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
Updater acquires Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms undisclosed
New York moving services company Updater has acquired Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms were not disclosed and Dolly will operate as an Updater subsidiary with its Seattle team retained.
Amperity raises $100M Series D, becomes Seattle’s newest unicorn with $187M total funding
Seattle-based marketing startup Amperity raised $100 million in a Series D round, valuing it above $1 billion and bringing its total funding to $187 million. The company’s customer data platform helps brands like Alaska Airlines, Kroger and Starbucks unify fragmented first-party customer data to improve targeted marketing amid cookie restrictions and rising digital adoption.
Truveta raises $95M from 17 partner systems, gains access to >15% of U.S. patient records across 40 states
Seattle health-data startup Truveta raised $95 million in Series A funding from its 17 partner healthcare systems and added three new partners, giving it access to records covering more than 15% of U.S. patient care across 40 states. CEO Terry Myerson says the pooled data and insurance claims will let researchers and life sciences companies link treatments to outcomes to improve patient care and safety research.
CoderPad acquires Seattle startup AdaptiLab’s technical interviewing platform as founders James Wu and Allen Lu launch a new developer-focused company
Seattle startup AdaptiLab has sold its technical interviewing platform to CoderPad; terms were not disclosed. Founders James Wu and Allen Lu, who raised $1.8M in a 2019 seed and $2.2M total, are launching a new developer-focused company later this year with existing and new investors.
Blues Wireless Raises $22M Series A Led by Sequoia and Lachy Groom; Bill Gates Among Investors
Blues Wireless, founded by former Microsoft exec Ray Ozzie, raised $22 million in a Series A led by Sequoia Capital and Lachy Groom with investors including Bill Gates to grow its cellular IoT Notecard device and cloud services. The company sells a $49 cellular module that embeds in hardware to send data over AT&T’s network for remote monitoring and management.
Seattle Couple’s EpicSurf Wave Debuts After Five Years; ADG to Manufacture 3–5 ft Man-Made Surf Wave
John and Trisha Hoss spent five years securing financing and partners to build EpicSurf, a man-made deep-water stationary wave for surfing; they partnered with Aquatic Development Group in New York to manufacture and debut the adjustable 3–5 foot wave after traveling 2,500 miles and spending five months building the concept during the pandemic.
Polyarc announces Moss: Book II sequel during Sony State of Play, continuing Quill’s VR adventure
Seattle studio Polyarc announced Moss: Book II, a direct sequel to its 2018 VR adventure revealed during Sony’s State of Play; the game continues Quill’s story with new threats and the player returning as the Reader to control Quill and manipulate the world in VR. Polyarc, founded by former Bungie staff and fresh off a $9 million funding round, emphasizes the player-Quill bond, including character communication via untranslated American Sign Language.
TaxBit opens second headquarters in Seattle, plans to expand local team to 40 after $100M Series A
Utah-based crypto tax and accounting firm TaxBit is opening a second headquarters in Seattle’s South Lake Union to tap local tech talent and grow its team. Founded in 2018, TaxBit recently raised $100 million in a Series A (bringing total funding to $105 million), has a partnership with the IRS, and expects to grow its Seattle headcount from six to about 40 by year-end.
Viome Life Sciences splits into Viome Consumer Services and Viome Health Sciences to separate products from diagnostics and therapeutics
Viome, now Viome Life Sciences, has split into two divisions: Viome Consumer Services for individualized diet and supplement products, and Viome Health Sciences to develop diagnostics, predictive biomarkers and therapeutics for chronic disease and cancer. The Bellevue startup, led by CEO Naveen Jain and backed by investors including Marc Benioff, has over 200,000 customers and expects $100 million in revenue next year.
Icosavax files for IPO after raising $150M and advancing nanoparticle COVID-19 and RSV vaccines
Seattle-based Icosavax, a 2017 spinout from the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, has filed for an IPO after raising over $150 million and advancing nanoparticle-based COVID-19 and RSV vaccine candidates into early clinical trials with support from a $10 million Gates Foundation grant.
WellSaid Labs raises $10M Series A led by Fuse to expand AI text-to-speech platform
Seattle-based WellSaid Labs raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Fuse to expand its AI-driven text-to-speech platform, building on a $2 million 2019 seed and backing from investors including Voyager Capital, Qualcomm Ventures and Good Friends. The funding will support research, product hires and sales expansion to scale the startup’s natural-sounding synthetic voice offerings.
Zeitworks Raises $2M, Jazz Ventures and Madrona Back ML Startup as Jay Bartot Becomes CEO
Seattle startup Zeitworks raised $2 million in new funding from Jazz Ventures and Madrona Venture Group and appointed Seattle tech veteran Jay Bartot as CEO, succeeding Ryan Windham. The company uses machine learning to analyze user interactions and recommend automation or augmentation to improve repetitive business processes and plans to expand pilot customers.
Pioneer Square Labs alum Boundless hires Ohio tech veteran Alan Gilbert as VP of Engineering after recommendation from PSL co-founder Ben Gilbert
Seattle VC Ben Gilbert helped his father Alan Gilbert land a remote VP of engineering role at Boundless, a Pioneer Square Labs spinoff, highlighting how COVID-19 has broadened companies' acceptance of remote hires and kept tech ties strong across distance.
GeekWire 200 update: Remitly No. 3 as proposed IPO looms; Hootsuite debuts No. 6, Convoy rises to No. 7
GeekWire updated its GeekWire 200 list highlighting Pacific Northwest private tech startups amid record investment and M&A activity, with trends toward virtual experiences, at-home healthcare, remote education, and e-commerce. Notable rankings: Remitly at No. 3 (last valued $1.5B, proposed IPO), Hootsuite debuted at No. 6, Convoy rose to No. 7 (valued $2.75B in 2019), and Fabric jumped 26 spots to No. 95.
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice buys majority stake in Vera Whole Health, valuing Seattle startup at $400 million
Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice acquired a majority stake in Seattle-based primary care startup Vera Whole Health in a deal valuing the company at $400 million; Vera uses a per-member, per-month employer-paid model and operates centers in ten states. The partnership adds to CD&R's healthcare portfolio and follows Vera's $76 million in prior funding and reported employer healthcare cost reductions of 10–25%.
Astra goes public via Holicity SPAC led by Craig McCaw, valued at $2+ billion with $500M cash
Astra completed its SPAC merger with Holicity and began trading on Nasdaq (tickers ASTR/ASTRW), a deal that values the company at over $2 billion and provides about $500 million in cash. The transaction was led by Holicity chairman Craig McCaw with financial backing for Holicity from Bill Gates’ Pendrell Corp., and adds McCaw and Michael Lehman to Astra’s board.
StormX signs five-year, eight-figure jersey patch deal with Portland Trail Blazers starting 2021-22
Seattle crypto startup StormX signed a five-year, eight-figure jersey patch deal with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers starting in the 2021-22 season, becoming the first cryptocurrency company to sponsor an NBA jersey. The agreement includes in-arena branding, exclusive blockchain partner rights, international marketing/distribution rights, and highlights StormX’s growth (3M+ app downloads, $209M token market value).
Marchex co-founder Pete Christothoulou launches Xembly, an AI meeting-productivity startup entering beta
Pete Christothoulou, former Marchex CEO, launched Xembly, an AI startup that automates meeting tasks and provides data-driven insights to improve meeting productivity; the Madrona Venture Labs company is entering beta this week. Xembly cites a survey of 1,000 workers showing many meetings are unnecessary or too long and says its software works for both in-person and online meetings.
ProbablyMonsters, led by ex-Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, has raised $50 million in ongoing funding round
Bellevue-based ProbablyMonsters, founded in 2016 by ex-Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, has raised $50 million so far in a larger funding round according to an SEC filing; the collective operates three studios focused on multiplayer, storytelling and a cooperative RPG, with Firewalk Studios partnering with Sony on a new original multiplayer IP. A spokesperson declined to comment on the filing.
WXR Fund Raises $5M to Back Seed-Stage Women-Led AR/VR and AI Startups
The WXR Fund raised $5 million for its first seed-stage fund to invest in women-led AR/VR and AI startups, led by founders Martina Welkhoff and Amy LaMeyer. The Seattle-rooted firm, launched in 2019, previously ran an accelerator and highlights underrepresentation amid declining VC funding for female-led teams.
Tomo, led by ex‑Zillow chiefs Greg Schwartz and Carey Armstrong, raises $70M seed to digitize mortgages
Tomo, a fintech real estate startup founded by former Zillow executives Greg Schwartz and Carey Armstrong, launched in Seattle, Dallas and Houston with a $70 million seed round to digitize and speed up mortgage approvals online.
Seattle Tech CEOs — Icertis, Syndio, Qumulo, Remitly, Outreach, Convoy, Zenoti, Skilljar — Share First-Job Lessons That Shaped Their Careers
Seattle-area tech startup CEOs shared lessons from their first jobs—ranging from car washing to programming—highlighting practical skills, work ethic, and enduring lessons that shaped their leadership and product thinking.
Seattle Fintech CEO Nate Derby Leverages StartOut, WTIA, and New AWS Partnership to Grow Stakana Analytics
Seattle fintech entrepreneur Nate Derby built support networks across multiple organizations, including StartOut and WTIA, to overcome limited local resources. He is now seeking further assistance through a new AWS-StartOut partnership offering mentorship and $1 million in credits.
Shirish Nadkarni explains how to judge startup ideas and why incumbents are hard to beat
Veteran entrepreneur Shirish Nadkarni excerpts lessons on evaluating startup ideas, arguing founders must assess ideas against incumbents, market dynamics and strategic perspectives rather than early positive feedback. He emphasizes incumbents’ advantages and the difficulty of displacing established players without exploiting major industry transformations.
Sendle raises $35M Series C to expand U.S. operations, using unused delivery-truck space to cut costs
Australian e-commerce shipping startup Sendle raised $35 million in a Series C to expand in the U.S., using unused space on existing delivery trucks to offer lower-cost, faster shipping for small merchants. The company, which integrates with Etsy, eBay and Shopify, touts carbon-neutral operations, compostable packaging and plans to invest the funds in logistics, delivery and tech partnerships.
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
