aims to prioritize musical compatibility over appearance-driven swiping and fosters conversation by letting matches comment on tracks.
Modern Electron files for $30M raise to scale heat-to-electricity converters, led by CEO Tony Pan and CTO Max Mankin
Modern Electron, an Intellectual Ventures spinoff, is raising $30 million per an SEC filing to commercialize its heat-to-electricity converters that capture wasted heat from furnaces, hot water tanks and industrial sources. The Bothell, Washington startup previously raised about $40 million including backing tied to Bill Gates, and is led by co-founders CEO Tony Pan and CTO Max Mankin.
Wind Creek Hospitality acquires Seattle social-games developer FlowPlay; terms undisclosed
Seattle social-games developer FlowPlay, maker of Vegas World and Casino World with more than 75 million registered users, has been acquired by Wind Creek Hospitality; terms were not disclosed. Wind Creek — which runs 10 casinos and WindCreekCasino.com for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians — plans to keep FlowPlay in Seattle under CEO Derrick Morton, retaining its brand and staff.
Uplevel to Trial Permanent Four-Day Workweek, Giving All Employees Fridays Off to Combat Burnout
Seattle startup Uplevel, a 27-person remote spinout of Madrona Venture Labs, will trial a permanent four-day workweek (Fridays off) starting after the holidays to boost productivity, mental health and culture, with the experiment running through the first quarter and including monthly check-ins.
Rec Room raises $145M led by Coatue, valuing the Seattle VR startup at $3.5B
Seattle-based Rec Room raised $145 million in a funding round led by Coatue Management, bringing its valuation to $3.5 billion after a prior $100 million raise in March 2021; the cross-platform social VR app saw rapid user growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seattle’s Tasso Raises $100M Series B to Scale Self‑Administered Blood‑Collection Devices
Seattle startup Tasso raised $100 million in a Series B round to advance its self‑administered blood‑collection devices used for remote patient monitoring, decentralized clinical trials and mailed liquid or dried samples. The funding brings total capital to $131 million, building on prior grants and a $17 million raise in July 2020.
Brian Goldfarb named Tenable CMO; Elizabeth Hamren becomes Discord COO; Kurt DelBene confirmed as VA CIO; Madrona adds three strategic directors
Several tech industry hires and appointments: Brian Goldfarb is CMO at Tenable; Elizabeth Hamren is COO at Discord; Kurt DelBene confirmed as VA CIO; Madrona Venture Group added three strategic directors; Christina Mautz joined Panopto.
Madrona Venture Group raises $120M Fund VII Extension to support 10–12 portfolio companies from its 2018 $300M fund
Madrona Venture Group has raised a $120 million Fund VII Extension Fund from prior investors to provide follow-on capital for 10–12 companies from its 2018 $300 million Fund VII, responding to larger, faster rounds in today’s frothy venture market.
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
