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
Entain acquires Seattle esports betting startup Unikrn; terms undisclosed, Unikrn pauses services
Entain has agreed to acquire Seattle-based esports betting startup Unikrn, which temporarily halted services during the deal; terms were not disclosed. Unikrns roughly 40 employees will join Entain, which hired ex-Twitch exec Justin Dellario to lead esports operations as it targets a projected $20 billion addressable esports and social casino market by 2025.
Visus Therapeutics raises $20M to advance BRIMOCHOL presbyopia eye drop after $36M round six months earlier
Seattle startup Visus Therapeutics raised $20 million to develop BRIMOCHOL, a once-daily eye drop intended to treat presbyopia, following a $36 million raise six months earlier.
Convoy signs 123,000 sq ft sublease at Russell Investments Center in Seattle, expanding from 73,000 sq ft
Seattle freight-startup Convoy signed a sublease for 123,000 sq ft across three floors at downtown’s Russell Investments Center, expanding from its current 73,000 sq ft Century Square HQ as it outlines a return-to-office plan amid broader Seattle downtown uncertainties.
TaxBit raises $130M at $1.33B valuation after opening Seattle HQ, led by IVP and Insight Partners
Cryptocurrency tax and accounting startup TaxBit raised $130 million at a $1.33 billion valuation after opening a second headquarters in Seattle; the company plans to double its workforce, expand U.S. and U.K. offices, and recently partnered with the IRS. The Series round was led by IVP and Insight Partners with participation from Madrona Venture Group.
Starform, founded by ex-Z2 vets, raises $5M seed led by BITKRAFT to grow Seattle studio and fund 5v5 arena game
Seattle game studio Starform raised $5 million in a seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures to advance its closed-beta 5v5 arena PC/mobile game and build a second internal team; the studio was founded in 2018 by former Z2 employees and now has 11 staff. Starform will hire more developers and focus on social-play experiences, with the second team's project to be chosen later if it can support a 5–10 year lifecycle and global appeal.
Former Amazon VP D. Sangeeta launches Gotara mentoring platform to retain women in STEM
Gotara, founded by former Amazon VP D. Sangeeta, launched a mentoring software in February that offers anonymous one-off and programmatic mentorship to help retain women in STEM. The platform is free for individuals and also sells employee retention programs to 12 employers, including Cisco.
Amex Ventures invests in Seattle "connected accounting" startup Lockstep; total funding now $17M
Amex Ventures made an undisclosed investment in Seattle accounting startup Lockstep, which builds cloud-based "connected accounting" tools; Lockstep has 70 employees, raised $10M Series A in February, and has $17M total funding to date.
Lumen Bioscience and Google use machine learning to double spirulina protein yields; research backed by $2M DOE grant
Seattle biotech Lumen Bioscience and Google collaborated on machine-learning research that doubled spirulina-based protein production, supported by a $2 million DOE grant and backing from the Gates Foundation.
Forbes Cloud 100 Names Seattle Unicorns Tanium, Outreach, Icertis and Highspot in Top 50
Forbes' sixth annual Cloud 100 list includes four Seattle-area unicorns — Tanium, Outreach, Icertis and Highspot — all ranking in the top 50 based on growth, sales, valuation, culture and reputation. The companies have valuations from $2.8B to $9.2B and recent funding rounds ranging from $80M to $200M.
Seattle agtech startup iUNU acquires pest-management firm CropWalk, adds six employees; terms undisclosed
Seattle agtech startup iUNU has acquired pest management company CropWalk, adding six employees and integrating CropWalk into iUNU's LUNA greenhouse monitoring system; terms were not disclosed.
Eliem Therapeutics raises $80M in IPO, prices 6.4M shares at $12.50 and lists on Nasdaq as ELYM
Eliem Therapeutics priced 6.4 million shares at $12.50 in an IPO that raised $80 million and will trade on Nasdaq as ELYM, with shares closing at $15.90 (up 27%). The Redmond biotech, founded ~3 years ago and led by Bob Azelby, is early-stage with no product revenue, a $46.7M deficit, 25 employees, and is developing CNS-focused therapies for pain, psychiatry and epilepsy.
Hillrom to complete $367M acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics after Delaware judge orders deal to proceed
Hillrom will proceed with its previously announced $367 million acquisition of Seattle startup Bardy Diagnostics after a Delaware judge ordered the deal to close following a dispute over sharp Medicare reimbursement cuts that briefly led Hillrom to try to withdraw.
Kyte launches in Seattle, offers app-based delivered rentals with $19 delivery/return fee and day‑to‑month bookings
On-demand car rental startup Kyte launched service in Seattle, delivering rental cars to customers who book via app or website for day-, week- or month-long rentals across several neighborhoods, charging a daily rate plus a $19 delivery/return fee.
Hiya Adds Salesforce President and CMO Sarah Franklin to Board as User Base Hits 180M
Seattle spam-call blocker Hiya added Salesforce President and CMO Sarah Franklin to its board as it scales enterprise growth, after adding 50 million monthly active users in the past year and serving 180 million users worldwide. The company also appointed Bill McAleer as a board advisor and highlighted more than 115% growth in global enterprise customers.
Vera Whole Health raises $50M from Morgan Health; Dan Mendelson to join board
Seattle-based Vera Whole Health raised $50 million from Morgan Health, JP Morgan Chase’s healthcare arm, to expand its employer-focused coordinated primary care model after a July majority-stake private equity buyout. Morgan Health’s first investment in coordinated care will support Vera’s growth and create a partnership with Central Ohio Primary Care, with Dan Mendelson joining Vera’s board.
Former Facebook Seattle Head Vijaye Raji Raises $10.4M Series A for Statsig to Speed Feature Rollouts
Vijaye Raji, a former Facebook and Microsoft engineering leader, raised $10.4 million in Series A funding for Statsig, a Kirkland startup that helps developers quickly roll out and measure product features. Sequoia Capital, Madrona Venture Group and angel investors participated, and the company aims to bring Facebook-style experimentation tools to broader developer teams.
CityBldr launches Public demo using zoning data from 100 U.S. cities to map public land and housing potential
Bellevue-based CityBldr has launched a free demo site, Public, that uses its five-year-built zoning and land database covering 100 U.S. cities to map underutilized publicly owned parcels and estimate how many people each could house under current zoning. The company plans a sponsorship program for corporations to fund affordable-housing nonprofits in exchange for full access to the complete dataset.
Tignis raises $1M from BMNT, exits H4XLabs and launches PAICe AI product suite for semiconductors, oil & gas and energy
Seattle startup Tignis, which builds AI/ML tools for manufacturers, smart buildings and utilities, raised $1 million from BMNT and completed BMNT’s H4XLabs accelerator while launching its first commercial PAICe product suite focused on semiconductors, oil and gas, and energy. Founded in 2017 by former VMware executives Jon Herlocker and Matt McLaughlin, Tignis has 20 employees and has raised $7.4M in angel and seed funding to date.
Chronus raises $78M from Level Equity to expand mentoring platform as hybrid work and DEI demand rises
Chronus, a Bellevue-based mentoring software maker, raised $78 million from Level Equity to expand its platform, sales and marketing as hybrid work and DEI demand grow; the company has about 85 employees and counts Amazon and Hearst among customers.
NavigatorCRE raises $17.2M Series A led by Fulcrum Equity Partners to expand CRE analytics platform
Seattle-based NavigatorCRE, a commercial real estate data analytics startup, raised $17.2 million in a Series A led by Fulcrum Equity Partners to expand in North America and Western Europe and form a Customer Advisory Council. The 2014-founded company, led by CEO Taylor Odegard, has ~40 employees, offices in Seattle, Los Angeles and Dallas, and has raised about $24 million to date.
Outreach names Melton Littlepage CMO and adds Stefan Schulz to board; ShelfEngine hires Kane McCord; Kaskada promotes Charna Parkey
Seattle sales enablement company Outreach (valued at $4.4B) named Melton Littlepage as CMO and added Stefan Schulz to its board; ShelfEngine hired Kane McCord as president and CRO after a $41M Series B; Kaskada promoted Charna Parkey to VP of product. The article lists several executive moves across Seattle-area startups and tech companies.
Wyze Labs raises $110M Series B led by Marcy Venture Partners to build AI into <$36 Wyze Cam
Wyze Labs raised $110 million in a Series B led by Marcy Venture Partners to expand its product line, invest heavily in AI features for its <$36 Wyze Cam, and improve customer service and shipping.
Icosavax IPO: Seattle biotech raises $180M, stock jumps 200% on first trading day (ICVX)
Seattle biotech Icosavax surged more than 200% on its NASDAQ debut after raising over $180 million by pricing shares at $15; the company develops virus-like particle vaccines and recently began phase 1/2 trials for a COVID-19 vaccine supported by a $10 million Gates Foundation grant.
Microsoft acquires Seattle AI spend-analysis startup Suplari, to integrate with Dynamics 365
Microsoft has acquired Seattle startup Suplari, which uses AI to analyze procurement and spending data and manages over $180 billion in spend; Suplari’s Spend Intelligence Cloud will remain available to existing customers and will be paired with Microsoft Dynamics 365. Terms were not disclosed; Suplari — a 40-person company founded in 2016 that raised $18 million — provides AI-driven cost-savings and risk insights across enterprise systems.
AdaptX (formerly MDMetrix) raises $6M Series A led by Vulcan Capital to expand AI-driven healthcare data platform
AdaptX, formerly MDMetrix, raised $6 million in a Series A led by Vulcan Capital to expand its AI-driven platform that extracts insights from electronic medical records to improve clinical, financial and equity outcomes. The Seattle startup, founded by anesthesiologist Dr. Dan Low, has raised over $11 million total, employs about 20 people, and will use proceeds for hiring and product development.
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
