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
Washington Senate Passes SB 5096 25-24 as Tech Industry and Progressives Clash Over Proposed Capital-Gains Tax
Washington state's tech community is sharply divided over SB 5096, a proposed capital-gains tax targeting large gains that startups warn would hurt recruitment and competitiveness; the state Senate passed the bill 25-24 and it now moves to the House. Progressive groups and analysts counter that other tech-leading states tax capital gains and say the WTIA's claims are false, noting many startups received federal PPP aid.
Banzai raises $15M in venture debt led by Columbia Pacific Advisors; total funding $21.2M
Seattle event-marketing startup Banzai raised $15 million in venture debt led by Columbia Pacific Advisors with participation from Gaingels, bringing its total funding to $21.2 million. The 2016-founded company, which pivoted to virtual events during the pandemic and recently acquired High Attendance and Demio, serves over 3,000 customers and has about 100 employees.
Founders’ Co-op’s Chris DeVore skips Auth0 seed due to competing investment, joins 2015 Series A and profits from Okta’s $6.5B acquisition
Seattle VC Chris DeVore of Founders’ Co-op missed Auth0’s 2014 seed because the firm already backed competitor Meldium, which was acquired in 2014 for $15 million; after that exit he joined Auth0’s $6.9M Series A in 2015 and saw the company acquired by Okta for $6.5B. DeVore says avoiding portfolio overlap is key and expresses gratitude to Auth0’s founders for allowing Founders’ Co-op to participate.
Ralph de la Vega, ex‑AT&T vice chairman, joins Outreach board as startup hits $1.33B valuation; Flyhomes names two VPs
Former AT&T vice chairman Ralph de la Vega joined Seattle sales engagement startup Outreach's board after meeting CEO Manny Medina; Outreach is a $1.33B-valued unicorn that raised $50M in June and employs about 700. Seattle real-estate startup Flyhomes also appointed two VPs: Adam Hopson (growth and strategy) and Rehan Mohammad (finance and business operations).
Pioneer Square Labs raises $100M Fund II to back 30+ Pacific Northwest startups with $1–3M initial checks
Seattle-based Pioneer Square Labs raised $100 million for its second venture fund, exceeding its $80 million target due to strong institutional demand, and will invest across more than 30 early-stage Pacific Northwest companies with initial checks of $1–3 million. The firm operates a startup studio (raised $29 million) and a venture fund model that splits capital roughly half to studio spinouts and half to external startups.
Jungle Scout raises $110M and acquires Seattle Amazon-ad startup Downstream, adding its 11-person team
Jungle Scout, an Austin-based company serving Amazon sellers, raised $110 million and announced the acquisition of Seattle startup Downstream, which provides Amazon advertising recommendations and will join Jungle Scout with its 11-person team; terms were not disclosed. Downstream, founded in late 2017, has 5,000 customers, >200% year-over-year revenue growth, and has raised $5 million from multiple investors.
Madrona’s Dan Li: Niche, Creator-Driven Communities Like Roblox ($30B) and Clubhouse (~$1B) Are Rising
Madrona partner Dan Li says niche, user-populated online communities — exemplified by Roblox (valued at $30B) and Clubhouse (about $1B) — are growing more important as creators produce sticky, original content, a trend accelerated by the pandemic. He discussed these themes on GeekWire Studios’ podcast 2025: Tomorrow, Today, hosted by John Cook and Jordon Voss.
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon and others invest $80M in Turntide to commercialize switched-reluctance Smart Motor System
Turntide Technologies raised $80 million in a funding round led by Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, bringing its total funding to $180 million to scale its Smart Motor System based on switched reluctance motor technology. Investors include the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition Ventures and several venture firms, backing the company’s effort to improve motor efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Seattle Foundation CEO Tony Mestres to become president of health data startup Truveta in May
Tony Mestres will leave his role as president and CEO of the Seattle Foundation in May to become president of Truveta, a health data startup led by former Microsoft Windows chief Terry Myerson. Truveta, founded by 14 U.S. health systems to pool data and apply AI for medical research and equity analysis, appoints Mestres after his seven-year tenure at the Seattle Foundation.
SPACs Let Founders Reach Public Markets Faster and Keep Larger Equity Stakes, Say Startup Observers
The article explains how SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) let founders and early employees reach liquidity faster and often retain larger ownership stakes than through later-stage VC or private equity rounds. Using examples like Sana Biotechnology and Seattle entrepreneur Sujal Patel, it argues SPACs can preserve founders' equity by bypassing dilutive funding rounds.
Presage Biosciences raises $13M, inks collaborations with Merck and Maverick to test cancer drugs using CIVO
Seattle-based Presage Biosciences raised $13 million in its first venture round, bringing total equity to $35 million, and announced new collaborations with Merck and Maverick Therapeutics to use its CIVO platform for testing cancer drugs in human tumors. The CIVO device enables micro-dosing and biomarker tracking in phase 0 trials, aiming to improve preclinical screening and reduce failures in costly phase I trials.
Seattle Fintech Startup Secure Names Suze Orman as Co-Founder After $3.5 Million Funding Round
Seattle-area fintech startup Secure revealed that TV personality and author Suze Orman is a co-founder. The company, which offers emergency savings accounts as a financial wellness benefit, raised $3.5 million in funding in January.
Founders’ Co-op raises $50M fifth fund to back 20–25 Pacific Northwest early-stage startups
Seattle venture firm Founders’ Co-op raised a $50 million fifth fund, its largest to date, to invest in 20–25 early-stage startups across the Pacific Northwest. The larger fund reflects growing deal sizes and outside LP interest as the region sees record startup funding and more unicorns.
Chuks Onwuneme, Nigerian-born co-founder and CTO of optimize.health, raises $15.6M Series A and champions Black founders in RPM
Chuks Onwuneme, a Nigerian-born co-founder and CTO of optimize.health (originally Pillsy), recounts his path to tech entrepreneurship and leadership in remote patient monitoring after raising a $15.6 million Series A in 2020. He highlights underrepresentation of Black executives in VC-backed tech, and urges others from similar backgrounds to pursue technical founding roles.
Father-daughters team launches The Chances App to match Gen Z by mutual relationship intentions
Rob Lipschutz and his daughters Vanessa and Noelle launched The Chances App, a social-relationships app designed to help Gen Z connect by matching mutual intentions across nine categories (e.g., Friends, Let’s Study, FWB, Let’s Date) rather than using traditional social or dating app mechanics. Lipschutz, a tech veteran from Bothell, Washington, built the app after seeing his daughters struggle with existing social media while transitioning to college.
Former Amazon executive Jeff Blackburn joins Bessemer Venture Partners as partner, staying in Seattle
Longtime Amazon executive Jeff Blackburn left Amazon and has joined Bessemer Venture Partners as one of five new partners; he will focus on early- and late-stage customer-focused companies and remain based in Seattle. Bessemer also announced it raised $3.3 billion across two new funds and has a history of backing major startups.
TiE Seattle VC Panel: 2020 Ended with Record Startup Funding and SPAC Surge, Investors Expect Strong 2021
A TiE Seattle panel of four Seattle-area VCs said despite early pandemic layoffs and valuation fears, 2020 ended with record startup funding, VC capital raises, and strong exits, and they expect continued momentum in 2021 driven by SPAC activity and pandemic-driven innovation. Panelists highlighted increased founding activity, higher valuations, and pandemic-forced business improvements creating investor opportunities.
Stoke Space Technologies raises $9.1 million seed round to build reusable upper-stage rockets
Stoke Space Technologies, founded by former Blue Origin engineers in Renton, Wash., raised $9.1 million in seed funding to develop a reusable upper-stage rocket aimed at making full-stage reusability commonplace. CEO Andy Lapsa says extending reusability to upper stages is the next industry milestone and will better serve the commercial satellite market.
Boundless lays off 4, asks 27 employees to relocate to Las Vegas after $7.5M raise and RapidVisa acquisition
Seattle-based immigration startup Boundless cut four jobs and asked 27 customer-support employees to relocate to Las Vegas after raising $7.5 million and acquiring RapidVisa, consolidating support to the acquired companys Las Vegas center as part of a restructuring.
Port of Seattle and Washington Maritime Blue Launch Second Cohort of Maritime Accelerator, Moving Into New Maritime Innovation Center
The Port of Seattle and nonprofit Washington Maritime Blue launched a second-year maritime startup accelerator to connect regional maritime heritage with modern innovation, replacing WeWork Labs with Maritime Blue for mentorship and programming. The Port will provide space in a new Maritime Innovation Center at Fishermen’s Terminal, with construction expected to start this year.
ChefSteps Co-founder Chris Young Launches Combustion Inc., Debuts Eight-Sensor Smart Thermometer and Timer
ChefSteps co-founder Chris Young launched Combustion Inc. and unveiled a smart wireless thermometer/timer that uses eight sensors and algorithms to measure temperature gradients and estimate size and doneness without sous-vide or plastic bags. He returned to product invention after leaving ChefSteps (acquired by Breville in 2019) and developed the device during COVID-19 downtime.
Madrona Venture Labs’ Pendulum, led by Sam Clark and Mark Ledwich, launches tech to identify QAnon videos across YouTube, BitChute and Rumble
Pendulum, a Madrona Venture Labs startup led by Sam Clark and Mark Ledwich, builds technology to classify publicly available video content and identify harmful narratives like QAnon across platforms including YouTube, BitChute, and Rumble. The company released a report on QAnon videos, has interest from advertisers and government groups, and analyzes audio and image content though its business model remains undisclosed.
Pluto VR launches PlutoSphere to stream PC VR games to Oculus Quest headsets without a PC
Seattle-based Pluto VR is launching PlutoSphere, a streaming platform that delivers PC-quality VR games directly to headsets like the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 without a local PC, lowering VR entry costs. The service requires 50 Mbps and a 5 GHz Wi‑Fi 6 connection, will support Steam and Epic libraries and OpenVR/OpenXR apps, and plans broader device and AR support post-launch.
Highspot raises $200M Series E at $2.3B valuation, becoming Seattle’s newest unicorn
Highspot, a nine-year-old Seattle enterprise sales enablement startup, raised a $200 million Series E at a $2.3 billion valuation, becoming the city’s newest unicorn. The company says ARR grew 900% over three years and its platform uses AI to optimize sales conversations for customers like Hootsuite, Twitter, Siemens and Workday.
Wyze names former Nike exec Francis Lee as first CFO; OutSystems raises $150M at $9.5B valuation as CMO relocates to Seattle
Wyze Labs named longtime Nike executive Francis Lee as its first CFO as the Kirkland smart-home startup expands after a Series A; OutSystems closed a $150M funding round valuing it at $9.5B while moving CMO Robson Grieve to Seattle. Additional regional moves include Lisa Nelson joining Flying Fish Partners as a venture partner and Apptio naming Kevin Meeks chief customer officer.
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
